by Sean Campbell
| Editor's Note: This editorial contains my opinions and my points of view. If you wish to write a rebuttal, you may do so. I will post your rebuttal as you send it. I will make no corrections. SMC |
Whatever has become to the ideals of loyalty, integrity and dedication to your own high school sports program? It is becoming more and more obvious that these ideals are becoming less and less important.
A few parents are moving their kids into successful sports programs all in the name of the the almighty "win". "Win" and you will receive more recognition; "Win" and you will receive more college scholarship opportunities; "Win" and your will make mom and dad look really good in the eyes of others.
These parents will also tell you that the reason they do this "in the best interest of their child." What they really mean is that they do this for themselves as well as the kid. Don't kid yourself, some parent's egos are a mighty big reason why they do some crazy things "in the interest of the child."
This is the easy way out from having kids learn that winning takes hard work, teamwork and commitment. And sometime winning still does not happen so you have to take what you have learned from the experience and make the best out of whatever comes. It is one of the most important lessons a child can learn from sports participation. Slowly, these ideas are being washed away by people who have no idea of what the terms: loyalty, integrity, team work, sacrifice, commitment, or dedication mean. It's the whole purpose of high school athletics. Anything less and you have cheapened the experience and cheated the student-athlete.
Anymore, Okanogan High School appears to be
nothing but than a feeder program for Brewster's sports teams as David and
Estelle McCormack will be enrolling their son Brody into Brewster High School
next fall. Brody will be looking to excel in the Bear's baseball program.
David McCormack, a 1982 graduate of Omak High School, served as an assistant
football coach at Okanogan this past season and wife Estelle, a 1983 graduate of
Okanogan High School, works as a district secretary at Okanogan. Both may
have to give up those positions when they move to Brewster.
A lot of Brewster's credit for the 1A boy's basketball championship has to go to Okanogan and Pateros High Schools for their contributions of talented players. David Pendergraft and Andy Hill were attending the Okanogan School District before defecting to Brewster while Tyler Evans moved from Pateros. Without those three players, Brewster's state basketball championship would have never happened. While Pendergraft and Evans got to Brewster early in high school, Hill jumped on the gravy-train his senior year. He didn't have to put in too much time or effort in being a part of this championship. He took the wealth and ran.
It makes you wonder where these three will be in 20 years. Will they be bald-headed, pot-bellied, baseball-hat wearing used car salesmen doing the same for their sons? Will they have learned that taking the easy way is not always the best way? Will they be so blinded by their own selfishness and greed that they, too, will sell their souls to the devil for what they think is in the best interest of their kid? History does have a tendency to repeat itself.
While it is true that there are community members in Brewster luring area athletes to come to their school for athletic purposes, the blame cannot be put solely on them. Those that are approached do have the choice of just saying no. But those that are approached must appear to be pretty easy targets if they can be hauled in like cattle.
It seems to me that the Brewster boys sports program ought to change its name to the North Central Washington All-Stars. Just a thought...