Varsity Kansas - The Blog

by joanna

Here’s what I wanted when I initially requested a blog in September — A fun place to write about what I see and who I talk to, fun posters who respond and give good insight. A place to get into issues regarding high school sports and its athletes and its coaches. I wanted this to be an open place where what was on your mind was discussed as well.

I think all that has been accomplished.

But then there’s the other side of it — what to do when people say things that you don’t want them to? Since I’ve done the blog — and taking into consideration my 11 weeks off for maternity leave — I have deleted one comment, a pretty horrible vile comment. When you have disagreed with me and called me out and said I’m biased and gave personal info about me, the comments stayed. When you have told me I’m great and said I do a good job, it stayed up.

So what do I do when people call a coach out for recruiting? Or when someone says a player is weak or not as good as all the hype? It’s a hard line and there are some of you who have come out hard against me that I am so wrong and am stirring controversy and I don’t care and slander’s obviously OK.

Controversy:  I really am not looking for controversy. If I see something interesting or wrong, I’ll write about it. I hope you do the same. All that stuff about papers are just interested in selling papers, well, we are a business. But that doesn’t mean I’m looking for the most ridiculous things to put up on this blog. Hello — fantasy matchup, anyone? Just a fun thing to do.

I don’t care what people write: Not true. I read everything that’s posted. Sometimes I cringe, especially when you all were calling out the Browns last fall. I didn’t like it. But I didn’t feel anyone crossed the line into that dangerous zone. I just felt people were pretty rude.

Slander: I do not condone slander. I’ve discussed the issue of the recruiting comment with an editor and an online person and have been told that they agree that it doesn’t need to be taken down. Yes there is a line, but being accused of recruiting is not the same as someone being accused of having orgies with athletes, or whatever a recent poster wrote. Coaches who win are accused of recruiting or cheating or whatever it is no matter what level they are at. Is it slander? Could be. Is it a ridiculous comment without proof? Yes. Do you have to have thick skin to be a coach? Lord yes. I could be wrong about this, but I’m betting Coach Stockam is wishing he never even responded to this. Why respond to something that is ridiculous? It was a hateful comment, let’s move on.

I know, I know, you’ll disagree with me. But as long as you aren’t vile, it will stay up on this blog. There needs to be a mutual trust here — that I’m going to be honest, that you’re going to be honest, that I’m not deleting everything that you write.

Feel free to discuss. And try to remember what this blog is about — the fun and interesting and issue-oriented topics regarding high school athletics.

Can we move on, now?

by joanna

I love all the results at our track result central — just another example of how we’re listening to our faithful readers.

This is a great site to check out how area track teams are doing and teams and individuals across the state. If you’re a coach, though, it’s obvious that we’re not getting all the track meets, even the area ones, so send them in — stats@varsitykansas.com is a great way to get them to us.

by joanna

Just read that Olathe South coach Mark Littrell has resigned and is going to be an assistant under former Olathe North coach Gene Wier in Texas.

I know this doesn’t affect anyone around here — but as one poster noted, we are varsityKANSAS — but I really liked Mark. He’s a nice guy, always enjoyable to talk to and he was great about sending info to The Eagle on his team and players. He coached 26 years at Olathe South, so Kansas will be losing a good coach.

Any other coaching changes out there?

by joanna

Loving the action on the blog. Keep it coming.

from timeshavechanged on the specializing in sports post:

if “Bobby” the athlete has a chance to go to a baseball showcase in October, and show his skills to college coaches…..and “Bobby” plays high school basketball…..then he would have to make a choice…..although this is very sad….it is the cold hard facts. What do you do if you’re “Bobby”? Does his high school coach let him miss some practices and maybe even a couple games so he can attend…..or should he stick it out….and miss the recruiting process? Is the high school coach going to pay for “Bobby’s” college tuition if this is a chance he misses….do you think the glory of winning a game in high school out shines that college scholarship? This is a sad subject, but one of reality….focusing in on your skill as a 1 sport athlete…shouldn’t be frowned upon…or looked at as letting your high school down. He should be looked upon with admiration….for the dedication and sacrifices these athletes have to go through to realize their dreams.

Great point, great post. You’re right, you’ve got to give the kids credit for their dedication. It helps recruiting to be one sport athletes. But it’s sad. It’s sad that the whole focus is on getting that scholarship (trust me, I know all about the money issues here. I understand). But what about that high school experience? That playing for the love of it? Or is that pure utopia now? Sad, if it’s so.

from kansasguy on maize and recruiting post:

So Joanna…what is your issue with the Maize schools and recruiting?

