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Technicality shouldn’t stop Down East football

As a former athletic administrator and member of the Maine Principals’ Association, I am fully aware of its stringent adherence to their policies and procedures. I do however, find it ironic that in the same week that Gov. Baldacci is pushing his plan of consolidating school districts across the state, the MPA has decided that a cooperative football team between Woodland and Calais is not ready for varsity football.

The MPA requires a two-year junior varsity program as a prerequisite for acceptance into a varsity league. The fact that our young men played on the St. Stephen/Calais bantam team that won the Maritime Championships playing against teams that represented their local high schools and were essentially the JV teams of those schools was disregarded.

Game films were not watched, interviews were not conducted, and the MPA still suggested that because of the safety of the players, our players would need experience playing in the MPA (Maine) system. It almost appears as though the MPA believes that Canadian football is played on skates. One of the MPA leaders also used the word “size” when explaining the rejection of the appeal by the administrations of Calais and Woodland High Schools.

Size? Size of our school(s)? By combining enrollment, CHS and WHS are in the 450-500 range, which is close to a Class B classification in football. Size of our players? I don’t even know how to respond to that one. Let me ask my 15-year-old son who has been stealing my clothes a lot lately. (I’m 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds)

Inexperienced? Our inexperienced young men played 10 games last fall, including night games, and games on artificial turf. They won a league championship (again), a New Brunswick championship, and a Maritimes championship. Of course, that is Canadian football where they have a longer field and only three downs, which pretty much sums up the major differences between Canadian and MPA football.

I think the bottom line is that the MPA didn’t want to let Calais and Woodland play varsity football in 2007 is because it would mean them bending their own policies and procedures, and because it would cause scheduling issues for the LTC. If safety is really an issue, I would be more worried about what is going to happen to the other teams when our “junior varsity” football team takes the field in the fall of this year when our squad will be dominated by big, fast, strong, and experienced 16- and 17-year-olds.

I’m sorry if I sound bitter, but our little corner of the world seldom ever has much to celebrate. Unemployment, drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. is omnipresent and the fear of layoffs and further bad news is always looking over our collective shoulders.

Here is an example of our towns trying to build on something that will provide additional opportunities for not only our athletes, but also our communities as a whole, and we are going to be thwarted by a technicality. I’m further frustrated by the fact that a group of young men that I have watched grow up, coached, and taught, will, at this time, probably not get a chance to play varsity football for CHS/WHS.

The core of this group of talented champions will be juniors in the fall of 2007 and seniors in 2008. Is there a potential Division I player in that group? Will the opportunity to play football as a senior keep a student in school or maybe motivate a student to maintain the grades necessary to play? We may never know.

As educators, we often make decisions based on “what is good for the kid(s)”. I truly believe, in this case, the MPA did not make a decision that was in the best interest of the students affected by their decision.

I have often said that living in the Calais/Woodland area makes you feel like it is you against the world. This recent MPA decision is just another example. Our teams may be bitter rivals during the regular season, and we may argue over where the new bridge should be built, but I guarantee you that during February vacation, Calais and Woodland will be rooting for each other to do some gold mining. Go Dragons! Go Devils!

It should be noted that these are my personal views as a parent and community member and not part of any larger organization.

Chris Johnson

Calais

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