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Friday night hero's
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<blockquote data-quote="cinco" data-source="post: 1887226" data-attributes="member: 7656"><p>I agree with Dennis to a point. Just because in high school I shot the winning basket to win the conference tournament does NOT make me a hero - even to some younger kid watching. Even though I'd shoot hoops 3 hours a day after homework and carrying near 4.0 GPA - blah, blah, blah - the whole work ethic, sacifice, etc. Sorry, that's not my definition of "hero". That would be a definition of a positive role model.</p><p></p><p>Sad - but true - an aweful lot of the high school Friday Night Hero people are the same one's who's greatest moment in life occured during some sporting event in high school. That was their high point in life and thus like to consider it an act of "heroism". So much of their self-worth/esteem is tied to those events. When a typical school board is comprised of folks with this mentality, a culture of local sports "worship" is permeated.</p><p></p><p>It's called the "Uncle Rico" syndrome... "I can throw a football over them mountains. If only coach would have put me in, we'd be State Champs".</p><p></p><p>[media=youtube]i5_T0azEpqM[/media]</p><p></p><p>This is also a reason for the disproportionate amount of money and importance given to athletics. Through all the hub-bub about huge cuts to educational funding, teacher lay-offs and program cut backs you don't see any mention about cutting athletic funding. The huge salaries and expenses associated with athletics will not be touched. For example, a high school with 450 kids spends close to $250k on just 3 coaches and almost triple-to-four times that on improvements to fields/courts over the past 5 years. Yep and with averaging sub-.500 winning records. The vast majority of school districts are losing money on sports due to salaries, equipment, fuel & food costs during travel, operating costs, etc - so the argument that they are money makers is the likely exception. </p><p></p><p>Just my opinion, the point of sports is another method to instill positive social values - a strong work ethic, perserverance, attention to detail, sportsmanship, etc (all of which I learned through a life of sports and am grateful for). However, none of this takes new "high gloss"/big name equipment or practice/playing facilities. Nor does it take high dollar coaches who's main purpose is to coach and who are often the weakest academic educators on site. However, I was blessed with great teachers who also happened to be great coaches - a very rare situation. A friend suggested if the schools would post notices on thier electronic signs for volunteer coaches, the schools would be overrun with good folks willing to step up and instill those social values for free. Move the sports to after-school and run them like for-profit "club" teams. Then you could fill the schools with teachers and get back to the main reason for schools... academics. As for the vast majority of people, that winning shot/goal/tackle/hit we made back in high school was not the primary thing that allowed us to make a living, support our families and give back to society. Sports has a definite positive place in young people's lives but it is overemphasized to thier detriment in many cases.</p><p></p><p>Rant off. Flame away.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="cinco, post: 1887226, member: 7656"] I agree with Dennis to a point. Just because in high school I shot the winning basket to win the conference tournament does NOT make me a hero - even to some younger kid watching. Even though I'd shoot hoops 3 hours a day after homework and carrying near 4.0 GPA - blah, blah, blah - the whole work ethic, sacifice, etc. Sorry, that's not my definition of "hero". That would be a definition of a positive role model. Sad - but true - an aweful lot of the high school Friday Night Hero people are the same one's who's greatest moment in life occured during some sporting event in high school. That was their high point in life and thus like to consider it an act of "heroism". So much of their self-worth/esteem is tied to those events. When a typical school board is comprised of folks with this mentality, a culture of local sports "worship" is permeated. It's called the "Uncle Rico" syndrome... "I can throw a football over them mountains. If only coach would have put me in, we'd be State Champs". [media=youtube]i5_T0azEpqM[/media] This is also a reason for the disproportionate amount of money and importance given to athletics. Through all the hub-bub about huge cuts to educational funding, teacher lay-offs and program cut backs you don't see any mention about cutting athletic funding. The huge salaries and expenses associated with athletics will not be touched. For example, a high school with 450 kids spends close to $250k on just 3 coaches and almost triple-to-four times that on improvements to fields/courts over the past 5 years. Yep and with averaging sub-.500 winning records. The vast majority of school districts are losing money on sports due to salaries, equipment, fuel & food costs during travel, operating costs, etc - so the argument that they are money makers is the likely exception. Just my opinion, the point of sports is another method to instill positive social values - a strong work ethic, perserverance, attention to detail, sportsmanship, etc (all of which I learned through a life of sports and am grateful for). However, none of this takes new "high gloss"/big name equipment or practice/playing facilities. Nor does it take high dollar coaches who's main purpose is to coach and who are often the weakest academic educators on site. However, I was blessed with great teachers who also happened to be great coaches - a very rare situation. A friend suggested if the schools would post notices on thier electronic signs for volunteer coaches, the schools would be overrun with good folks willing to step up and instill those social values for free. Move the sports to after-school and run them like for-profit "club" teams. Then you could fill the schools with teachers and get back to the main reason for schools... academics. As for the vast majority of people, that winning shot/goal/tackle/hit we made back in high school was not the primary thing that allowed us to make a living, support our families and give back to society. Sports has a definite positive place in young people's lives but it is overemphasized to thier detriment in many cases. Rant off. Flame away. [/QUOTE]
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