Um, what? Did you read the post? It has to do with the school district having made the decision not to have boundaries which is a concern for THE DISTRICT that there will be athletic recruiting. It’s the first thought I had when I was told about the idea of preferences. Um, not sure that shows any hatred for Maize. Just a topic of conversation.

Speaking of topics — from “another” on the rules of recruiting post:

If it wasn’t Maize then we would be reading blogs about more foul balls, or what the inside of the locker rooms look like at WSU instead of the track meet, or some mythical basketball tournament that doesn’t mean anything.

Ouch. Got a topic? Pass it on, whether you are “another” or anyone else. I’m always looking for dialogue. And come on, the mythical basketball tournament didn’t mean anything, but it was fun. Talked to the Andover boys coach today and he told me that when he saw the voting was getting close in the championship, he e-mailed parents of the program and in a short while, the Trojans had 100 plus more votes. Is there anything wrong with that? Sorry, I don’t think things have to be controversial to be on the blog. It certainly gets more of you posting when you’re ripping a high school coach or a football player with the last name of Brown at East, but I’m looking for fun here.

As for this comment from Mark on Maize and recruiting:

This is directly accusing a coach of committing a violation of the rules, with no evidence. I read Joanna’s post elsewhere about why she isn’t taking this post down, but I don’t buy those arguments. I don’t see why the Eagle has to give people the right to libel one another by name in a public forum, hiding behind anonymity.

I’ve seen this argument elsewhere on other blogs and discussion forums around the country and I’m always intrigued by it. This poster writes something and my blog is blamed. It’s interesting. Yet here I’m blamed for what a supposed adult wrote — if that’s actually Kelly Welch who wrote it, being that person doesn’t seem to have come back. Interesting. There is a line, yes. But there’s very few posts that I’ve ever deleted, giving all the right to talk. Is this slander? I don’t know. I think it was a rash comment to make. I’m no libel lawyer. I’m not looking for controversy. I merely wrote about the Maize school district and the issues that could arise there with recruiting. I think this would not have been an issue but everyone has made it such because of a silly comment by a poster. I have talked to one of my bosses and he’s agreeing that my I do not need to take this down. Can that opinion change? Sure, we’ll keep our tabs on the situation.

So, don’t like the topic? I’ll take ideas. Want to continue talking about allegations that are made by a random person and not district employees or the state? Go ahead. I’ve written nine posts since that one.

Have a great weekend!

I didn’t run track in high school because I played baseball. But even if I had, there is no way that I would have been a hurdler. Now I have pretty good coordination. I can chew bubble gum and walk at the same time. I can text and drive. I can even pay pretty good attention to a phone conversation while playing video games. O.K. I lied on the last one, but the first two I’m money on.
I couldn’t do the hurdles because my biggest fear would be leading a race and then falling on my face costing me the “W”.
Unfortunately for a sophomore from Raytown (Mo.) she lived out my nightmare. After leading for the entire race, the ENTIRE RACE, her competition started to catch her around the last 10 yards. Then as she went to clear the final hurdle she caught her back foot on the hurdle and her face bounce slightly off the track. She got up and finished the race, in last place. Once she crossed the finish line she dropped to her knees because she realized that she should have advanced.
Embarrassing moments suck enough as it is. But when they come in front of hundreds of people and cost you a chance at a major accomplishment you can only imagine what that feels like. Unless you know and care to share.

Audacia Moore doesn’t like to be interviewed.
Her coach, Bryan Chadwick, told me so before he introduced me to her. Moore won her heat of the 100M Dash with a time of 12.2.
And the look she gave me before she was about to dig into her Subway sandwhich solidified it.
After letting her finish her Jared special and goldfish crackers, we had a pretty decent convo. However, she ended it by saying that I wouldn’t be able to find tomorrow now that she knew what I looked like. I had to remind her that 1. I’m a reporter, part of my job is to find people and talk to them. 2. Finding her tomorrow will be easier than it was today. All I’ll have to do is wait for the 100M medals to be given out and when she steps off the platform guess who will be waiting right there?

by joanna

A poster wondered if its OK to recruit within a district. This is regarding the Maize and Recruiting post.  Maize will have no boundaries when its second high school, Maize South, opens in 2009. So of course I was curious about how you keep coaches from recruiting. They will use a preferences system and a feeder pattern and the coaches work to keep the kids in their feeder pattern.

