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[virgil]

http://www.sharon-herald.com/sports/local_story_047104026.html
 
Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

[Jayhawk]

the reporter didn't do anything special to overly elevate the issue; when 20 people in a row get up and speak to one issue, that's what the meeting was about. And the paper HAS given as much or more attention when an ordinary greenville teacher and a farrell principal were fired.

As for the issue, i agree: few care about choosing new superintendents, borrowing millions for renovations or anything else that really matters to the students or the community. But, ohhhhhh... hire or fire a coach, and people charter buses to the school board meetings and bombard the board members with phone calls.

Heck, there was outrage when the music dept. got a new $50,000 grand piano, but no one seems to be blinking an eye at a proposal to spend 3/4 of a million bucks on fake turf for the stadium -- an expense that never ends because it'll have to be replaced every decade.

The attention given to a coach is another example of the valley's misplaced priorities.

[virgil]

I agree that the emphasis should be directed towards scholastics. It would seem that controversy follows Mr. Antuono if you know his history. Although he is from my neck of the woods, I have never met the man. In conversations with coaches and teachers that I come in contact with, I have never heard any disrespect or unkind words. I tend to believe that Mr. Antuono is trying to walk a thin line. On one hand he is teaching kids how to become intricate parts of society and teaching the effects of working with others to achieve that goal while competing in team sports. Basically, helping them mature into a well rounded student athletes and young adults. On the other hand, he is attempting to develop a successful football program without compromising his ethics and foregoing the “win at all costs” mentality too often seen in scholastic athletics in this day and age. He seemed to be doing both. A steady move forward in the win column, and student athletes that are passionate by evidence of their voice at the school board meeting. It is ironic and quite similar to his plight as head coach in Lawrence County. Seems you can’t please everyone now can you?

[Jayhawk]

why is it that lawrence county coaches who come to mercer county often seem to be leaving behind a legacy of controversy and sharply divided critics/supporters?

[TiFeMb]

What would you all suggest? Not spending any money on sports or the arts? I undestand that 'academics' are the priority, but why?...
 
 
What if a kid is a highly gifted artist or musician or writer or poet.
 
What if they are gifted athletically in a sport where they can at least get a college degree if not a professional job?
 
Should we force them to sit in a classroom with a bunch of unmotivated teachers and students who don't care one bit about them, and try to teach them calculus. Which, to my knowledge, nobody REALLY uses for anything remotely functional?
 
Should we make them toil 8 hours a day with 3 hours of homework a night for what? A high school diploma? What does that really mean? They aren't, at that point, qualified for any job I have seen in the real world. (Except the VoTech kids :-) )
 
...and what about those kids that JUST don't fit into the popular groups, where do they find friendship and safety?
 
Sports and the arts are important.
 
VERY IMPORTANT.
 
Without them, what kind of society are we, a bunch of freakin' worker bees?!?
 
Yea, maybe astro turf isn't the answer, but without sports and the arts, honestly, what the hell do you really have? REALLY?
 
Yes, I was in the band and played sports. I STILL have friends from those circles, math class? NADA. And I have talked to a number of people that probably wouldn't have made it though the mine field called high school if they didn't have sports or especially arts.
 
I would also note that the 'academics' being promoted in today's public schools are SORELY inadequate at preparing our kids for the real world, and the structure of the school day is antiquated for the world we live in. Technology is an afterthought and administrators have no idea how to teach today's kids.
 
So the problem isn't astroturf or a piano.
 
It's the school.
 
The astroturf and piano just make it bearable.

[CindyLouWho]

My son has a rigouous acedemic schedule and I know his guitar class (placed smack in themiddleofhis day) is a real escape from the reality of it.  He looks forward to it more than lunch....and that's saying something!  He also plays football.  Since he is in the Honors program, he has to keep a B average just to show up to practice.  I believe all schools have some sort of grade requirement to play sports now.  Which is wonderful.  I don't remember that when I was in school.

[virgil]

why is it that lawrence county coaches who come to mercer county often seem to be leaving behind a legacy of controversy and sharply divided critics/supporters?

I find that odd too jayhawk. The coaches in question or at least the ones I believe you refer to also had ties to the very same school district in Lawrence County. BTW – the Superintendant was formerly working in another Lawrence County school district too prior to being hired at Hickory. I will admit I am a bit biased to the plight of high school coaches, being a retired one myself. And I guess I’m showing my age when I recall a time when school boards were concerned more with the financial aspect of running a district and didn’t get caught up in these matters much. You pay a Superintendant a lot of money to oversee the operation of the school district. Extracurricular activities should not consume this much time and effort and takes away from the real concern, education. I don’t think I could operate under the current conditions these coaches do. You have athletic school board committees, booster clubs, and overbearing parents questioning and trying to advise every step of the way. There was a day when as a coach you worked with the Athletic Director and in extremely rare cases the Superintendant to solve any problems that might arise. The boosters club would be supportive and offer financial assistance if any costs came up over and above the budget set forth by the administration. They didn’t lobby for a voice in any coaching matters just because they aided financially to your team. They were appreciative that you as a coach sacrificed your time for what amounted to minimum wage when all was said and done. Passion for a particular sport and the chance to share that passion while teaching a student athlete is an experience to behold and cherish.

