I’ve been around high school athletics for more years than I’d care to admit. I’ve grown weary of parents who live through the athletic exploits of their kids.
Parents, many times, have very unrealistic expectations of the abilities of their children. I’ve met very few parents in Carson City who are realistic in their kids’ abilities. Very few. Most think their kids are headed for a Division I scholarship. Not enough parents know or realize how far and few between those scholarships are. A total of 2 percent of high school athletes receive a Division I scholarship. The bulk of Carson athletes usually end up in Division II, Division III, junior college or NAIA programs. Nothing wrong with that. Get as much education paid for as you can.
Parents think they know it all, and too many whine to administrators, coaches and athletic directors about playing time or lack thereof. Administrators need to turn a deaf ear to those complaints. The complaints are always self serving. It’s always about their kids and never about what’s best for the team.
If a coach is willing to work hard for the crappy stipend that coaches get these days, he/she should be applauded. Coaches need to be better compensated. Period. One person pointed out that a 30-year coach makes the same stipend as a first-year coach. That definitely is wrong.
If a program is making progress, the only time a coach should come under fire is if he/she verbally or physically abuses a student-athlete. That’s it.
Read the entire column at NevadaAppeal.com.
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