ExScoop
10-19-2011, 12:41 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI — Greg Rajan and Matt Young of the Caller-Times say Jason Herring and his Bobcats are no bullies. Are they kidding? Refugio has rung up 357 points to its opponents' 26 in five games. Next, they face two one-win teams. Yet Herring says that he needs to play his first-team offense for three quarters to prepare for the playoffs. He defines pitch and catch for a nine yard TD by a 6'1" star receiver in a blowout as preparation for pressure.
Really? The truth is if players can't hold up to real competition for four quarters, it's due to lack of conditioning, not lack of playing time. Excellence comes from striving against stronger competition, not weaker. Standing up, fighting back and striving to win builds character. Coaching kids who are bigger and faster than their opponents to pile on points only teaches them to be poor sports.
Blowouts increase the probability of injuries. When kids are demoralized on the field, they start thinking, "What's the use?" They stop playing at full speed and that makes them more vulnerable. Herring says he would rather lose by 90. Great. He'll be around for a season when the tide turns. But the kids he beats won't. They will live with the humiliation for the rest of their lives.
It makes perfect sense for a dominant team to take a knee for a 3-and-out when the game is out of hand. It teaches the other team perseverance and motivates them to play. I asked former Kansas State linebacker Jabbar Williams his opinion. "It would make me want to fire off on them, to play harder."
Besides, if the Bobcat offense always has the ball, the defense is on the sideline. How do they prepare for the playoffs? The Bobcats gave up 45 points in their playoff loss last year and 105 points in four playoff games, nearly matching points against of the regular season. OK, Coach, we get it. Your star-studded offense can pile up 80 plus points against weaker teams. But can your defense stop somebody their own size? If your playoff record is the yardstick, it looks like you fumbled this one big time.
Herring says he's just a nice guy who loves kids. That means he plays by the rules, right? The UIL Athletic Code states that schools (and coaches) are to "Play ... in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, observing all rules, both in letter and intent." How does running up huge scores promote fairness? And what about sportsmanship? Bragging that your team could play for one point per TD and still win is unsportsmanlike trash talk.
The rules also state (Thou shalt) not recruit or entice any student to attend and participate at your school. Of course, we all know that Lynx Hawthorne wasn't recruited. It is merely a coincidence that Lynx' dad quit his job as athletic director and head football coach at Weimar to become Herring's assistant during Lynx' final season. Every teenager who already has a full ride to a Division I university wants to transfer to a different high school for his senior year. Right?
To be fair, Lynx was quoted as saying he wants to be at Refugio. "(T)his is by far the most talent I've ever seen on a football team. Even the linemen are fast and strong. It's just unbelievable talent." (advosports.com, Aug 26, 2011). So we can guess that Lynx and his father value a school with a great team where he can showcase his talent. Fine. We are all about Friday Night Lights in Texas. But what about loyalty and commitment to the educators, coaches and the team that helped foster that talent? What about integrity?
There are more important lessons than winning football games, even in Texas. Lynx is already going to be a big time college talent. Playing in 2A with teams like Kingsville Academy whose star defensive back is a gritty 5'5" 135 pound junior who plays both sides of the ball cannot possibly make Hawthorne a better athlete. So while Herring and his new assistant will be coaching kids to show off and run up numbers, Hebbronville, Freer and all the other teams that get an annual thrashing by the Bobcats will be learning inner strength and team spirit. Coach Herring has to be under tremendous pressure to win. But has he forgotten that character building is the real purpose of high school athletics?
If the Refugio Bobcats are successful in their bid for a run at state this year, Bravo! The boys can look back with pride at their accomplishment. But by humiliating all the other teams that face his in order to get there, Coach Herring will never be a champion. He'll just be another bully.
Really? The truth is if players can't hold up to real competition for four quarters, it's due to lack of conditioning, not lack of playing time. Excellence comes from striving against stronger competition, not weaker. Standing up, fighting back and striving to win builds character. Coaching kids who are bigger and faster than their opponents to pile on points only teaches them to be poor sports.
Blowouts increase the probability of injuries. When kids are demoralized on the field, they start thinking, "What's the use?" They stop playing at full speed and that makes them more vulnerable. Herring says he would rather lose by 90. Great. He'll be around for a season when the tide turns. But the kids he beats won't. They will live with the humiliation for the rest of their lives.
It makes perfect sense for a dominant team to take a knee for a 3-and-out when the game is out of hand. It teaches the other team perseverance and motivates them to play. I asked former Kansas State linebacker Jabbar Williams his opinion. "It would make me want to fire off on them, to play harder."
Besides, if the Bobcat offense always has the ball, the defense is on the sideline. How do they prepare for the playoffs? The Bobcats gave up 45 points in their playoff loss last year and 105 points in four playoff games, nearly matching points against of the regular season. OK, Coach, we get it. Your star-studded offense can pile up 80 plus points against weaker teams. But can your defense stop somebody their own size? If your playoff record is the yardstick, it looks like you fumbled this one big time.
Herring says he's just a nice guy who loves kids. That means he plays by the rules, right? The UIL Athletic Code states that schools (and coaches) are to "Play ... in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, observing all rules, both in letter and intent." How does running up huge scores promote fairness? And what about sportsmanship? Bragging that your team could play for one point per TD and still win is unsportsmanlike trash talk.
The rules also state (Thou shalt) not recruit or entice any student to attend and participate at your school. Of course, we all know that Lynx Hawthorne wasn't recruited. It is merely a coincidence that Lynx' dad quit his job as athletic director and head football coach at Weimar to become Herring's assistant during Lynx' final season. Every teenager who already has a full ride to a Division I university wants to transfer to a different high school for his senior year. Right?
To be fair, Lynx was quoted as saying he wants to be at Refugio. "(T)his is by far the most talent I've ever seen on a football team. Even the linemen are fast and strong. It's just unbelievable talent." (advosports.com, Aug 26, 2011). So we can guess that Lynx and his father value a school with a great team where he can showcase his talent. Fine. We are all about Friday Night Lights in Texas. But what about loyalty and commitment to the educators, coaches and the team that helped foster that talent? What about integrity?
There are more important lessons than winning football games, even in Texas. Lynx is already going to be a big time college talent. Playing in 2A with teams like Kingsville Academy whose star defensive back is a gritty 5'5" 135 pound junior who plays both sides of the ball cannot possibly make Hawthorne a better athlete. So while Herring and his new assistant will be coaching kids to show off and run up numbers, Hebbronville, Freer and all the other teams that get an annual thrashing by the Bobcats will be learning inner strength and team spirit. Coach Herring has to be under tremendous pressure to win. But has he forgotten that character building is the real purpose of high school athletics?
If the Refugio Bobcats are successful in their bid for a run at state this year, Bravo! The boys can look back with pride at their accomplishment. But by humiliating all the other teams that face his in order to get there, Coach Herring will never be a champion. He'll just be another bully.