ion Kids

SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO? That’s the question hundreds of parents and student-athletes in Georgia’s Clayton County are asking, as school system leaders desperately try to hold on to their accreditation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s S. Thomas Coleman explains the dilemma these families are facing …

To leave or not to leave.

That is the question being asked — and in some cases answered — right now by hundreds of parents and student-athletes in Clayton County. And hundreds more will have to face the issue as Clayton school system leaders try desperately to hold on to their accreditation.

The National Accreditation Commission has voted to revoke the district’s accreditation unless it meets nine conditions by Sept. 1. If the credentials of the Clayton County schools are yanked, next year’s graduates will not be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship and could find it hard to be admitted to many of the nation’s colleges and universities.

Last week, the Georgia High School Association weighed in by voting to extend hardship status to Clayton County student-athletes who transfer to other schools — making them eligible to compete immediately without moving — if their district loses its accreditation.

But there’s a catch. If the district meets the nine mandates by Sept. 1 and keeps its accreditation, students who have transferred — and started school and practice sessions for fall sports at new schools in early August — will not be eligible to compete without moving into the new district.

So the decision is not so simple, especially for parents like James King of Stockbridge, who taught his kids how to play chess when they were very young in an effort to keep their minds sharp.

His son, Josh, will be a sophomore defensive back at Mt. Zion and runs track as a member of the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams.

King’s daughter, Jasmine, will be a senior at Morrow. She is an honor-roll student, and a three-year starter and team captain of the volleyball team that has advanced to the state tournament for two consecutive years.

Right now, King plans to keep Josh at Mt. Zion, but Jasmine is likely on her way to another school.

“With Josh, we like what’s going on at Mt. Zion, with the school and the athletic program,� King said last week. “They have a good group of kids, and so we’re going to give the school system a year to see if they can get things worked out.

“Jasmine is a different story,� King said. “She’s going into her senior year, and it’s a crucial year for her, athletically and academically.�

King said Jasmine is being recruited for sports by a number of small colleges. But if she transfers now, she will have to learn a new system and new teammates, and it could all be rendered moot if Clayton keeps its accreditation and she is ineligible to compete for her new school.

But if she remains at Morrow and the district losesits accreditation, all of the honors and advanced placement classes she has taken could be for naught if she is denied admission to the college of her choice.

“It’s a tough decision,� King said. “Really, when you look at scholarships that could be involved, it’s a $20,000 question.

“With her, we can’t afford to wait. We’re looking into some other schools now. Her future is too important for us to gamble and hope that the board gets things right.�

Jasmine is ready to transfer, and she said most of her teammates are as well.

“On one hand it’s sad because I was looking forward to being a team captain and a four-year starter [at Morrow],� Jasmine said. “But on the other hand, I’ve worked too hard to possibly not be able to get into the college I want because of some decisions adults have made. I don’t want to leave my future in their hands.�

Pamela Walker agrees. Her son, Devon Miller, makes As and Bs in eighth grade at Point South Middle School in Jonesboro and is a promising football and track athlete. She has decided to send Devon to another school — either in Cobb County, where he will live with her brother, or in Dekalb County, where he will live with his godparents.

“The school board actually made the decision for me,� said Walker, who is looking into private schools for Devon’s little brother, Kameron Miller, a fifth-grader in the gifted program at Point South Elementary. “When I went to the last school board meeting and saw how they looked down their noses at people who were passionately giving their comments, and how they just cut people off, I saw they didn’t have any respect for the community or the students. I can’t have them making more decisions that will impact my children.�

While Marc Nichols is equally disgusted with the Clayton school board, he hasn’t made a final decision yet for his daughter, Iesha Nichols, a sophomore on the track team at Mundy’s Mill and member of the Tigers’ defending state champion 400-meter relay team.

“I tend to look at things with the big picture in mind, and that’s what I want to do here after I gather as much information as possible,� said Nichols, who is contacting the NCAA Clearinghouse to find out how it handles student-athletes who come from school systems that are not accredited.

“People need to really be thoughtful about this decision,� Nichols said. “And I don’t think people have considered the impact that all of this will have on the other school systems around Clayton.�

One system, Henry County, does not plan to take Clayton transfers unless they move into the county. Athletics director Justin White said Henry’s eight high schools are full.

“We have to base our decisions on what’s fair to the taxpayers of Henry County,� White said.

Officials at two nearby private schools — Our Lady of Mercy in Fairburn and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in McDonough — said they also are watching the situation in Clayton.

Our Lady of Mercy athletics director William Schmitz said any Clayton County student will be considered for acceptance at any time, but will not be given special consideration for coming from a school system in crisis. They must complete the same comprehensive enrollment procedure as any other student.

Eagle’s Landing Christian’s principal, Chuck Gilliam, said the school’s rising 11th- and 12th-grade classes are near capacity. Adding another section, which would be necessary if a number of students from Clayton County are interested in transferring, would be hard to do at this late date.

Jonesboro volleyball coach Dan Maehlman said he is frustrated that he can’t give his returning players and their parents complete information. It’s a dilemma that all fall sport coaches in Clayton are dealing with.

“I can’t give them any more information because they’re not giving it to us,� Maehlman said. “You get so frustrated when you look at your kids, it makes you want to cry.�

WHAT IN THE WILD, WILD WORLD of high school sports is happening in Georgia? The state’s high school association is collecting $70,000 in fines each school year. Players and coaches are sitting out hundreds of games because of sportsmanship issues and rules violations. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Todd Holcomb examines how these continual slaps on the wrist are marring the game …

The Georgia High School Association is collecting $70,000 in fines each school year, and players and coaches are sitting out hundreds of games because of sportsmanship issues and rules violations.

And while most schools in the state have suffered no suspensions in the past two academic years, 42 have lost coaches or players for at least 10 contests, according to information obtained from the GHSA by the Journal-Constitution under Georgia’s open records laws.

“I do not know why some schools are able to operate without violating our rules and other schools are not,� GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin said.

The metro schools with the most “sit-out� penalties are Union Grove (18) and Centennial, Lovejoy and South Gwinnett (17 each).

“We’re not proud of this record, but this should not label us an unruly school because we’re not,� Centennial athletics director Billy Nicholson said. “We’ve had incidents that we’ve dealt with swiftly, and there have been no repeat offenders. We should see a decline in the near future.�

There have been 1,105 games lost to suspensions statewide since the fall of 2006, GHSA records show. Incidents leading to suspensions include fighting, arguing with officials or any behavior that leads to an ejection. Forty-four football players were suspended because of fights or malicious violence last season, including six each from Jones County, Luella and Union Grove.

In October, five Union Grove players and five Luella players were suspended for one game each for fighting.

There were more fighting incidents in girls basketball than in boys basketball — 19 girls sat out games for punching, kicking or coming of the bench, compared to 14 boys.

In December, two girls from Forest Park and Riverwood fought after a game, leading to one-game suspensions.

In January, four Wilcox County boys basketball players and their coach were suspended two games each, one for fighting, the rest for leaving the bench. A Chattooga player drew a two-game suspension for entering the stands to attack a fan in Calhoun.

The most suspensions occur in soccer, which has the strictest rules against misconduct. Soccer coaches and players were suspended for 305 games last year.

During his annual director’s report last week, Swearngin said sportsmanship was declining in Georgia high schools and labeled it his biggest concern. But he also stressed that it’s a small minority of students and coaches causing the problems that lead to sanctions.

“We are dealing with over 400 schools, over 200,000 athletes and thousands of coaches,� Swearngin said. “These people play in thousands of games in every sport we offer. There are lots and lots of people who are behaving themselves and doing the right things.�

Nicholson said no suspensions at Centennial are acceptable, but some are not as egregious as they might appear. For example, wrestling coach Don St. James had to sit out four meets and was fined $300 last year when he came onto the mat to confront an official during a match in which his son was being choked. St. James’ son was briefly unconscious afterward, Nicholson said.

The GHSA reduced the original suspension and fine under appeal.

Fines levied against schools are almost always paid by the responsible coach, according to several local athletics directors who were interviewed. If an administrative issue causes the fine, or if a coach has a valid excuse, it is paid through athletics funds and not taxpayer money.

The total fines, which the GHSA projects will be $70,000 this academic year and $80,000 in 2008-09, is about equal to what the GHSA pays its supervisor of officials annually. Most of that money, which goes into the GHSA’s general operational budget, is taken from coaches who do not attend preseason rules clinics, a $50 violation for each meeting missed.

Of 404 member schools, 353 have missed at least one rules clinic this year. Those failing to achieve perfect attendance in the most sports since 2006-07 are Harrison (16), Lovett (14), St. Pius (13), Alexander (13), Cross Keys (12) and Brookwood (12).

The GHSA does not keep up with how many coaches are missing per sport by school, but the no-shows are expected to generate $63,000 this academic year.

“We’d rather they go, but we’ve got a couple [of coaches] who’ve been around forever, and we don’t push it that much with them,� said Harrison athletics director Jerry Meuscke, who was surprised his school topped the list. “It’s become so tough as it is to find coaches, and then when you get them, they don’t always make it to rules committee. Some would rather pay the $50.�

While it’s perhaps the smallest of crimes, Swearngin says he’s concerned at the absentee rate because the clinics cover changes in national rules and GHSA bylaws and procedural changes.

“Often the people who have difficulties during the season are those who did not go to clinics,� Swearngin said.

And almost nobody’s perfect.

The only metro Atlanta schools that have not paid fines or been hit with suspensions this academic year are Blessed Trinity, Fellowship Christian, W.D. Mohammed, Mount Paran, Newnan and Newton.

“I hope it says something about the program we’re trying to run,� Blessed Trinity athletics director Ricky Turner said. “We want to build a program where we have a shot to win state championships, but the most important thing we’re striving to do is sportsmanship. It’s all about following rules.�

IN THE WAKE OF A RECESSION that is forcing some high schools to evaluate their athletic budgets, comes this story from Madison, Wis. According to the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Associations’ winter tournaments brought about $10.5 million in direct spending to the Madison area in 2007. The Badger Herald’s Cara Harshman shows how one area is reaping the economic windfall …

Aside from filling parking lots, crowding State Street and jamming roads, Wisconsin high school sports tournaments bring millions of dollars into Madison annually.

According to numbers from the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Associations’ winter tournaments brought about $10.5 million in direct spending to the Madison area in 2007.

“These are literal dollars they are putting right into the area,� said Stephanie Sabo, public relations and communications director for the bureau.

In the last few weeks, the Kohl Center hosted WIAA wrestling and boys’ basketball tournaments, and the girls’ basketball tournament is scheduled for this weekend at the Dane County Coliseum.

Doug Chickering, executive director for the WIAA, said between 94,000 and 95,000 attendants came to last weekend’s boy’s basketball tournament in which 18 schools competed. According to the visitors bureau, the boys’ tournament brought in about $3.9 million directly spent in Madison.

According to numbers from the visitors bureau, this year’s individual wrestling tournament had 60,200 attendants, bringing in about $2.9 million. In 2007, the girl’s tournament attracted 54,451 attendants, raking in about $2.3 million.

The WIAA hosts 15 tournaments in Madison annually, with winter being the busiest season, as basketball and wrestling bring in the greatest number of attendants. The visitors bureau’s numbers show each tournament attendee spends about $40.5 per day over the three-day event.

“It’s a longstanding tradition,� Chickering said. “We have a great relationship with the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department.�

Chickering said the Visitors Bureau provides the WIAA with information on things to do in Madison, which it sends to schools in the tournaments.

“When people come to town (for basketball tournaments), their main focus is basketball,� Chickering said. “(But) the excitement and fun they have is natural to draw them back on other occasions.�

According to Chickering, all of the tournaments have a financial impact of between $35 and $40 million for the city.

“The WIAA brings a tremendous amount of business to the greater Madison area,� Sabo said. “It not only impacts hotels and restaurants but also shopping on State Street, as well as gas stations and grocery stores. Even our parking structures are definitely impacted.�

WIAA tournaments are the second-highest money making events for the greater Madison area behind the annual World Dairy Expo. Always hosted in Madison, the Expo is an international convention, showcasing the latest dairy technology to people from all over the world.

According to the visitor bureau’s statistics, 65,563 people attended the event in 2006. The estimated economic impact on the greater Madison area was about $13.5 million.

“The ripple effect is tremendous in the area,� Sabo added.

The girls’ basketball tournament begins today at the Dane County Coliseum. Tickets are $8 per two-game session.

– Cara Harshman, The Badger Herald (Madison, Wis.)

THOUGHT THIS STORY ABOUT HOW San Diego area high school students are testing their mental mights was an interesting read. The San Diego-Union Tribune’s Pat Sherman delves into competition on a whole different level – academics …

While some teens are abuzz about the film “Juno,� the provocative dramedy probably wasn’t on Nick Parillo’s mind as he slapped a buzzer and blurted out its homonym.

Nick and fellow members of Mission Hills High School’s freshman academic league team traveled to Rancho Buena Vista High last week to match wits and intellects with that school’s team.

For naming the capital of Alaska – Juneau – Nick earned three points for his team, which was then offered a bonus question worth five points.

Academic league contestants are given three seconds to answer standard questions and 20 seconds to confer among themselves before replying to bonus questions, which are more challenging.

Nearly 1,000 students in three divisions of the North County Academic League have spent recent Thursday nights racking their brains on subjects from Roman and Greek mythology to literature, science and law.

The league, now in its 26th year, competes in February and March. Championships are in April.

In response to a bonus question – name the three movements in plate tectonics – the Mission Hills team got two out of three correct, worth three points.

During a timeout called by Mission Hills coach John Terrell, moderator Ken McMillen said some students watch “Jeopardy!� to stay sharp.

“Some of them precede their answer with, ‘What is,’ � said McMillen, who coached an academic league at Vista High for many years. “It’s really astounding, some of the things they know and some of the things they don’t know.�

League commissioner Doug Heflin, a teacher at La Costa Canyon High School, said the league offers a rewarding alternative to sports and other extracurricular activities.

“We have kids that are very busy in athletics as well and students (for whom) this is the only extracurricular activity they have ever had,� Heflin said. “It’s a nice opportunity for kids to be involved in their schools who might not otherwise find their niche.�

After a second timeout, Alec Browne helped Rancho Buena Vista get its groove back by nailing several questions, including one about the oath named after Greek physician Hippocrates.

Teammate Fatima Housni kept the momentum going with her knowledge of current events, particularly that Sen. John McCain was the presidential candidate whose birthplace, the Panama Canal zone, caused some to question his eligibility for the Oval Office.

When the dust settled, Rancho Buena Vista had won the match, 77 to 32. After the sixth week of competition, both teams have three wins and three losses. Today is the final meet before the championships.

Rancho Buena Vista coach Bryanna Norton, a former basketball coach, sat in the front row and spurred her team on with whispers of “Good job, good job!� or “That’s OK, keep going!�

“They did very well,� said Norton, 28, a world history teacher and former Rancho Buena Vista student. “We had some great introductory answers.�

Neal Bussett is a former Rancho Buena Vista academic league member. Although he is in his senior year at San Diego State University, he hasn’t missed a match since graduating from RBV.

Bussett, who is majoring in electrical engineering, said he feels his four years competing in academic league made him a well-rounded college student.

“It teaches you things that you use later – how to think on your toes,� Bussett said. “It kind of fills in the areas that you don’t get in the four main branches of the curriculum, more grammar . . . poetry, stuff everybody should know and nobody really does.�

George Roswell, who teaches Advanced Placement European history and theory of knowledge at Rancho Buena Vista, moderated the North County Academic League’s first championship in 1983, its first full year of competition.

Although some academic competitions such as Quizbowl include questions about sports and pop culture, those subjects are verboten in North County Academic League, Roswell said.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on in North County is that all of our questions are curricula-based,� he said. “We stay away from trivia, except in significant current events questions. . . . We’re rewarding kids for knowing what they’re expected to know in school.�

However, while waiting to compete with RBV’s junior varsity team, sophomore Emily Myers said she was thrilled to field a question about her music hero, Bob Dylan, during a match.

“If you look at the people who write the questions, like George Roswell and stuff, it’s kind of their era,� Emily said of the question, which could be construed as dabbling in popular culture.

Her teammate, junior Liam Fox, defended the question.

“Bob Dylan counts for American history, fine art and music,� said Liam, 17.
After their 75-36 victory over Mission Hills’ junior varsity team last week, Myers, Fox and their crew have five wins and one loss this season.

Fox said the toughest question he answered correctly had to do with endoplasmic reticulum.

“I don’t know much about science,� Fox said. “When I guessed it, it was surprising for, I think, the entire audience.�

Junior Brandon Clay’s mental coup was acing a question about “Old Hickory,� the nickname given to Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States.

Emily confessed that in the heat of the moment, she once missed the Spanish infinitive for “to be,� something she knew well.

“I said ir, which is ‘to go.’ That was pretty lame,� she said with a laugh. “I wasn’t allowed Spanish questions for a while.�

Freshman and junior varsity championships will be held April 22 at San Dieguito Academy, 800 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas. Varsity championships will be April 24 at Torrey Pines High School in Carmel Valley.
– Pat Sherman, San Diego-Union Tribune

FOR A GROUP OF STUDENTS of students of Michigan high school students it’s not just about supporting your school and its teams, but making a commitment to the community it serves as well. The Flint Journal’s Shena Abercrombia show us what school spirit means at Mt. Morris High School …

What began as a club to boost school spirit has turned into a movement to spread the spirit of kindness at Mt. Morris High School.

“I just had an idea that I really wanted to get going, a pride club or spirit club,� said Tanner Pray, a junior and president of what’s now known as the Panther Pack.

Their slogan is “support em’ all,� and by all they don’t just mean high school students and staff.

In February they sent flowers to all administrators and office workers in the Mt. Morris School District, as well as neighboring districts.

And during the final game of the basketball season, the Panther Club purchased 500 spirit towels for Mt. Morris fans and the Durand fans, their opponents that evening.

“We wanted to show sportsmanship and just go out and have fun,� Pray said. “You can have your friendly rivalries and still have fun. In the past when we have big games against opponents like Clio, we’ll have (some) people doing dumb stuff, like fighting. It only takes a few kids to ruin your whole school reputation.�

Oddly enough, Pray’s strategy to get his fellow students to buy in to the project meant getting all the kids with cool “repsâ€? — the jocks, the cheerleaders, and such — to buy into the concept.

“I tried talking to people with influence around our school,� Pray said. “I told them if you come with me, the people behind you will come in (too). A lot of people think a spirit club is (weird), but it’s not. We’re not going on the Internet bullying people or bad mouthing anyone. We’re trying to bring back the pride in Mt. Morris.�

Superintendent Lisa Hagel calls what the students are doing random acts of kindness.
“We never know what they’re going to do next,� she said. “They raise their own money and then decide on the project.�

The group met Monday in the classroom of Lori Jackson, their class adviser, to discuss fundraisers and the next school team to support.

The tennis team has its first meet on March 26, while the first track meet of the season is at the end of April.

“They don’t get much of a crowd, so we’ll show up with signs,� Pray said.

“It’s spreading,� said Quareese Calhoun, 17, who plays football. “The more (other students) hear about us and the things we’re doing, the more of them come out to join us because they hear it’s a good thing.�

– Shena Abercrombie, The Flint Journal

SPORTS-SPECIFIC TRAINING HAS BECOME the rage for high school athletes everywhere. Strength. Speed. Agility. You name it, there’s a trainer and program for it. Newsday’s Gregg Sarra shows what it takes to train, even if it means giving up your Friday night …

So who would you rather hang out with on a Friday night? Your girlfriend? Your boyfriend? How about your performance trainer?

That’s right, student-athletes are giving up precious Friday and Saturday nights to work up a sweat. And it’s not just the weekends spent in the gym, it’s all the time.

“We’re seeing a phenomena where athletes are always training to gain a competitive edge,� East Islip athletic director Pete Blieberg said. “And they’re buying into the philosophy that basically sends this message: ‘Every day is an opportunity to get bigger, faster and stronger.’ It’s unbelievable.�

Most coaches benefit from the impact of performance trainers on their athletes. The muscle-building, added speed and newfound confidence that comes with a healthy body are among the benefits. But some are preaching caution that the additional after-school workouts need to be monitored to prevent bad advice from uncertified persons, overuse injuries and exhaustion.

“It can be beneficial if it’s done in the right circumstances by the right people,� Glenn football coach Dave Shanahan said. “The student-athletes need to know some important things before they get involved with a trainer. These trainers become a huge part of an athlete’s life and they have to be certified and in the field for a significant period of time to understand the sports specific workouts. It is definitely a concern for all coaches. Trainers have a tremendous effect on our athletes.�
Monitoring athletes under the care of trainers is outside of the school’s jurisdiction and therefore very difficult.

“Any time there’s an outside influence on your athletes, you have be concerned,� Shanahan said. “There’s a huge trust factor involved. The best thing I can do to keep an athlete safe is to continually educate them on the right principles of training.

“

Those principles include proper nutrition. “I worry about nutrition, too,� Shanahan said. “Especially when they [students] are not talking to a registered dietitian. That’s a major concern.�

Bay Shore softball coach Jim McGowan is an advocate but also has reservations.

“I’d rather see a sports-specific trainer than a generic workout,� McGowan said. “I’m for performance trainers but I certainly don’t push my athletes in that direction. But I also don’t have the expertise that they have to get them faster and stronger.�

Hewlett pitcher Zach Epstein has worked with Russ Tavares of Infiniti Performance in Bellport for three years. The highly touted senior travels more than an hour each way three times a week to work out with Tavares. He will attend Columbia University in September, and credits his workout regimen with his increased velocity and stamina.

“I’ve had terrific results,� Epstein said. “My world revolves around my training. And I listen to everything he tells me to do. He’s the key to my success.�

The high school sports landscape has changed. The competition for scholarship money is incredible. Parents recognize that performance trainers are no longer a luxury; they’ve become the norm.

“We train the athletes and we hold seminars in an outreach program to educate the parents and the coaches,� Tavares said. “We want to stay ahead of the curve. So we’re being proactive in the high school community to try and work with the districts. We want everyone on the same page.�

– Gregg Sarra, Newsday

WHEN UCLA RECRUIT Drew Gordon went down awkwardly on his left foot during a game, the crowd erupted into cheers. And when the 6-foot-9 Archbishop Mitty High forward got up and finished the game, the jeers continued. The San Jose Mercury News’ Mark Purdy explains how his team learned to play on and off without its leader and how fans can be so cruel.

They are really geeked up at Archbishop Mitty High, out on San Jose’s West Side. It’s no secret why. Both the boys and girls basketball teams are playing for state championships in Sacramento. There’s a big send-off rally scheduled today.

I won’t lie. I am pulling for the Mitty teams. I have multiple reasons. But the biggest one involves something that happened two months ago.

On the night of Jan. 18, the Mitty boys were playing at Archbishop Riordan’s funky old gym in San Francisco. The stands were packed. Late in the fourth quarter while trying to block a shot, Drew Gordon came down awkwardly on his left foot. He is the best player on a Mitty team that’s 32-1 and ranked fifth nationally. He’s also the best high school player around here in 20 years, a 6-foot-9 forward headed for UCLA in the fall.

Gordon felt something awful in the foot. It turned out to be a broken bone. He had missed some earlier games with injuries, so as he lay on the floor, he pounded his fist into the hardwood out of frustration. And many fans in the gym began to cheer. Loudly. Cheering because a player was hurt. A high school player.

“I was basically feeling anger,� Gordon said, “but it was because of the injury. I didn’t really notice the cheering until later, when I saw and heard a video recording of what happened.�

What happened was, as Gordon painfully hauled himself upright and struggled downcourt – incredibly, he finished the game ¬the taunts and cynical cheering continued.

“I really try to train myself to ignore things like that,� Mitty Coach Brian Eagleson said. “But that was really hard to deal with.�

Not unexpected, though. Things pretty much have been this way for the Mitty boys team the past few years, ever since Gordon appeared on the radar as a potential top college recruit. When the Mitty Monarchs roster developed into a talented unit with three other players who eventually earned Division I scholarships, success on the court multiplied. A state title tonight would conclude a remarkable run.

But the journey, as the players will tell you, has been both joyful and stressful. The Monarchs have had to overcome a series of injuries to key players – including Gordon, who returned to action two weeks ago – and unfortunately have learned a few ugly lessons about human nature along the way.

Example: When the mother of Mitty forward Collin Chiverton suffered a stroke and was forced to attend some later-season games in a wheelchair, fans began taunting her son about his “crippled� mom. Eagleson was amazed when his team would pull into some far-flung gym and the student cheering section would heckle his players with personal details about their lives, presumably gleaned from Internet sites. Gordon won’t ever forget.

“There was a lot of profanity,� Gordon said. “There were racial remarks. There was, ‘Go back to where you came from’ or ‘Go back to Africa.’ Stuff like that. Really unnecessary things. There are always going to be knuckleheads in the crowd that try to get on your case and try to get you riled up. I mean, if that’s what you want to do with your life … You just have to tune it out.�

Again, people: We’re talking about high school sports. Booing, you can understand. Hooting during opposing free throws, sure. But racial jeers? What the heck is going on with the world?

Eagleson has done his best to use this junk as a teaching moment, helping his players deal with it. That doesn’t surprise me. Full disclosure: My son played varsity basketball at Mitty in 2001-03, under Eagleson. Win or lose, he was the coach any parent would want for his kid. So you can definitely say I am not a neutral observer when it comes to him or Mitty.

But this isn’t really about them. It’s about how high school sports – not just at Mitty, but at many other places – has somehow morphed into a twisted, lesser version of the wicked atmosphere you often find at the pro or college level, where fans feel free to hurl invectives without fear.

A recent Sports Illustrated article listed several ugly incidents at various university campuses, incidents that mirrored the treatment received by the Mitty players.

