High School Athletes Never Stop Working to Win

While the school year has just ended, thoughts have already turned to the new athletic seasons, some of which will begin in just a few more weeks.

Summer break is at hand for students and while some fill this time with paying jobs, there is another kind of work which has never truly been appreciated, even by those who know it goes on. Student-athletes give up a great deal of their summer to improve themselves and their respective teams, as even high school sports have become pretty much a year-around event.

Football is a prime example. Players have been involved in offseason weight training since the 2010 season ended several months ago. For some players, it’s done during weight training classes, but for others the chore is done before school in the early morning hours.

It’s all about finding that extra edge against your competition.
Spring practice sessions were no sooner complete than football players were back in the weight room. The players will also take part in summer workouts several times per week now. Some schools are involved in passing leagues. Some players go to various position camps.

The first football game of 2011 is still three months away, but every day is so precious now in getting ready for kickoff.
It’s the same for coaches who, despite being paid a small supplement for their jobs, will never receive the amount of pay they deserve when you factor in the hours necessary for the job.

Don’t kid yourself about high school athletics. It’s about winning.
You’ll hear people preaching about getting the positives out of being involved in a sport, but let a team not win and it won’t take long before a parent or group of parents are seeking to get the coach fired. Yes, coaching experts come in all forms these days.
It’s not just this way in football when it comes to summer work.

Basketball players attend camp during the summer and become frequent visitors to the local high school gym. Baseball teams simply continue the spring season with a summer slate of games and camps.

High school wrestlers also take advantage of the summer “break” to improve their skills as the countdown to the winter season begins ticking.

It’s not easy being a high school athlete in 2011. Much is expected of you. Through the years it would be impossible to recall every time I’ve heard “fans” demanding a team win this number of games, demanding a coach do things a certain way or letting it be known how much more the person sitting in the stands know than the coach.

In some ways you have to wonder why today’s student-athletes tolerate all the hassle. A majority of the high school athletes will not compete at the next level and with the pressure they face, it can become a burden. The great thing, however, is that they do compete. The reason is simple. They compete for the joy of the game. They compete for the joy of Friday nights at the high school stadium or spring afternoons at the baseball park.

For the amount of work and pressure involved, it takes a special type of young person to be a high school student-athlete in 2011. Through the years I’ve always had a high level of respect for each one. They aren’t paid, many times the number of games they win aren’t great and to be able to put up with all they do makes it a victory in just getting through a season sometimes.

Remember this when you criticize a team, a player or a coach. They are involved in a noble endeavor, one which has a long tradition. They deserve support, a pat on the back, and a word of thanks. Too often these things get lost in the shuffle.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal in Winder. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.