Decision by Orono’s Paul was correct

loading...

Bravo, Dave Paul. Basketball season is upon us and the coaching carousel continues to spin.

This time, it’s Orono High School’s Paul who has stuck to his convictions and chosen to step aside from the boys post he held for five years instead of initiate policies that he thinks are wrong.

In short, Paul was told by his administration that everyone who tried out for basketball deserved a slot on either the junior varsity or freshman team if they weren’t good enough to make the varsity squad.

After a lot of soul-searching, Paul said “No.”

That’s the simple explanation.

More complicated are the reasons good people are alternately sent packing by administrations or choose to leave on their own after meddling by those outside the school system.

More often than not, these decisions are made after two things happen.

First, someone’s precious Junior or Juniette is given what may be their first dose of the reality that exists in the cruel, cruel world when a coach tells them, “I’m sorry, but you’re just not good enough as a basketball player.”

Not as a person, mind you. As a basketball player. If that’s the worst thing that’s ever said to a youth, then life is good.

Second, sad Junior goes home, tells a parent, and the parent decides to do something about it.

Sadly, that’s the crux of the problem.

Instead of counseling Junior about the virtues of hard work, telling him that if he’s interested in working hard toward a goal and making some sacrifices, things may change next year, the jilted parent does something else entirely.

They show Junior that despite the cruelties of the world, mommy or daddy can always fix things by complaining to the proper authorities long and loudly enough.

Valuable lesson, wouldn’t you say?

Pssssst. Here’s a secret for the next disgruntled parent whose child is denied a slot on a team: The coach really wants to win. Honest.

The coach wants players on that team who can help toward that goal.

If your kid can help, and isn’t a disruptive force who would upset the team harmony, he or she will make the squad.

There is no conspiracy.

It doesn’t have to do with who the coach is friends with, or which town you live in.

It’s reality.

Live with it.

– John Holyoke, BDN

Has there ever been a better case made for the Maine Principals’ Association making Sunday available for postponed playoff games than this past week?

Due to the snowstorm, all three state championship football games scheduled for last Saturday were postponed.

Because the MPA forbids Sunday play, the state Classes A and C championship games were played on Monday and the “B” title game was played on Tuesday.

All three had 4 p.m. starts.

The 4 p.m. start gave spectators a better chance to attend as they could still honor their work or school responsibilities.

However, weather conditions this time of year are iffy, at best, and playing at 4 p.m. means the temperatures are usually dropping. That, in turn, creates worse field conditions.

This could have all been alleviated if they had rescheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

Of course, last Sunday wasn’t ideal weather-wise, either, but the Sunday option should be made available for playoff games.

Football is a grueling, pain-filled sport. Practices are often monotonous and doing wind sprints at the end of an exhausting practice wearing 20-30 pounds of equipment tests the reserve of even the gung-ho.

Most football players will tell you they play primarily for game day.

So here we had the six best football teams in their respective classes and they had to play for a state championship on a weekday.

The MPA feels strongly that Sunday should be set aside as a family day.

I can understand the ban on regular season play.

But when dealing with playoff games that were postponed, regardless of the sport, give the coaches, athletes and their fans the opportunity to have the games on Sunday to save them the hassle of juggling work and school commitments.

– Larry Mahoney, BDN