Answer: At the vast majority of the most successful HS programs were teaching kids that it's not important HOW you win as long as you win.
And when stories of coaches ordering players to intentionally knock out game officials, video of players hitting an unprotected opponent in the face with a helmet or accounts of star players feeling entitled to commit crime (sometimes violent crime) hit the media, ask yourself this: How many gainfully-employed, law-abiding, red-blooded Americans are going to shake their heads and say to themselves, "This is absurd. No way do I want my son (or grandson) to be involved with this."
It would be easy to forgive a casual observer who saw all of the above and mistakenly decided that football was basically a game for "heathens". And most Americans are exactly that ... casual observers. Especially at the high school level.
I don't blame the kids, its on these coaches and administrations that allow this to happen. If that's how they truly wish to operate and their goal is to truly allow kids to face the best competition not only in games but in practice, let them play in their own division.
What's the solution if we want to stem the tide and make good sportsmanship synonymous with high school football, we have to wrest control from those who's only interest is their team's ranking in (insert name of index).
And when stories of coaches ordering players to intentionally knock out game officials, video of players hitting an unprotected opponent in the face with a helmet or accounts of star players feeling entitled to commit crime (sometimes violent crime) hit the media, ask yourself this: How many gainfully-employed, law-abiding, red-blooded Americans are going to shake their heads and say to themselves, "This is absurd. No way do I want my son (or grandson) to be involved with this."
It would be easy to forgive a casual observer who saw all of the above and mistakenly decided that football was basically a game for "heathens". And most Americans are exactly that ... casual observers. Especially at the high school level.
I don't blame the kids, its on these coaches and administrations that allow this to happen. If that's how they truly wish to operate and their goal is to truly allow kids to face the best competition not only in games but in practice, let them play in their own division.
What's the solution if we want to stem the tide and make good sportsmanship synonymous with high school football, we have to wrest control from those who's only interest is their team's ranking in (insert name of index).
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