01-22-87 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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1986 THE BULLETIN . ore sports Tn the HuddleW By Fran Leahan the two players. "Now what'S going I WAS FORTUNATE to have some to happen next Tuesday?" great coaches when I was in school.I i "If we play like that, we're pro- can't remember much about h bably going to lose," one of them whether we won or lost of even howl E responded. did. But simple things like a pat on •, "No," Ronglien insisted. "You're the butt or an encouraging "good going to go out there and win next game,Leahan,"stuck with me.And . week." words of praise, when deserved, • "Okay," the boy responded. gave me the courage and confidence. Keeping sports i n perspective "Say it,"demanded the coach. "I I needed to face other challenges in want you to say it.You're going back my life. • ----, out there on Tuesday and win one." Let's make a new year's resolu- He wanted them to believe they tion to keep our priorities in order. 4 J '' ' could do it. ,, : Sports are fun. It's entertainment. IT'S CHRISTMAS.As many of the Some coaches can sometimes lose= locker room to visit with him and the The boy got the point. And I was It's a microcosm of life that we can sports programs take a bit of a sight of the place that sports should, team. impressed. In analyzing the game learn a Iot from.So let's squeeze out break over the holiday season I play in a young person's life.Instead Some of the sophomores in the Ronglien accurately pinpointed ner- of our games the stuff we need to thought this an appropriate time to of using athletics as a learning ex-g outer locker room waited very quiet- vousness and a tough Mounds View face the really important things in share my thoughts on high school perience, they become more con-1 ly as Ronglien spoke to his team inside defense. He also saw his out- life. sports and what place they should cerned with their job,their pride,or behind closed doors. They were as side shooters lose confidence by the Have a great'Christmas! have in our lives. the team's record, and adopt a win- quiet as you'll ever see sophomores second half and become afraid to For the athletes, it's easy for at-all-costs attitude. , get.And the tension was as thick as shoot because they had tensed up sports to become number one. a Dairy Queen Blizzard. and missed a few in the first half.He Games are fun and much more ex- ON DECEMBER 12 I was cover- But behind the door there was no wasn't calling anyone names, or citing and instantly rewarding than ing the Irondale-Mounds View boys •shouting, -no berating, no finger- blaming specific individuals. But he school is. But when a student basketball game when something . pointing. And when the coach came seemed to understand what the boys becomes so involved in sports that happened to inspire me to write this out he brought seniors Travis Sabby had gone through. They didn't need education is pushed aside, it's time column.Irondale led throughout but and Steve Mays with him. The four someone to tell them they had failed. for the parents to step in and reset dropped the game in the final two of us went into another room and They saw the scoreboard. And if the priorities. minutes in an emotionally draining chatted about the game. anything, they wanted to win the evening. Many of the Irondale fans game too much. _ When I participated in track,cross left,heads hanging.It's really tough THE BOYS HUNG their heads but . It was refreshing to see a varsity country,basketball and hockey dur- losing to their rivals from Mounds° the coach was smiling. And his at- coach in a major pressure sport that ing my younger days, my parents View, especially when they led titude toward his players stressed had things in proper perspective. I (known as some of the strictest on throughout and it seemed .that; the positive. The defense looked have seen so many occasions where the block)made sure that my grades nothing could go right towards the good, he reasoned. And that's the adult coaches ride young athletes in- ` were top notch or I was out of the end of the game. The Irondale side, hardest part of the game to teach. to the ground.True,some jocks need program. It was hard to take, as it had every right to be frustrated., The offense was off but he offered discipline. But I just don't feel that may be for some of my friends now I needed to talk to Larry Ronglien, some sound theories on why.And he much good can come from berating participating in high school sports. Irondale's new head coach,and ask- . encouraged the two athletes to speak a student in front of his teammates But, looking back at the ripe age of ed if I could call him in the morning.' to me, having them propose their or reminding someone they have 30, it all makes good sense. They I wouldn't have been surprised if he_ opinions on why the Knights had failed..They need to learn from their were just trying to keepthings in said he didn't even want,to tali to lost. ,., ... f•' - -- mow: ��- failures so they can better proper perspective for me. me. Instead, he invited me Into the "So we lost ale game,"he said to themselves. `' III