DO YOU REMEMBER ME WRITING THIS ARTICLE A FEW WEEKS BACK.
If you have looked at today's Columbian newspaper, at the announcements of the Greater St. Helen's Girl's All League Teams in 3A and 4A, you'll notice some of the glaring omissions and placements and you may understand why I wrote this. I was angry, hurt and disturbed and I remain that way. Read between the lines.
We shake hands as a reminder that it's only a game. No matter how intense, how controversial, how angry we get, how emotional we get, and sometimes even how physical we get, it's only a game and after it's over, it's over, we go back to life. After you walk off the floor of competition we should all be friends, and show respect for one another.
Common courtesy, respect, be nice and friendly to everyone, basic life philosophy.
Coaches, especially need to be held to a higher standard in this area. We are teaching young adults. High school coaches with personal agenda's needs to stop. It's ugly and hurts the valuable lessons I would think we are trying to teach the girls playing our sport. Holding grudges, not giving recognition, playing time, or their "just do them", because of ill feelings you may have about overzealous parents and/or the players outside associations, is childish and it needs to stop.
This is not what I want from the sport I love, and deep down inside, you don't either. Let's shake hands, and be courteous.
A very good friend told me that I shouldn't say anything, I'd be banging my head against the wall because many of the high school coaches feel I'm the problem or people like me, "Club team coaches, and personal trainers". I don't mean to anger or intimidate anyone. I'm in it for the kids. Yes, I'm a big guy, I have a big loud voice, I'm opinionated... so what. I'm extending the olive branch. Let's Shake...
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9 comments:
Couldn't agree with you more! The sign of a winner - is losing and still be able to run over and shake the hand of the one who beat you - with the idea that she'll hopefully be coming to you one day with the same!
We see this in professional sports all the time - and just because your friends play on another team, it doesn't make them the enemy - just the competition for the next 32 minutes!
Probably should have listen to your friend. This rambler makes little sense to anyone not part of your "inside" issue.
Shaking hands following a game, coaches with grudges, personal issues, what is this really all about?
This entry peaks a bit high on the nutty scale.
es, personal issues. what is this really all about?
This one peakes a bit high on the nutty scale.
Personal agendas practiced by hs coaches are indeed destructive. Some coaches are better at masking than others.
The Spokane area has capitalized on the efforts of clubs and their coaches. Hats off to the HS coaches in that area for not letting their egos stand in the way of the girls progress and success.
We know we have some big egos in the county. These coaches are selfish and will destroy more kids and their confidence than they will ever help. They each have different levels of ego fulfillment needs, but all are destructive.
If parents really knew how many of their girls are being placed in the roll of the sacrificial lamb, they would be appalled.
Don't quit the fight. Sooner or later coaches will be hired that view what you and others due at the club level as being an asset and not a threat.
Its amazing what can be accomplished when no one worries about who gets the credit.
Have a good day.
Jim Rat must not be aware of the problems that are occuring in SW washington girls basketball. Some (not all) of the local coaches are resentful of all club teams not just premier elite. As Jay has pointed out numours times all you have to do is go to the state tournament and you'll see that the spokane area is dominating the state and it's due to the allience between the clubs and high schools.
Sw washington has as much talent as any in the state. However we will as a league struggle untill we elevate the level of play top to bottom. Yes there is a bunch of young talent this year but as Praire has experinced this year without good league competion your left wondering how prepared you are for the top teams in the state.
We all need to work together and make SW washington the hottest spot for girls basketball in the state.
My issue with tournament teams/coaches is when they do not respect the boundaries of the HS coach - and I am a local tournament coach. Though I coach at a youth level, I often go to HS games in Oregon and WA and it's easy to pick out tournament coaches. The good ones sit in a neutral section of the gym, observing, encouraging and enjoying a game. The ones I wonder about are the ones who blantantly sit with one fan section and yet still proudly wear their club gear like a peacock displaying plummage. It's this coach I find to be shifty and not trustworthy. Why would any HS coach want to send their players to a tournament coach who has such obvious affiliations with a particular HS? Tournament coaches should support the programs of the entire area and should not be buddy-buddy with any particular HS coach. Rather, they should be a neutral
3rd party who any HS coach should feel comfortable referring players to.
In the day and age of HS recruiting, it's tough to trust any tournament coach. My own daughter, who is now a freshman, was recruited by my former coaching partner to attend a rival HS, rather than the one in our district. The logic of the case being she should want to stay with her tournament teammates while in HS. I said no, and that there has to be a stop to all of this madness of tranferring and stacking HS teams. I started coaching because it was fun and a great way to spend time with my daughter, not so I could get her a college scholarship. She's not a commodity to be traded or a scholarship check to be cashed.
Ok, now that we have cleared the obfuscated beginning to this post I think I understand were this was headed.
Let’s get specific, do HS coaches have a reason to resent/fear/not trust the motives of club coaches? Are we talking about Al who has his own club program that provides a significant income stream for him and would obviously feel in competition with other club coaches?
How many clubs can our area support. Spokane has the Stars which the main program there. Many of our local girls have played on Portland based AAU/club teams in the past.
Transfer problems? What have been the transfer complaints in our area. What were the impact transfers? I haven’t seen but one or two transfers in 3A or 4A in last few years. Don’t want to hear about 8th graders, they are free agents. Transfers are one HS to another HS. Do Club promote/facilitate transfers?
Sorry Tony: Please don't post names of kids. Unfair, period.
Jim rat: if you don't see the problem, that's OK. Unfortunately there are some problems and it's with more than one or two coaches.
And no, I don't know of many cases of club coaches recruiting for other schools. But let's not be closed minded. I'm sure HS coaches and others recruit to some extent.
I appreiate both of your comments but please let's not go Oregon Live OK... Nothing personal.
Looking at the All league Selections it obvious to be some coaches had agendas. The fact the Caitlyn Jackson was not even mentioned leads me to beleive her coach didn't even put in her to be voted on. I know her coach wroks with cascades and has tried to get her to play in that program. she she being punished for playing for another club? I also noticed Caitlynn patterson was not on a team. she also played for premier elite. yet I saw her go for double/doubles on sevral occasions and had sevral games with 20+ points and double didget boards.not to take anything away from the deserving players that did get votes it just shows to me that there are some very small minded people in charge of our youth programs
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