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Secondary School Sports Programs Have Become Less Relevant

August 13, 2014September 8, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Over the past 25 years many secondary school sports programs have become less relevant than non-profit or for-profit club programs. Many years ago, they did not have competition and were supplemented by seasonal activities provided by city recreation departments, country clubs, YMCAs, schools, and other local entities.

As the population increased and participation in sports became more popular, club sports entered the scene. They became a viable competitor because they satisfied unmet demands and they marketed their programs effectively. In addition, school programs changed in ways that made them less appealing. These changes were a result of funding issues, societal demands, and the quality of coaches.

Funding – Many school districts have reduced funding for sports programs or they have not been able to increase funding at levels necessary to maintain quality programs. The impact of insufficient funding has been exacerbated by increased expenses in most categories. Some of the areas where funding issues have become a problem include:

Increased athletic fees paid by students.
Decreased program offerings or inability to expand to include popular sports.
Reduced funding or inadequate increases for facility maintenance.
Reduced funding or inadequate increases for equipment.
Reduced budgets or inadequate increases to cover travel expenses.
Reduced salaries or inadequate increases to cover salaries for coaches.
Inadequate funding to maintain previous levels of competition, i.e. it may be necessary to have shorter seasons or fewer competitions.

Any of these factors may decrease the appeal, accessibility, safety, or the perceived value of secondary sports programs.

Societal Issues – The appeal of secondary school programs has been impacted by the following:

Many school programs have developed no-cut policies. In most cases, these policies increase the number of participants, but do not include an increase in facilities or the number of coaches.
As well, equal playing time has become a standard policy for schools. While there is merit to equal playing time, some parents and athletes prefer club programs where playing time is based on ability not attendance.
Parents enroll their children in club programs to increase their chances of being successful in school programs. This is important for parents who want their children to succeed or for those who live vicariously through their children. In many sports, it has become necessary to play club sports to be a star on their school teams.
Other parents view sports as a means for helping fund their children’s college education. In some sports, success on a secondary school team is not as valuable as success in club programs. To that point, the perception has developed that participation in club sports is a requirement if a player wants to play on their high school or college teams.

These factors may increase the appeal of club sports as parents help their children gain a competitive advantage over other athletes.

Coaching – The following factors relate to the quality of coaching in school programs:

Most school coaches have good intentions, but many are not qualified to coach. Many lack meaningful certification, personal skills, or knowledge of the sport they are coaching. In many cases, they are the only person in the school willing to take on the responsibility of being a coach. In other cases, they choose to coach to ensure their son/daughter gets “adequate” coaching and/or playing time.
Coaching is a thankless job, particularly given increased expectations of coaches in school programs. A local coach anonymously said, “High school parents are golden if their kids have a coach who knows something about the sport, is organized, and is a teacher in the school who can keep track of the kids during the day.”
Some school programs are more worried about the paperwork associated with hiring part-time coaches than they are the needs of the athletes. Quality coaches often don’t want to deal with secondary school bureaucracies.
In some instances, parents don’t feel it is possible to have a say in how their children are coached in school programs. For them it may be important to feel they can influence the children’s coach. They may feel this is easier to accomplish in a club program.
Unfortunately, many school programs have had the misfortune of having had a coach who has violated the trust of the students. Such situations always draw attention in the media and give all secondary school coaches a bad reputation.
In some sports, the club season is four to six months long while many school programs last six to 12 weeks. As well school programs may have limitations on the amount of contact time a coach may have with the athletes.
In many cases, coaches in club programs have a strong network for helping their athletes secure college athletic scholarships.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the county it has become more difficult to find quality coaches for high school programs.

Which is better – school or club ? This discussion is not an indictment of school sports programs, rather it illustrates how school sports have changed over time. Club programs face similar issues regarding program costs, the quality of coaching, and dealing with the needs of the athletes.

Most importantly, both provide different types of opportunities for adolescent athletes. In a perfect world, the focus of both types of programs should be on providing young athletes with a pathway for growth as athletes and individuals.

Coming Soon – The Amazing Charmion and Her Infamous Trapeze Act

April 15, 2014November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

The Journal of Sport History announced on its website that the Summer 2014 issue will feature an article about the amazing Charmion, written by graduate student Bieke Gils. The document, “Flying, Flirting and Flexing: Charmion’s Trapeze Act, Sexuality, and Physical Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century” suggests that Charmion pushed the envelope in much the same way Miley Cyrus twerked her way to fame this past year.

