A Superintendent Writes... (UIL Disconnect - Part 4)

In response to the 8/10/11 post, “The Ol’ Ball Coach Writes, UIL Disconnect – Part 3,” a LYS Superintendent writes:

SC,

Years ago I was an Assistant Principal on a mission for student achievement and saw athletics as a part of the problem. A wise old coach gave me the article, 17 Reasons Why Football is Better Than High School, and it helped me get a better perspective on how to build great schools.

SC Response

A timeless article! And yet another reason why we work well together. I openly admit that I modeled my instructional practices after my favorite coaches (Wallace, Tidwell, Kemp and Vera). And I never apologized for structuring the daily activities of my campuses like a well-run football practice.

For the LYS Nation, I have summarized the seventeen reasons and if a reason in some way correlates with a Fundamental 5 practice I will note that with a (F5).

1. Players are considered important contributors rather than passive recipients. (F5)

2. Players are encouraged to excel. (F5)

3. Players are honored. (F5)

4. A player can let the team down.

5. Repetition is honorable.

6. The unexpected happens all the time. (F5)

7. Practices run longer than a one period time allotment.

8. Football homework is different than what was covered in practice.

9. Emotions and human contact is part of the work. (F5)

10. Players get to choose their roles. (F5)

11. Better players teach less-skilled players. (SC Note: And for the players on the scout team, the less-skilled players teach the better players). (F5)

12. There is a lot of individual instruction and encouragement from adults. (F5)

13. The adults who participate are genuinely interested. (F5)

14. Community volunteers are actively sought after.

15. Ability isn’t aged linked. (F5)

16. Football is more than the sum of its parts. (F5)

17. Public performance is expected. (F5)

Seventeen Reasons Why Football is Better Than High School, Herb Childress, Phi Delta Kappan, April 1998.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference