Post by kakavian on Nov 12, 2005 9:51:16 GMT -6
On eteamz.com we have had a thread going where various coaches where talking about the negative impact the band has. One coach mentioned he wishes that we could just shut everything down, and just play the game. Busman, a referee from the South made us all feel about friggin TWELVE 
with this reply:
You can tell it's the end of the season. Emotions run highand nerves are on edge.
Guys, you are missing the social phenomona called Friday night football. It's not just a football game. It's a social event. And in thousands of small towns in America, it is the social event of the week. Communitites come together, show their pride, wear colors, celebrate their youth. Parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, church buddies all gather because Johnnie is playing or marching or taping ankles or whatever and Janie is cheeering or dancing or baton twirling, etc.
I understand the game's the thing, but we cannot discount, both socially and economically, the impact these ancillary events have on our programs. I promise you, you schedule a game without the band, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the halftime recogniton activites, close the concession stands and shut off your parking lot from tailgating, there is not a budget around that could absorb that sort of loss. At most high school football games, for everyone that is buying a hot dog at halftime, there is someone sitting in the stands beaming as their child is marching, playing or dancing at halftime.
I'm 50 years old. Tonight is the first night of the playoffs. I rotated off my officiating crew tonight to let someone else work who can't work another week. Due to some family problems, I didn't get to work last week. What am I doing? My wife and I are meeting our best friends, eating a dinner and at least the guys (depending on how cold it is, maybe all 4 of us)going to the local high school for the game. I can't call a single player by name on either team. My best friend's boys attended this high school, both are now college graduates, we didn't graduate from here, but we will be there. My daughter, her husband, and my 5-month old grandson will be 30 miles south in a stadium 2 hours before kickoff tonight to get a seat as two cross county rivals meet before a sellout, standing room only crowd of 9,000. Once again, just as community members.
I was at an education summit this summer. College and HS educators from across the nation were addressing the Americorps national convention. One of the principals from the most succesful HS in the nation, at the end of her remarks stated the following: We can talk all we want to about education standards, academic programs, and community involvement, but if you don't think there is not a difference in the student body when there is a winning football team as opposed to a losing one, your kidding yourself. She said she has seen it both ways and the last two years when they were State Champions were the best when it came to discipline, attendance and respect for the faculty.
Do you think, if the game was just for the kids and the parents of the team members, the result would have that kid of rippling effect into the school. this same school has had success in basektball and women's sports, but it's just not the same. Don't sell yourself short on the impact you are making on the community by providing them this outlet from their everyday problems.
--Since its Playoffs or end of the season for most of us, thought you guys might like this perspective on what we do. Never heard it said better.
with this reply:You can tell it's the end of the season. Emotions run highand nerves are on edge.
Guys, you are missing the social phenomona called Friday night football. It's not just a football game. It's a social event. And in thousands of small towns in America, it is the social event of the week. Communitites come together, show their pride, wear colors, celebrate their youth. Parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, church buddies all gather because Johnnie is playing or marching or taping ankles or whatever and Janie is cheeering or dancing or baton twirling, etc.
I understand the game's the thing, but we cannot discount, both socially and economically, the impact these ancillary events have on our programs. I promise you, you schedule a game without the band, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the halftime recogniton activites, close the concession stands and shut off your parking lot from tailgating, there is not a budget around that could absorb that sort of loss. At most high school football games, for everyone that is buying a hot dog at halftime, there is someone sitting in the stands beaming as their child is marching, playing or dancing at halftime.
I'm 50 years old. Tonight is the first night of the playoffs. I rotated off my officiating crew tonight to let someone else work who can't work another week. Due to some family problems, I didn't get to work last week. What am I doing? My wife and I are meeting our best friends, eating a dinner and at least the guys (depending on how cold it is, maybe all 4 of us)going to the local high school for the game. I can't call a single player by name on either team. My best friend's boys attended this high school, both are now college graduates, we didn't graduate from here, but we will be there. My daughter, her husband, and my 5-month old grandson will be 30 miles south in a stadium 2 hours before kickoff tonight to get a seat as two cross county rivals meet before a sellout, standing room only crowd of 9,000. Once again, just as community members.
I was at an education summit this summer. College and HS educators from across the nation were addressing the Americorps national convention. One of the principals from the most succesful HS in the nation, at the end of her remarks stated the following: We can talk all we want to about education standards, academic programs, and community involvement, but if you don't think there is not a difference in the student body when there is a winning football team as opposed to a losing one, your kidding yourself. She said she has seen it both ways and the last two years when they were State Champions were the best when it came to discipline, attendance and respect for the faculty.
Do you think, if the game was just for the kids and the parents of the team members, the result would have that kid of rippling effect into the school. this same school has had success in basektball and women's sports, but it's just not the same. Don't sell yourself short on the impact you are making on the community by providing them this outlet from their everyday problems.
--Since its Playoffs or end of the season for most of us, thought you guys might like this perspective on what we do. Never heard it said better.