The abstract of Gils’ article follows:

On December 25, 1897, Laverie Vallée, better known by her stage name Charmion, made her debut in Koster and Bial’s vaudeville theater in New York City with a provocative undressing act on the trapeze and demonstrations of her upper-body muscularity. Though part of a wave of female aerialists at the turn of the twentieth century whose performances quite literally “flew” in the face of Victorian values, Charmion was among the first to take advantage of the developing photography, cinema and print industries to promote her act and was one of Thomas Edison’s first female silent movie subjects. The carnivalesque atmosphere generally associated with vaudeville performers made provocative acts like Charmion’s not only permissible, but also very popular. Her performances certainly embodied both desires and fears of a society that was forced to revisit Victorian ideals about women’s sexuality, physical prowess, and the female body more generally. (source: Journal of Sports History website, April 2014).

Below is a You Tube video of a short clip of Charmion that was produced by Thomas Edison.

Little by Little – Students from the Academy Raise Funds for Child in Hand

August 30, 2013November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

In the fall of 2012 Tracy Stalls, Tayyiba Haneef-Park, and Tom Hogan gave a series of volleyball clinics in the Denver Metro area to promote the sport of volleyball, increase awareness of the damage done by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and to raise funds for Child in Hand (CIH) to support efforts in that country.

A volleyball player from the Academy of Charter Schools in Westminster was so inspired by the clinic that she met with Stalls and school counselor Katy Batchelder to discuss ways the students at her school could help CIH. As a result of that discussion the 7th grade student council conducted a series of fundraisers throughout the year to raise funds and increase awareness of the damage done by the earthquake in Haiti. The events included bake sales, popcorn sales, and a car wash on the last day of school.

The bottom line – the 7th grade student council raised about $900 for CIH. There were winners on the volleyball court, at the Academy, and in Haiti!

Three Who Could Have Benefitted from John Wooden’s Mentorship

January 14, 2013November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

Talent is God given. Be humble.
Fame is man-given. Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
-John Wooden

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
-John Wooden

Piti Piti – Olympians Give Colorado Juniors a Lesson in Volleyball and Life

December 2, 2012November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

At 4:53 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti and lasted for 35 seconds. The epicenter was near the town of Leogane, about 15 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Within the next two weeks at least 52 significant aftershocks hit the area. The Haitian government reported that 316,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, 1 million were left without homes, and 3 million were affected by the quake. As well, 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings were severely damaged or destroyed. (Source: Wikipedia and http://www.childinhand.org)

In the time that has passed since the tragedy, the country has received assistance from a variety of sources. The groups include Child in Hand, whose mission is to promote youth development in post-conflict and disaster environments including medical, education, and treatment programs. As part of this effort, the group is currently working with USA Volleyball and the Haitian Volleyball Federation to open a multi-sport facility. To increase awareness of this mission and to raise funds to support their work, Child in Hand conducted a junior volleyball clinic, Colorado Serving Haiti, at the East Boulder Recreation Center on December 2.

Instruction for the event was served up by Tom Hogan, 2008 Olympic coach; Tayyiba Haneef-Park, 3 time Olympian; and Tracy Stalls, former member of the U.S. National Team. Participants sported t-shirts with the saying, “Piti, piti, zwazo fe nich li.” (Little by little, the bird builds its nest – Haitian proverb). In between instructional sessions Stall provided “reality checks” to discuss the challenges faced by victims of the earthquake and to contrast their lifestyle with the way most Americans live. When the group huddled to discuss the next drill, they would break with the cheer, “Piti, piti” – little by little. This is truly a fitting chant for the recovery of a nation and for athletes wanting to better their skills.

Park and Stalls concluded the instructional session by demonstrating how volleyball is played in Haiti. The final drill was played on a Haitian net; two players held sticks with two strings attached. Instead of using a cart full of balls, the drill was completed with one ball. The players rotated through their positions on both sides of the net, as well as a turn holding the net. For all the junior players who have come to expect first rate coaching and playing conditions, this demonstration was a real eye-opener.

After the last player was given a chance to hold up the net (the stick with two strings), the players and coaches huddled one last time for an inspirational, “Piti, piti.”

