 |
| Aledo High School Coach Tim Buchanan |
Aledo 44, Highland Park 3
Aledo 56, Stephenville 14
Aledo 49, Prep Tech (Mexico) 0
Aledo 84, Arlington Heights 7
Aledo 77, South Hills 16
Aledo 84, Wyatt 7
Aledo 91, Western Hills 0
So dominant that the unnamed father of a Western Hills player filed a bullying report against coach Tim Buchanan for running up the score so big. Whether this is truly bullying is a buzz in the media. In Parent accuses Texas high school football coach of bullying after 91-0 blowout game, for example, Fox News broadcasters interview psychiatrist Keith Ablow, who thinks this report is a disservice to the fight against bullying.
Apparently there has been no foul play on Bearcats, and no such accusation from the other team. Buchanan pulled his starters in the first half, and eventually had his third stringers on the field. So how can getting beat on the field, fairly and squarely, be bullying, Ablow is wondering? Like winning, losing is part of life, and how young people deal with, and learn from, either become vital lifelong lessons.
But let's step back from all this buzz, and ask additional weighty questions: How did the Bearcats get to be such as a beast-mode team?
Sports teams that can recruit top-notch players become winning teams, and winning teams, in turn, are best positioned to attract more top-notch players. The NFL and NBA have parity mechanisms in place to reduce the likelihood of any one team becoming overly dominant, such as: The worst-off your record is, the higher your draft position is, for nabbing the most talented players.
But in high school sports, what are the parity mechanisms?
Methinks that, if they haven't done so already, superintendents, principals and directors of high school in the Aledo district need to examine the state of athletics in their district. The idea is not to take away or otherwise halt whatever Aledo may be doing. Most importantly, rather, the idea is to understand first what is in fact going on. The high schoolers can play their hearts out, and be good sportsmen on both teams, but in a 91 - 0 rout there is no competition. That is more akin to an arcade game than to genuine sports.
To me, then, there is definitely something wrong with this picture. Which that father tried to point with what may end up being a feeble accusation of bullying per se, but at the same time an effective prompt for further inquiry and proper investigation.
Of course in that gathering of school officials, they must also ask the tough questions: Have there been any recruiting improprieties on the part of Aledo and any other schools? Besides professional leagues, the NCAA has very strict rules on recruitment. What are the recruiting rules and regulations for high schools in this district?
Finally, what has Buchanan shared as far as the success of his coaching staff and players are concerned? His Bearcats are so dominant, that there ought not be any concern about giving away team secrets that could diminish their winning record. Maybe he's done this already, but again in the spirit of seeking first to understand, before being understood, officials can show respect for Aledo not just by admiring their success but also by inquiring about the ingredients that make it up.
Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!
Ron Villejo, PhD
No comments:
Post a Comment