Fairness needed in high school sports
To the Editor:

The school year is almost over, and with it the high school sports season will soon end. Before another year begins, I just wanted to express my opinion on the unfairness in sports.

During the current season, many devoted parents found themselves on the road more often than at any other time, dropping off and taking their children to practices for the lengthy period that participating in sports demanded. These parents had one hope, to see their kids play what they love to play.

Fairness should be Number 1! However, that is not always the case. Student playing time depends on the coaches. They put in the players that they deem good, and they bench the players that they see having less "talents."?

If you go to the games, you often see numbers of favored players playing most of the time, and you also see that same numbers of "un-favored"? players (players that are equal as well), sitting on the bench for the enduring session.

Is it fair for all those students? I say definitely not! The players all put in the same amount of practice time. They devote their energy, effort, and sweat in hoping the coach would give them some considerations, and play them once in a while. I think that some coaches believe that they are gods. It seems to me that some coaches have no interest in being fair, nor do I believe they care about their unfortunate players' feelings. Above all, how they can look at the parents, who sit on the bleachers day after day, straight in the eyes without a slightest conscience?

I think this is a type of mental abuse? If you ask the question "Who gives the coaches such power in deciding who to play, and who is to warm up the benches?"? I believe the answer is, we all do: the parents, the students, the players, and the school administrators. We keep quiet. We go along with the coaches' choices for picking which players to be in the spotlight, and which players to use as back up victims.

We gladly hand over our children for this form of mental abuse. Yes, abuse! If you think about it, and ask yourself, how do those who are being benched feel? Consider their emotions. Are they less valuable? Are they that bad? Why are they on the team? What does it do to your child's mental viewpoints? Are their star player teammates superiors over them because they get to play more? No, I don't think so.

I believe no player is better than any other player on the team. Those that think they are better are full of hot air. They just gain more experiences from playing more. They are good because they get to play. They have confidence in themselves since the coach places his trust in them. Granted, some are born with natural talents, and that can't be denied. Play them. Play them more. Just don't forget the other kids that are there, too.

Equal playing time should be considered. What if the coaches give their players equal playing time? What is the scenario? The talented players still stand out. The scout will pick them for their colleges. The other players will get to play, though they may not get the scholarship they know they are not offered. Would this situation be more ideal? Sure, it would be. It is a win-win scenario. Teammates will feel responsible for their losses and wins, sharing the same mutual concepts. We win as a team. We lose as a team.

Everyone has the same opportunity to play. Everyone puts in the same effort. Now, if the coach plays only a certain number of players every game, and they lose that game, the rest of the players will just shrug their shoulders "Ah... I had nothing to do with it,"? and take no care in it. If they win, still "good for them,"? and have no pride. Is this a team? Where are the principles? Where is the union in being a team? What happens to team's spirit? I believe there is none, because there is unfairness and injustice.

I believe coaches should be a good role model. But I believe some coaches favor players. I think some are influenced by the last name of their players in the school system. I believe coaches do what they want. I think that coaches decide who they are scared of, and who they like. I think has been happening since the beginning of time, and continues to exist today. I believe that we are, as parents, teachers, school staffs, students, spectators, and players, guilty in giving them this power.

In my opinion, these practices have to be stopped. They have to change, to be modified. Those in authority need to be taught to make things better. I believe all those in authority need to be good models for our children, and our children's children. In my opinion, decisions on who gets to play and who does not should not be monopolized by coaches, when these decisions make our children feel low and unwanted. I think our children should not be victims because they like to play sports. If they try out and make the team, I believe all students should have the same chance to play as their teammates, to be treated fairly, to have the same rights. What's fair is fair! And what is right is right! This is wrong, very wrong!

Exercise your human rights. Imagine if you are discriminated against on a job, what would you do? You hire a lawyer and take it to court, right? And yet, we live in silence when it comes to high school sports policy. Why? What happens if we take a stand? What happens if we try to make it better for our kids, our friends, our students, our teammates? Is living in a better world going to make people care more for other people? Equal employment, equal rights and equal opportunity, we hear this every day in our lives, and yet, we do not apply it when it comes to high school sports policies.

Where are the players' rights in sports? Parents of all players, if you don't see the kids play for so many games, stand up and walk out of that gym. Players, look at your teammates, who are also your friends, if they don't get to play-walk out! Spectators, if you see a certain number of kids just sit there after 30 minutes or so, cheer loudly for them. Get the coach to put them in. They are your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. They deserve the same respect as others.

Stop the adults' bully system in school. I believe in many cases, school athletic directors, assistant coaches, teachers, and principals condone the abuses. Schools advertise that they won't allow bullying and have a program to support that concept, but I think that as long as it is between coaches and players, teammate to teammate, it allowed, tolerated.

I think coaches should learn to treat all players with fairness and justice. They are role models to teach our children to be good people. I think coaches should give our sports players the same rights, same chances, same opportunity to play. Make them better. They will always remember good coaches who have high values, principles, integrity and make a difference in their lives more than the coaches who do not.

I believe high school athletic competition should be fun but that it must also be a significant part of a sound educational program. I believe that those who coach student-athletes are, first and foremost, teachers who have a duty to assure that their sports programs promote important life skills, development of good character and the six core ethical values: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship, the "Six Pillars of Character"? that are supposedly taught in our schools.

I think the highest potential of sports is achieved when teacher-coaches consciously follow a TEAM approach, to Teach, Enforce, Advocate and Model these values, committed to the ideal of pursuing victory with honor. Finally, I believe that sincere and good-faith efforts to honor the words and spirit of these ethics will improve the quality of the programs and the well-being of the student athletes.

Rebecca Henry
Big Stone Gap