The Six-Pack, Airball, and Pileup with Four Laps to Go

August 4, 2012November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

Which of the following is the most appealing aspect of sports – the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, or the crash on the back turn with four laps to go? If you aren’t sure, keep reading.

On May 7, 2012 the Daily Camera published a tongue-in-cheek response from race car driver Tony Stewart to fans who cried for some knock-down, crash-’em up driving at the Spring Talladega. In that particular race, ten drivers were eliminated because of mechanical problems and another ten drivers were eliminated by accidents. The latter group included a nine-car pileup that swept up Stewart with four laps to go. Only 23 of the 43 drivers were around when the checkered flag was dropped.

Stewart’s response was, “Honestly, I think if we haven’t crashed at least 50% of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we crash at least 50% of the cars. …I’m upset that we didn’t crash more cars. That’s what we’re here for. I feel bad if I don’t spend at least $150,000 in torn-up race cars going back to the shop. We’ve definitely got to do a better job at that.”

Have you made your decision yet – thrill of victory, agony of defeat, or the crash with four laps to go?

• Why are the crashes that Stewart alludes to more anticipated and exciting to some fans than the race?
• What causes fans to go wild when the defensive back hits the wide receiver so hard that he knocks him into the third row of the bleachers, just shy of the hospital – and the wide receiver struts back to the huddle as if nothing has happened?
• Why do fans remember Bill Buckner for the easy grounder that bounced between his legs and not his overall career?
• What caused fans to sit in anticipation for the next Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, or Ilie Nastase temper tantrum? (These bad boys were actually outstanding tennis players).
• Why do hockey fans exit an arena talking more about the fight in the second period than the outstanding play of the goalie?
• What is so exciting about two baseball teams clearing the benches after a bean ball has been thrown – most players rush the infield only to stand around and avoid a fight?
• Why do players go “Oww and Ahh”, when a volleyball defensive player is six packed?
• What is so heartwarming about a slam dunk off the back of the rim or a free throw air ball?
• Why was Vinko Bogataj one of the most recognized skiers during the 1970s? (Bogataj was the ski jumper from Yugoslavia who was featured on the ABC Wide World of Sport intro video. He was shown losing control on a jump and crashing into a group of spectators?
• What makes boxing fans enjoy a heavyweight match more than a match in a lower weight class? Why does the potential of a knockout have more appeal that the finesse and speed required in the lower weight classes?
• Why do some people cheer for the bull and not the matador?

It is understandable to see why people can identify with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. What does it say about sports and its role in society when fans long for misfortune rather than the spirit of the competition?

Seat Width Increases – Along with Need for Proper Diet and Exercise

January 13, 2012November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

The Boulder Daily Camera recently reported (1/5/12) that “The Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, at the behest of its ever-widening fan base, says it will increase the width of its seats by four inches. Hey, it was either that or take gravy off the concession menus.”

While there is a humorous side to the comment, there commentary about the fattening of America is less than entertaining.

Out of curiosity I conducted a quick and dirty search of seat widths.

Airlines – The seats on most domestic economy flights are 16.5″ to 18″, whereas first class seats are 19.5″ to 23″. Some international airlines have seats up to 36″ width in the first class section.

Carolina Panthers (Bank of America Stadium) – The stadium seat widths are 19 inches for lower and upper level seating and 21 inches for club level seating.

New England Patriots (Gillette Stadium) All seats are 19-21 inches wide with arm rests and cup holders.

New York (Met Life Stadium) – Stadium seat widths range from 19 to 22 inches with seat width upgrades from the old stadium at every level of the new stadium. Leg room is increased by 1 to 5 inches.

New York Yankees (Yankee Stadium) Seat width has been increased from 18″ to 22″ to 19″ to 24″ in the new stadium.

Performing Arts – the Wall Street Journal published an article quoting data from Theater Projects Consultants. It stated that standard seat width was 18″ in the late 19th century, 20″ in the 1990s, and 23″ in the 2010.

Princeton (Princeton Stadium) Lower bowl and upper grandstands are aluminum bench seating, with a seat width of 18 inches

University of Michigan (Michigan Stadium) – In response to a stadium renovation program, their website stated, “Almost all seats in the bowl will be widened to some degree. Ticketholders will gain between a quarter of an inch and just over an inch in each seat, depending on where they sit. Seats along the sideline areas will gain the most width because of the shape of the bowl. When the project is completed, seat widths will range from just over 16 inches in the student section to just under 18 inches along the sidelines near the top of the bowl.”

