Tri-County Seven - By Sports Edit

[krichunaka]

I obviously posted before reading Fan's and coachh17's remarks. For my comment about the "brutus - seventeen combination"; well, it was of course, facetious.

 

But for the record, coachh17, you've made many, MANY comments about the players and how they're babied, things of that nature. Shame on you. So, take all the exceptions you want, but just remember, my gals lost tonight, so you're not gettin' off that easy, Mr. Goodie- Two- Shoes!

[osubrutus]

First of all OSU, I'm speechless! I can't believe that you just said that when so many kids read this. I'm sure there are teams with a record of 0-10 that work just as hard as a team that's 10-0, maybe just not the same talent. Look at all the time these kids put in - every one should be rewarded in some way or another. Trophies are not as important as a good pat on the back sometimes. You're right - what are we teaching them? That if you're not a superstar, you're no good? And yes, average is okay in a lot of situations. If average is the best a kid can do then that's wonderful for that particular child. Every child may not be superior in sports but you know, as much as I love sports, sports is not everything. If I'm guessing right, most of us that post were never stars in sports in school. Most of the things I treasure most from being a child are trophies I got. No, I wasn't the best but I gave it 110%. Anyway, I think you need to rethink your post. Sounds like you've been hanging around Coach H17 too long.

 

When I coached basketball, I never gave trophies to the "superstars". None of my trophies were scoring based.

 

Most Charges, Best Defense, Best FT %, Most Rebounds, Most Steals, Most Improved and for example the Lady Ranger Award, that goes to the a person, who is a leader, hustler, team player, etc... None like Best Offense, Best 3-point shooter, etc..

 

ALL trophies should be earned at all levels!

[screenandroll]

Osu, I've got your back on this one. Everyone does not deserve a trophy at any level. The ones that go above and beyond expectations are the ones that should be recognized for their efforts. If everyone, even the kid that never comes to practice, never tries to get better, doesn't care weither they are there or not gets an award then the ones that work for it doesn't value it as much. Many would think why should I work hard if everyone is going to get something. At the most, if you wanted everyone to get something, then it should just be for participation (and then it should just be for those that really participated). An award is just that, given for something extra. Don't penalize kids for being good or working extra. The best athlete or the most talented are not the ones that always gets the awards, sure they get their share, but aren't the most talented that have worked rewarded the most throughout society? That's just life. Keeping a kid from being disappointed is not the most important thing here, it should be to teaching the kid how to handle disappoint. Has anyone on here not been disappointed at one time or another? Again just life. How we handle those disappointments is of the upmost importance. And we all hear, but these are just little kids, aren't these the development years? Aren't these the years they learn the most? We'll let's teach them about real life. Not fairy tales where everything is equal and fair. If we hide them from real life then when will they learn it? Or will they ever? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to paint a gream pessimistic view. I'm all for rewarding the ones that deserve the rewards and if they work for it then they should get one. Each coach should know who has done what and go by that. The only thing I disagree with Osu is, "I never gave trophies to the superstars". How do you think some of those kids got to be superstars? By hard work and dedication and they should be rewarded for their efforts. Sure some are just better on talent and do not work at it, and they shouldn't be reward just because of the talent. And in my humble opinion, that is what most awards should be based on is effort. How's that for being on a soap box, Osu?

 

Now back to basketball. What's going on at Unicoi? Saw where Johnson County had the lead at the half. UC faithful give us some news.

Elizabethton, Happy Valley, Cloudland all took care of business, as they should have.

Edited January 25, 2006 by screenandroll

[sportiemom]

Osu & Screen,

I agree with you 100% but also you have the coaches like my sons 8th grade coach who gave credit and awards to his little buddies. And coming from an 8th grader at the time was " I don't do it for the trophy, I do it because I love the sport and I love to play" Today he is the only one playing out of the buddies. I do believe these good kids need to be rewarded more than they are. It is really hard to be good in todays world. Well there goes my soap box! Must be soap box day.

Edited January 25, 2006 by sportiemom

[screenandroll]

Sportie there are a lot of poor coaches out there but just like life (seems to be my slogan of the day) there are poor bosses, teachers, administrators, etc. I bet your son learned a valuable lesson from that experience. And your son will be rewarded for his hard work, maybe not at this exact moment but when he's successful in life. Just goes to show that giving something to someone that doesn't deserve it usually doesn't do any good.