The Mitty girls team has survived its own struggles and challenges. They have included the accidental death of an assistant coach a year ago and the senseless parking-lot murder of an opposing player’s father at halftime of their game against Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco.

Also, the girls have had to deal with their own share of taunts. Again, these are high school kids.

I do not know Drew Gordon’s mom or dad. I’ve probably visited with their son a grand total of 15 minutes. But for a kid who has had his butt kissed by college recruiters for four years, has been flown all over the country in the summer with his club team, has been romanced by NBA stars on behalf of their shoe companies, he seems reasonably grounded.

For instance, the other day, I asked Gordon about the most enjoyable things he will remember from his time as a Mitty basketball player. He said that his most fun memories would be the flag football games in the sand on team retreats at the beach. And singing obnoxious little-kid songs on the team bus – like “Itsy-Bitsy Spider� – until the coaches get sick of it and tell them to shut up.

More seriously, Gordon said, he had learned resilience and how to deal with adversity. He said the incident at Riordan – where the Monarchs lost in overtime, their only defeat of the season - has helped drive him. But in response to a follow-up question, Gordon then listed the most important stuff he will take away from the past four years.

“Respect the ones who respect you,� he said. “Play for the love of the game. Be loyal to your teammates, because in the end, they’re going to be some of the closest friends you have and they’re not going to fade away and always have your back.�

Learning those sorts of lessons is what is supposed to happen in high school sports. Win or lose tonight, knowing Eagleson, I am sure the Mitty players will not forget those lessons.

But I hope they win. I really hope they win.

WHILE STEROID USE MIGHT BE A problem in professional sports, a pilot test program shows that the problem is nearly nonexistent among Florida high school athletes. Since the program began last July, only one football player tested positive. The Associated Press’ Brent Kallestad shows how the state is keeping its players clean.

It might be a problem in professional sports, but steroid use is nearly nonexistent among Florida high school athletes, a pilot testing program shows.

Since the program began last July, 425 male and female varsity athletes have been tested for performance enhancing substances and only one has tested positive. 

A football player was the lone student-athlete testing positive and was suspended from playing for 60 days, said Cristina Alvarez, spokeswoman for the Florida High School Athletics Association.

The player was allowed to rejoin his team after getting counseling and passing another drug test. The program does not identify the substance the athlete took.

The pilot program ends in May at the completion of the baseball season. By then, 571 student-athletes will have been tested. That’s 1 percent of athletes competing in certain varsity sports: baseball, softball, football, girls’ flag football and boys and girls weightlifting.

The athletes are chosen randomly by a drug testing company the state has contracted with. 

Alvarez said the association’s 647 member schools, which include private, public and home school cooperatives, have embraced the testing.

“They understand that this is something very important that’s going on, especially with everything that’s going on in baseball with Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds,� Alvarez said, talking about marquee players who have been accused of using performance enhancing substances.

“They see these adults going in front of grand juries and having to testify for their own actions,� she said. 

Florida lawmakers established the testing program last year in the state’s high schools. They were hoping to head off some of the problems with steroids that have also affected cycling and Olympic sports like track and field.

A report on the results of the program is due in October, and Gov. Charlie Crist has said he wants lawmakers to establish a permanent testing program afterward.

“It’s a worthy cause,� Crist said. “With what we’ve seen regrettably in professional sports, the more we can do to deter that kind of activity the better off we’ll be. 

Until a permanent law is established, however, the pilot program isn’t likely to be renewed because of the state’s financial woes.

�

If a permanent law passed, Florida wouldn’t be the first state to require testing. In 2006, New Jersey lawmakers required random drug testing of the state’s high school athletes.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association reported last September that it didn’t appear to have a problem with steroids. Only one of the 500 prep athletes screened for steroids tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

New Jersey lawmakers, however, are advancing new legislation to expand its program to test student-athletes as young as 14 in hopes of staying ahead of problems.

 If Florida continues its program it would be among four states with testing programs for high school athletes. Texas and Illinois also started programs in the last year.

HAVE WE LOST SITE of what’s important when it comes to high school athletics? Noblesville Daily Times’ Dave Nicholson, who hails from Indiana, the land of basketball greatness, sort of thinks so. See why he feels that traditions are the very essence of high school sports.

Tradition is a very important part of Indiana High School basketball. We have lost so many traditions of the game over the past years.