At the same time, I conducted a quick and dirty search on the size of Americans. The results were what I expected, but not what I wanted to hear.

In October 2004, the CDC National Center for Health Statistics released the report, Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) 1960-2002: United States that stated “Adult men and women are roughly an inch taller than they were in 1960, but are nearly 25 pounds heavier on average as well. The average height of a man aged 20-74 years increased from just over 5’8″ in 1960 to 5’9½” in 2002, while the average height of a woman the same age increased from slightly over 5’3″ 1960 to 5’4″ in 2002. Meanwhile, the average weight for men aged 20-74 years rose dramatically from 166.3 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002, while the average weight for women the same age increased from 140.2 pounds in 1960 to 164.3 pounds in 2002.”

In November 2007 Gallup released survey results that stated, “Two-thirds of Americans report that their actual weight is more than their ideal weight, although for many, the difference between actual and ideal is only 10 pounds or less. But 30% of women and 18% of men say their current weight is more than 20 pounds more than their ideal weight. The average American today weighs 17 pounds above what he or she considers to be ideal, with women reporting a bigger difference between actual and ideal than men.

In November 2011, Gallup released an addition report that said, “American men, on average, say they weigh 196 pounds and women say they weigh 160 pounds. Both figures are nearly 20 pounds higher than the average that men and women reported in 1990. As Americans’ actual weight has increased, so has their ideal weight.”

In November 2011 CDC reported, “Estimates of age-adjusted rates of leisure-time physical inactivity ranged from 10.1% to 43.0%. The regions with high rates of leisure time physical inactivity are the South and Appalachia, which also have high rates of diagnosed diabetes and obesity. In Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee physical inactivity rates are 29.2% or greater for more than 70% of counties.States where physical inactivity rates are 23.2% or lower in more than 70% of counties are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.”

So what does this mean? Americans are becoming more plump. The implications extend beyond the size of stadium seats to obesity, diabetes, and other medical conditions. It is time to eat correctly and get out and exercise! The costs of these conditions to society are significant.

Sources for seat width
http://www.seatguru.com/
http://www.panthers.com/stadium/facts.html
http://www.gillettestadium.com/stadium_information/index.cfm?ac=quick_facts
http://www.metlifestadium.com/3_about_faqs03.php
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/new_stadium_comparison.jsp
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580104575361281784399058.html
http://www.princetontigersfootball.com
http://www.umich.edu/stadium/faq/

Sources for body weight
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/r041027.htm
http://www.gallup.com/poll/102919/average-american-weighs-pounds-more-than-ideal.aspx
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150947/Self-Reported-Weight-Nearly-Pounds-1990.aspx
http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsphysicalinactivity/

Sports Illustrated Vault – Top Women Covers

December 20, 2011November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

Which female athlete has most frequently adorned the covers of Sports Illustrated?

The answers can easily be found in the SI Vault (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/). The website includes a database that allows sports enthusiasts to conduct searches on articles, covers, galleries, and swimsuit issues. These searches provide an interesting perspective on what has been important in sports since SI began publishing in 1954.

The purpose of the following analysis is to identify the female athletes who most frequently adorned the SI covers and to look for other interesting trends. In December, 40 female athletes were selected for analysis. Their names, as listed in the charts below, were placed in the advanced search engine (exact phrase). Note that slightly different frequencies occurred when the names were placed in the general search box. It was also necessary to be aware of multiple athletes with the same name. As well, there were challenges associated with identifying tallies for women who played their sport under maiden and married names.

Keep in mind, the purpose of this analysis is not to identify the best athlete; rather the intent is to point out the athletes that adorned the SI covers most often. Athletes such as Suzanne Lenglen passed away before SI began publishing, so her coverage is minimal compared to current players. There are a number of factors that can determine whether an athlete makes the front cover or just receives mention in an article or picture gallery. The following questions address these factors:
• When did the athlete play?
• Did they participate in a team sport or an individual sport?
• How long has their sport been in existence, for example snowboarding is a relatively new sport?
• Did the athlete play in a major sport or a minor sport?
• Did the athlete play in a small market or a major market? Did they compete internationally?
• Who did the athlete have as sponsors and how well were they marketed?
• Was the athlete a flashy player who drew attention, such as Anna Kournikova, or were they a steady performer like Mary Jo Fernandez?
• How has the interest level in their sport changed over time? Are people as interested in that sport as they once were?
• Were there lockouts or strikes during an athlete’s career that prevented additional exposure?
• Did the athlete experience injuries that reduced media coverage?
• Were there other events that were more significant or overshadowed the significance of an athlete’s performance?
• Was it a “slow sports day”, which allowed for certain athletes to receive greater coverage?
It is interesting to note who has been on the cover most frequently, but it can be equally as intriguing to consider the factors that may have caused or prevented greater coverage.

