Coaches Should Set Example For Exercise, Physical Fitness
During this national obesity epidemic, it’s more important than ever for coaches to be excellent fitness role models for the young athletes under their stewardship. If kids don’t see this exhibited by the adult with a whistle around their neck, where else in society will they?
Look at successful men like Steve Wright at Marion High School or Don Montgomery at E&H College who, despite rigorous coaching and teaching schedules, can often be seen working out. They’re walking advertisements for the value of sports participation, and look like they could still play long after other adults have spent years on the couch. Every day, without saying a word, they show their players what a real sports champion looks like. Their talk of hard work, sacrifice and rebuilding from the ground up rings true in a way that no cartoon character ever could.
Let’s challenge our school systems to put the educational value back in kids’ sports experiences, stop obsessing over “winning” and “losing” and realize that the greatest victory occurs when a student develops a life-long love for sports participation and good heath that lasts long after graduation. The will be a winner by having a long, fulfilling life years after district and state championship trophies have been resigned to dusty display cases.
While we’re at it, let’s minimize the pressure outside interests exert. Let the players play and the coaches coach and perhaps we’d see an end to the seemingly endless revolving door of prep coaches needing to leave to “spend more time with their families” and less need of “rebuilding.”
Ned Johnson
Marion, Va.
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Reader Reactions
I say let’s extend this to reading, writing and arithmetic. Far mre than Physicle fitness we have fallen behind here. Let’s see examples’s here.
Well said, itsme123!!!
Too many parents want (expect) schools to raise their kids. Certainly, teachers and coaches can be positive role models, but parents MUST do their part first.
Sadly, there are tons of top quality coaches who teach their classes, then go home at the end of each day. They’ve ended their coaching careers because of all the junk they’re put through by administrators and parents.
One of my favorite stories is as follows. There is a school district in Southwest Virginia which, at least for a while, didn’t allow anyone to be cut from any team. An 8th grade basketball team had 31 players on it. Now, 8th graders play 6 minute quarters, and district leaders stressed that all players should play an equal amount. Can someone do the math, and figure exactly how to play all the players an equal amount?? Some parents of players at that school sat in the stands with stop watches, making sure their child didn’t get ‘cheated’ in terms of playing time. Oh yeah, parents of those players wanted a championship team too.
And some wonder why coaches get out of the business?? Yeah, right.
I agree with Johnson’s comment about outside interests. Parents should only become involved when the athlete is unable to communicate with the coach. And then, they should go to the coach and discuss the issue before calling their buddy the schoolboard member and demanding blood.
As for where else are the kids going to find role models? Start at home. As parents, we should want our kids to emulate us, not some coach, sports figure, teacher, actor or politician. We should live our lives in a way that sets the ultimate example for our kids. I’m not relying on some coach to raise my kids, no matter how great a person they may be. Nothing wrong with kids aspiring to reach the same goals as Peyton Manning, but they should never want to be Peyton Manning (and personally, if my kids were going to emulate a sports figure, Peyton Manning is one of the few I would approve of).
I whole-heartedly disagree that we should take the emphasis off winning. We should teach our kids two things: One, winning should be your goal in everything you do and two, it is okay to lose as long as you gave it your best shot. No, we shouldn’t have a win at all costs attitude, but we also shouldn’t teach our kids that losing is okay as long as everybody has fun. You want fun? Play rec league.
Mr. Johnson,
You make one great point here. To minimize outside pressures (influential parents, as well as cowardly administrators) would keep many coaches in the business for far longer. When coaches make decisions, which they were/are hired to do, then have parents complain to school leaders, who immediately go agaisnt the coaches, it breaks down the whole system.
Classic example, that has occurred at many schools…...The coaches conduct try-outs for their respective sports. There are students who aren’t skilled enough to make the team, therefore they’re cut. Parents are sometimes upset, complain to school boards, principals, or whoever, then the coaches are told to “place that player on the team.“ It doesn’t end there. Once the young person is put back on the team, complaints then result in pressure on the coaches to “make sure” that the player in question gets into every game. It’s crazy!!!
On the other hand, Mr. Johnson, you seem to put too little emphasis on “winning.“ Well, sorry, sir but winning builds character. Becoming successful in life is another form of “winning.“ The idea that all participants should get awards, regardless of abilities should end at a very young age. Sports are about dedication, hard work, team work, sacrifice, practicing, cooperation, and ultimately WINNING!!!! I trust that you mean really young kids (tee ball age) shouldn’t be pressured to win. Life is about competition, sir. In terms of jobs, not everyone gets the job they want. The best, and most qualified get the jobs. It’s competition!!!! We need to start teaching this sooner than we are currently.
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