The Highest Standard (09-16-06)

In my brief career as a high school principal, I have now witnessed two ambulances being called onto the football field. The first time, the Ringneck player recovered consciousness and was able to return to the bench under his own steam. The second time, the student had to be fitted onto a backboard and gently whisked to the local emergency room.

The incident has caused me to question my own beliefs about the sanctity and sanity of high school athletic competition. How many times have I read or been told about a high school athlete sustaining some life-altering injury? How many times had I heard the argument that school and sports should be separated because schools often seem to put athletics ahead of academics?

Perhaps the best argument for keeping athletics as part of the educational experience can be found in a discussion about standards. Whether you consider local, state, or national standards, athletics holds our students to a universal standard: winning and losing.

Competition in athletics and activities plays a vital role in high school education. In the pursuit of this “highest standard,” our young people attain and assimilate all sorts of valuable skills: how to play as a team, how to communicate under stress, how to handle pressure and adversity. How to be proud. How to act proud.

I am reminded of the old saying, “When you aim for the moon, you’ll always end up among the stars.” I believe that our Ringneck competitors are our Ringneck stars. They are our Hill City champions, no matter the final score.

When an accident does occur, I feel it forces the parents, coaches, officials, and fans to examine their behavior as well. The injury requiring a trip to the emergency room was the result of an unnecessary shot, a moment of uncontrolled fervor that was easily avoidable.

In my opinion, though, it was the result of a “win at all costs” mentality. It was the result of a philosophy that may win championships, but rarely wins respect.

I am all for holding our young people to the highest standard. Anytime we ask our youth to compete, there is no place for them to hide. But whether win or lose, it is how they are taught to play the game that will determine if they will ultimately become winners or losers in our society.

A parent recently talked with me about sportsmanship. This parent said, “Kids will be kids. But as adults and coaches, we are obligated to be role models. To teach them how to play tough but not to intentionally “take someone out” for the sake of a win. That is not what sport is about.”

As I watched the injured player clear medical inspection, I wonder what that player will remember from this experience. Will he walk away with thoughts of revenge and retribution? Will he lower his own personal standards to resort to the cheap tactics of his opposition?

I hope that he will walk away knowing, as a Hill City Ringneck, he is better than that. It is up to us, as the role models for our brave young men and women, to guide them in learning the lessons of fair play and sportsmanship. Only then, will they ever really be winners. Only then can we justify the cost of reaching for the high standard.