The data suggests that there are a handful of athletes who might be considered media icons. While the men had media icons such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Muhammad Ali, no women received the same level of coverage as they did. Jordan was on the cover of SI 58 times, yet Martina Navratilova filled the spot only 9 times. The results also showed that only 10 of the 40 women in the sample appeared on the SI cover more than twice.

It is particularly interesting to note that 8 of the top 12 spots are filled by women’s tennis players. Would that be a function of the WTA’s efforts to market their women players and the sport or was that a result of a weak field on the men’s side?

It is also interesting to note that none of the 40 women were mentioned in articles more than 1,000 times. Half of the 50 men were mentioned more than 1,000 times.

In 1972 Title IX was put in place to give women an equal opportunity to participate in sports. Clearly, playing and coaching opportunities for women have increased drastically since then. Right or wrong, this basic analysis suggests that media coverage of men’s and women’s sports occurs at significantly different levels.

Analysis of the SI database is included in the December 2, 8, and 20 blog posts. The three discussions identify the sports, major sporting events, male athletes, and female athletes to most frequently adorn the front cover.

Sports Illustrated Vault – Top Men Covers

December 9, 2011November 13, 2016 horvath Leave a comment

Which male athlete has most frequently graced the covers of Sports Illustrated?

The purpose of the following analysis is to identify the male athletes who most frequently adorned the SI covers and to look for other interesting trends. In December, 50 male athletes were selected for analysis. Their names, as listed in the charts below, were placed in the advanced search engine (exact phrase). Note that slightly different frequencies occurred when the names were placed in the general search box. It was also necessary to be aware of multiple athletes with the same name, such as Bill Russell, and adjust the search accordingly.

Keep in mind, the purpose of this analysis is not to identify the best athlete; rather the intent is to point out the athletes that adorned the SI covers most often. Athletes such as Lou Gehrig passed away before SI began publishing, so his coverage is minimal compared to current players. There are a number of factors that can determine whether an athlete makes the front cover or just receives mention in an article or picture gallery. The following questions address these factors:
• When did the athlete play?
• Did they participate in a team sport or an individual sport?
• How long has their sport been in existence, for example snowboarding is a relatively new sport?
• Did the athlete play in a major sport or a minor sport?
• Did the athlete play in a small market or a major market? Did they compete internationally?
• Who did the athlete have as sponsors and how well were they marketed?
• Was the athlete a flashy player who drew attention, such as John McEnroe, or were they a steady performer like Brian Gottfried?
• How has the interest level in their sport changed over time? Are people as interested in that sport as they once were?
• Were there lockouts or strikes during an athlete’s career that prevented additional exposure?
• Did the athlete experience injuries that reduced media coverage?
• Were there other events that were more significant or overshadowed the significance of an athlete’s performance?
• Was it a “slow sports day”, which allowed for certain athletes to receive greater coverage?
It is interesting to note who has been on the cover most frequently, but it can be equally as intriguing to consider the factors that may have caused or prevented greater coverage.

The data suggests that there are a handful of athletes who are media icons. Michael Jordan is one of them. He was on the SI cover 58 times followed in a distant 2nd and 3rd place by Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali. Based on the data below, Tim Tebow will likely become the next icon if he turns out to be the real deal.

Woods tops the list for being in the most articles (6,983) followed by Jordan, Nicklaus, Mickelson, Manning, Favre, Bonds, and Brady. The latter group was each mentioned in 2,700 to 3,700 articles. The group of top 10 athletes represented football (3), basketball (3), golf (2), boxing (1), and baseball (1).

(Analysis of the SI database is included in the December 2, 8, and 20 blog posts. The three discussions identify the sports, major sporting events, male athletes, and female athletes to most frequently adorn the front cover.)