[OBPRIDE]

OK, first of all, I know OSU is a good guy but I still don't agree with his post. And to Coachh17, I apologize completely. I got caught up in the moment and your name was the first to come to mind. Now, I'll try to explain my point a little more clearly. When the Unaka Ranger boys won the state, I was lucky enough to be in attendance (what an exciting place). Yes, some of those young men had the game of their lives and I also noticed a couple of guys that had limited or no minutes in that game. They didn't go in and play great defense, take a charge, make a crucial free throw in a crutch time but they did practice day in and day out, scrimmage 5 on 5, to make this a complete team and it showed that day. Do I think they're worthy of being awarded that state tournament ring with the rest of the team, YOU'RE DARN RIGHT I DO. My point is - some are going to be more talented than others (and this is the important part) but as long as they give 110% (even if it looks average in other people's eyes) they deserve the same recognition for their team's accomplishments as any other player on the roster. By the time these kids get to high school, I don't believe any of them are slackers. They have to want it really bad to put in the time it requires. When I go downtown and hear locals talk about Unaka winning the state tournament, it's always said they had a great group of boys on that team that year and I agree.

 

If I don't get back to work I'm going to have to use this soapbox for firewood to keep my house warm.

 

As always, go Upper East TN!!

Edited January 25, 2006 by OBPRIDE

[CycloneFan]

Just a comment or two about plaques/trophies. For youth teams I think a trophy at seasons end for each participant is fine. It helps give a child a sense of pride and self-worth. When you get to school ball, it seems that individual recognition is usually awarded/given by independent/outside sources (tournament officials/ newspapers/media sources) and thats fine. Its an "earned" individual award and thats how it should be. When a "team" accomplishes something significant (conference, district, regional, substate titles, state tourney appearances) then the "team" should be recognized, which can be through rings/plaques/trophies awarded to each player on the team to memorialize what the "team" accomplished. Thats my two cents on that. The teams that are the most successful are the ones that believe and buy into the philosophy that there is no "I" in team and that "there's no limit to how much a team can accomplish when no one cares who gets the credit".

 

Go Lady Cyclones. Win the rest of em, one possession at a time!

Edited January 25, 2006 by CycloneFan

[krichunaka]

For goodness sakes, give the kids a trophy!

 

Out of respect for Coach T, I post this on the sportsedit website, not that I think everyone will read it, but rather, because most everyone does NOT want to hear any more. Because, though relevant, it's becoming redundant.

 

So PLEASE, just give the kids, yes all of em, a trophy.

[coachh17]

OB,

Thank you for retracting your statement. Getting caught up in these threads is a pretty common occurence. Krich, don't even start.

[krichunaka]

Golly-gee, 17, that kinda hurt.

[screenandroll]

OB, I agree if it is a team accomplishment. Everyone shares in making a team. I think we were talking about individual awards, or at least I was. Yes, each Unaka player got a state championship ring, which they truly deserved, but they all didn't make the all state tournament team. And Cyclone is correct, in the school years a lot of individual awards are handed out by other sources, but most teams have an end of year sports banquet in which other individual awards are given to the players that excelled in certain areas. Again I truly feel our young kids must be taught that if they truly want something they must be willing to work for it (not given to them). And I know what Krich is thinking, it's just a trophy. But after a couple of years these same kids expect to the same rewards for the same effort or lack of effort. Parents expect their kid to get the same reward as someone who has worked twice as hard (and rightfully so because it has always been like that before). Let's teach the kids what is right. Let's reward them for doing something extra and yes I mean reward each kid that does the extra things and works the hardest, just not a token reward for all.

[krichunaka]

Tokenism is not a good thing; but enough about that. For the love of Almighty God, Let those kids have a . . . . Medal!

 

And though I'm already breaking a promise, another comment about Trophies:

 

OBPRIDE mentioned the Unaka state championship; and I pause to wipe away the tears; just can't help it; I see "the picture" displayed in so many places; and it never fails; I well up.

 

....But an astounding thing happened just after the Championship game. Somehow or other, Derek Cline was left off the TROPHY list. His head coach, almost everybody - a gentleman there from Chattanooga felt that he might actually be the MVP - in the media area etc., were stunned that he wasn't mentioned. Yes, everyone on the team contributed mightily, but Cline was so calm, controlled, focused; an incredible three game performance. Still a mystery.

 

So what's my point? If you can't answer that, then, well, I give up. Again!

 

But PRIDE, thanks again. Gosh, I'm waaay too emotional for this.

Edited January 26, 2006 by krichunaka