From the Friday night prep sports news: In girls basketball, BOLD 114, Montevideo 21.
There must be an understanding among high school coaches these days, that they do not make allegations of "running up the score." In my very long background of following these things, I know there was a time when we'd hear rumblings. And I could almost shudder at the intensity of these complaints sometimes, as if the allegedly offending coach was doing something utterly immoral.
I think any reasonable person would feel uncomfortable about this, because you'd have to ask yourself the question: what is really wrong with a team of student-athletes going all out with their effort?
I remember a coach at Hancock who could receive brickbats. Well, he ended up in trouble but that was on a different front. In terms of alleged "running up the score," he'd sniff and say "we play a certain style of basketball and that's just what we do."
There is reason behind that.
I remember a former Morris activities director who'd stand in the hallway and mutter sometimes about the "running up the score" thing. We did have a problem for years with girls teams lacking competitiveness in the high-profile sports.
I would observe, make some judgments and then maybe share with other people around town. A large faction of the teachers were in total "circling the wagons" mode for defending a particular coach or two, and they could not care less if we had girls teams that were obviously faltering.
Maybe you think I'm exaggerating. Well I certainly am not.
It took years until we got an administration that got its ducks in a row.
Eyes on the prize
These activities are supposed to be fun. That's the only reason they exist. They are fun to the extent that kids are allowed to build their competitiveness to an optimal level. That's the prize as in "eyes on the prize."
The score of a game is just a couple of numbers. Get over it. Compliment the winning team on its commitment.
We actually had Morris teachers once who asserted we had a lack of talent. And then they'd frown and vent fury at certain opponents who allegedly "ran up the score."
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| Tim Brewster |
I wonder what the schools teach our coaches-to-be about this. Is "running up the score" what it appears to be? Is it simply a case of the winning coach being a jerk? There was a time in our Morris school history when the preferred reaction was to castigate the winning coach. As if the issue was so simple and one-dimensional.
I remember how for many years, the Wheaton girls could run roughshod over Morris. As a side note, Wheaton also had the premier county fair out here for a long time. And then I'd ask: "why?" I won no popularity contests.
Morris had a leadership element in those days with a lot of people who had comfortable government jobs. They had so many guarantees in their lives. They developed an instinct of not wanting to see anyone in education - coaches included - feel pressure to perform. They'd cry foul.
As long as those coaches behaved like devoted little members of the comfortable fraternity, their backs would be covered.
The fair surges
The Stevens County Fair started catching up to Wheaton when we started "following the leader" with bringing in big name musical attractions. But it did take time. The real turning point for our fair becoming "big" was the construction of the Lee Center! It spread out the fairgrounds for one thing. I remember when "commercial exhibits" were in a rickety wooden building.
I would suggest the low point for our county fair was in the late 1970s. We have truly come far.
The high school athletic program had to get over hurdles also. Let's say especially the girls. There was no reason for Wheaton to look like it belonged in a completely different league from Morris.
Hancock was a story unto itself. It obviously out-performed Morris but with a level of intensity that I felt was troubling. I went to high school with one of their assistant coaches in football (W.W.) and he said "they want to win so bad it hurts."
The Hancock girls basketball coach ended up in a heap of trouble. How big a heap? Well, prison time. A whole chapter of Stevens County sports history should be written about that guy, who incidentally was a product of UMM. He was a Vietnam war veteran also. Some people wanted to cut him slack because of that - the "Rambo defense" I guess. It didn't work. We were dealing with the mistreatment of female student-athletes.
But what a chapter of Stevens County sports history: post-season games at UMM with fans practically up to the rafters! Yes, bleachers pulled out on both sides of the P.E. Center. A pep band member on electric guitar getting fans fired up as the "Owl" mascot dashed out to lead a cheer! And in all those years, while people talked seriously about Wheaton and Hancock as contenders for great things, Morris was invisible!
On the one hand I'd feel happy and enthused about Hancock too. And frankly Wheaton too. Why not? I remember a Wheaton player who came to UMM and played hoops. And then I'd look at Morris High School and frankly wonder if we should strive for better.
And let me assure you: the most outspoken and assertive bloc of our teachers would put a target on your forehead of you talked like that. For some reason they felt threatened. I suppose they felt that if a coach experienced a non-renewal (firing), then this would start happening to others in "the fraternity." And so they guarded their comfortable little status quo - fiefdom - like you wouldn't believe.
I was there - I assure you it was true.
Teachers are unionized - they have protections. The turning point had to happen sometime. But things didn't change overnight. The activities director who muttered about opponents "running up the score" moseyed on away from here. This individual tried and failed to stop the growth of hockey. What if he and his allies had prevented the construction of the Lee Center?
Doubt that? You could talk to Ron Sharstrom. He said "we've been told to watch our backs."
Was hockey going to be a threat to basketball? It appeared the regressive element only cared about boys basketball. Old biases were still evident. Maybe the biggest irony is that Mary Holmberg was not more assertive.
The spark
What got me going on this topic this morning? Well, I see that the BOLD girls basketball team defeated Montevideo 114-21 on Friday! I'm sitting here wondering if some people still make an issue of this type of thing. Maybe they don't. That would be progress. Just let the players show their skills. The losing team has incentive to work harder.
I write specifically on the BOLD vs. Montevideo game on my companion blog "Morris of Course." Here is the link and thanks:
Addendum: The Hancock kid with the electric guitar at tournament games was the son of Principal Roger Clarke. Nostalgia.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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