Last week I wrote why I thought the shot clock was a bad idea for high school basketball. With the start of class basketball in 1997, not a brilliant idea in my opinion, we lost the tradition of rivalries. The rivalries between the sectional teams are what made them so special. Now teams, in most sectionals, have to travel long distances to their assigned sites. The teams don’t know the teams in their sectional, and many of the emotions of the players and fans are gone.

I think it is really exciting to have had five of the Hamilton county teams in the same sectional this year. It brings back much of the excitement of the way the sectional used to be. Now kick Zionsville out and bring Hamilton Heights and Sheridan back, and they would have it right. All the players would know the players from the other teams; the student bodies would all get involved and the fans would have the opportunity to have bragging rights over their neighbors.

This past week I have read two articles about seeding the sectional teams - another really bad idea in my opinion. Currently, as you know, a blind draw is used to pair up the teams. First of all who would seed the teams? Do you seed them simply on won-loss records? Some have suggested using one of the rating systems or polls to seed the teams.

If you have studied the various ratings systems during the season, some of them are a real joke. They even rate the strength of schedule a team plays. One team, which was rated as having the 10th best schedule this season, had nine teams on their schedule with losing records.

Another suggestion was to have the coaches get together and seed the teams. You talk about “horse trading� going on – I’ll help you get a good seed if you help me. The seeding of teams would open up a real can of worms. If you think that wouldn’t happen, sit in on a coaches’ meeting to select an all-conference team.

Another point is why should a team that has a great year get an easy draw in the sectional based on seeding?

It would seem to make more sense to have the strong teams earn their way to a championship. 
In the current blind draw system, a team that has had an average or below-average season can draw the bye and have a shot at winning the sectional. They only have to play two games and pull one upset to pick up the trophy. For many teams winning the sectional in that manner means more than when the favored team marches to the championship.

High school basketball is and should be much different than collegiate or professional basketball. The emotions of high school players are such that an upset is much more likely to happen. Take a look at the sectional scores the past week and last weekend, and you will find many major upsets.

It is possible that a high school team that has not won a single game during the regular season could win a sectional title. Today there will be teams with losing records playing for a regional championship. It has happened before in high school but not in college or professional playoffs.

As I said, high school basketball is different, and I hope it stays that way. Traditions are important.

IN THE STORY THAT SEEMINGLY has no end, the Nevada high school football coach whose player faked his recruitment has left to take another coaching job in Oregon. While Mark Hodges said his decision had nothing to do with the hoax, you have to wonder what kind of weight the situation levied on him, according to the Associated Press.
A Nevada high school football coach is leaving to take a similar job in Oregon, five weeks after one of his players faked his recruitment.

Mark Hodges said his acceptance of the head coaching job at Hermiston (Ore.) High School had nothing to do with the embarrassing hoax involving Kevin Hart, an all-state offensive lineman.With Hodges standing next to him at a Feb. 1 school assembly, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Hart donned a California cap to indicate his choice of schools as the crowd cheered.

Hart later claimed he had been the victim of an impostor posing as a recruiting promoter before he apologized Feb. 6 and admitted that he had made the story up. None of several colleges Hart boasted about had, in fact, contacted him.

Hodges declined to comment on the hoax and said he had been considering the Oregon position for a while.

“The opportunity to coach at a 5A high school is great,� Hodges told the Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard newspaper. “It’s a step up, and they have a great sports program.�

Hodges, whose team went 7-4 last season and qualified for the 3A playoffs, said a defamation lawsuit he filed against school officials Feb. 14 would go forward.

The suit accuses the officials of slandering Hodges by providing unsubstantiated information that a Reno television station used in a Feb. 9 report that Hodges’ coaching contract would not be renewed next year due to “unprofessional conduct and fiscal irresponsibility.�

Hodges’ lawyer, Ken McKenna, has said Hodges was not aware that Hart had made up the story about being recruited until the football player confessed.

Hodges’ tenure in Fernley also was marred by allegations of ineligible players and illegal practices in 2005 that ultimately led to forfeited wins.

Hermiston officials contacted Hodges in December when the coaching position opened up.

“I have no idea what goes on down there,� Hermiston High Principal Buzz Brazeau told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “We went through a very lengthy (hiring) process and are comfortable with our process. And I have no doubt Mark is the right guy for our job.�

Before coming to Fernley in 2005, Hodges was an assistant football coach at North Medford (Ore.) High School. He spent 15 years as a coach in Oregon – 12 at the high school level and three as a graduate assistant at Southern Oregon University.

He will continue teaching at Fernley High through the end of the school year.