But I digress and will jump down from that soapbox. This is about Mr. Antuono and the school board. Again, I don’t know the man and he quite possibly could be a mediocre coach by some standards. To his credit Mr. Antuono has been around for quite awhile in this coaching and teaching business, so he must be doing something right to continue being hired. I do know that in the past, as in this case, his student athletes have rallied around him to voice their concerns and show support. That speaks volumes in my mind. I did not recall anyone questioning his ethics or methods. A little ‘birdie’ told me just last night what they believe to be the problem. It seems a few school board members want Mr. Antuono to make certain changes in his staff. He has refused, hence the opening up of the position. If we are to believe the little ‘birdie’, I can see the log jam and the clashing of egos.  If that is the case, it is a real shame that the student athletes get caught in the middle. I would hope the administration and school board would have more important things to be concerned with, like making sure you get the best possible value for your school tax dollars when it comes to educating your children.

[TiFeMb]

antingIt's not sad that kids need an escape from overbearing bullies who aren't reigned in by administrators who are beholden to the money changers in the town.
 
Trust me, I wanted it to be different, but I had to defend too many band kids from testosterone-fueled football/basketball players and wrestlers who got their jollies out of picking on physically weaker kids.
 
kicked their dumb @$$es and stood in the gap for kids not fortunate enough to have access to steroids/enhancers....
 
don't EVER come down OUR hallway...it's our sanctuary from the hell we had to live with daily at home and in the hallways.
 
(yes, I have had therapy. successfully I might add)
 
I could go on, but most of those guys are dead or insignificant now....and I still play guitar and run    and sing and dance with my kids.
 
WE NEED MORE SINGING AND DANCING FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!
 
High School sucks for a lot of kids because of things not in their control. Let 'em have band and sports. Intermurals.whatever.
 
The public school model in PA suscks.
 
I would homeschool now if I were still there.
 
*disclaimer*
 
My experience was with Meadville Junior and Senior High schools

[CindyLouWho]

I had a discussion just yesterday with someone who is thinking of pulling their kid out of public school due to bullying that the administration will NOT do anything about.  Now the one time my husband spoke to the assistant pricipal at our school about bullying, he was told by the said assistant prinipal, that our son "needs to take his rabbit ears off" insinuating that he was looking for problems that maybe weren't as bad as he was saying they were.  Honestly, he's an asshole and I have zero respect for him.  Yes - we went over his head. Not to complain about the bullying so much.  To complain about him.

[TiFeMb]

Same old Same old CLW. I tried everything I could to keep from getting beat up and fimally got fed up. Suffice it to say that after I decided to protect myself and my friends...thigs got ugly.
 
I hate that I had to beat the $h!t out of someone just so I could go to freakin' class without bruises or worse.
 
It has left scars. My kid sometines gets pushed around and I tell him the 'right' thing to do....Trust me, I will teach him my tricks when the time comes. I hope it never does.
 
AND THAT"S THE DAMN PROBLEM. I shouldn't have to make that choice in America.
 
the hell eith it, I will probably homeschool soon anyhow...
 

[Jayhawk]

What would you all suggest? Not spending any money on sports or the arts? I undestand that 'academics' are the priority, but why?...
 
What if they are gifted athletically in a sport where they can at least get a college degree if not a professional job?
 
The astroturf and piano just make it bearable.

Sod and used pianos make it bearable. Astroturf and $50K keyboards makes it a delight but go beyond reasonable expenditures.

Both are important. But neither should be to the point that, for instance, the only time a crowd packs a school board meeting is when a coach is hired or fired (and they aren't there because he was a great civics or driver's ed teacher).

Both are part of building a well-rounded individual with lifetime skills or at least memories, or with an appreciation and understanding of the arts or sports.

But things get out of hand if the push for facilities or staff is primarily to build a powerhouse organization that will lead to its participants going on to greatness. The percentage of H.S. students who go on to play college sports is tiny, and the percentage of those who go on to play professional sports or artists who perform on Broadway is infinitesimal.

[Jayhawk]

And I guess I’m showing my age when I recall a time when school boards were concerned more with the financial aspect of running a district and didn’t get caught up in these matters much. You pay a Superintendant a lot of money to oversee the operation of the school district. ... You have athletic school board committees, booster clubs, and overbearing parents questioning and trying to advise every step of the way. There was a day when as a coach you worked with the Athletic Director and in extremely rare cases the Superintendant to solve any problems that might arise.

Everyone has to get his fingers into this, including some who formally have delegated such matters to others. It IS a distraction when this sort of thing consumes so much attention.

It seems a few school board members want Mr. Antuono to make certain changes in his staff. He has refused, hence the opening up of the position.

Again, meddling where it doesn't belong.

[Puffin]

But what is the percentage of high school kids that go professional in sports?...

The odds are enormous. If you take the total number of kids playing Highschool football on any given week in the fall, only 1/10th of 1% go on to play college football. For Highschool basketball, the odds are the same. Those are the only college sports that give full scholarships to all the members of the team. There are 391 D1A, D1AA, and D2 schools with football programs. They are allowed to have 85, 63, and 36 students respectively on scholarship at any given time. Thats a total of 23157 football scholarships. Divided by 4 years means only 5789 scholarshps available yearly, but since most schools redshirt a lot of freshman the more realistic number is 4600. That assumes that they use all their scholarships.
It's way easier to get a academic ride.