Recruiting by coaches is not allowed. But if kids are in your feeder pattern, it’s OK to send them information about your school and program, ask them to come to your summer camp, etc. One of the ways Wichita public school coaches do this is by finding out what kids are in their boundaries of their school. They then send those, let’s say boys, information about their program. Let them know when football will start.

There’s nothing wrong with it. Where it would be a problem is if an East coach, for example, was talking to a kid at Wilbur — which is a direct feeder for Northwest — about the programs at East and that he should come and be a Blue Ace. That’s a problem.

What isn’t a problem is, for example, if Heights talks to a Stucky kid — Stucky is a direct feeder for Heights — about coming and playing softball and being a Falcon.

I hope that makes sense. Any questions or clarifications, please feel free to post.

by joanna

I loved lovebball’s comment on the parents vs. coaches threat. I absolutely loved it. You took this discussion to another level and that’s what I am dying for this blog to become. No haters, just good dialogue.

I can totally see your point on how there are coaches who are a bit clueless, who aren’t that passionate about the game, that aren’t in tune with their players. There are coaches that might not need to be out there at all, that they’re actually hurting their kids because they aren’t as involved as they should be.

Great job on the post.

I do believe that I get caught up in the coaches side of it because I do see the hours that so many of them put in, I see the money they spend out of their own pocket, I see the caring they show to the kid who’s coming from a crappy home life and how they’re helping that kid deal with such huge issues outside of sports. Contrast that directly with the parents that I see at games — the ones screaming at kids, dogging the coaches, the ones who feel entitled to their kid getting playing time because they fund-raise for the program. I feel disgust for those parents. There have been years where I dread going to specific schools because I know that I’ll only hear negative comments from the crowd, that I’d see a parent sit directly behind the bench and rip the coach, where I’d see a parent try to coach their kid as they dribble up the floor — the kid is looking into the stands at that parent.

But you’re right, there are the wonderful parents who are putting a whole lot of money into their kids’ activities, who are spending so much time at their games and supporting those kids. They want their children to be nurtured and taught and coached in the right manner. Those expectations are normal.

I guess what I would still suggest is let those coaches coach. Sometimes coaches don’t connect just right with a player, that’s true. But I feel most have good intentions.

Thanks, lovebball for the post. Any others out there?

by joanna

So what do you think — should athletes specialize or play multiple sports?

I know coaches who come from both sides. I’ve met coaches who want their kids playing club ball all year long to prepare them for their sport’s season. I’ve met coaches who insist that their kids play another spot, expanding their horizons or getting them in shape for their sport.

What do you think? I think we’re in an age of specialization and it’s sad. I want to see more two- and three-sport athletes. Take Clint Cornejo at Wichita Collegiate and the story my esteemed colleague wrote on him. This kid takes it to the extreme — he’s playing three sports this spring, plus he played football and basketball this school year.

But I love that. He’s obviously talented and he’s helping out his school. Can you imagine what East’s sprinters would be like with the addition of Bryce and Arthur Brown (who of course graduated early). What about when John Randle was at Southeast, but after football and committing to KU, he didn’t play basketball. That’s sad.

Want another view? How about when Mike Pelfrey played basketball his senior year at Heights? That was cool. He wasn’t the greatest player — although he could get some good rebounds  — and those high black socks looked hilarious on his skinny long legs. But he helped that team. He helped that school. And you know what? Pelfrey had fun.

I love that. I’d love to see more kids playing more sports.

So tell me how much you disagree or agree with me. If you think specializing is important, why? Is it because of college scholarships?

by joanna

That may not be the best title for this blog, but I couldn’t come up with anything better. I’ve taken some heat in a previous post on the Maize and Recruiting post about regulating what is said online. This is in regards to a poster saying two City League coaches recruit.

I really prefer not to regulate here. I would say the majority of posters are adults, most are fans, parents or coaches. I would say that the majority of posters are intelligent and rational and logical in their posts. Of course there are lines, I just don’t think they’ve been crossed yet.

The latest issue was directed at Northwest’s Weston Schartz and Travis Stockam. I’m not taking down the post for two reasons — I think Travis had outstanding responses to it and anyone who doesn’t feel good after reading his posts is crazy. He’s obviously dedicated and I give him major props for that.

Now, his wife posted and said that she can’t believe I am allowing people to write such vitriol about her husband. I understand her position. I do. It stinks to hear someone say negative — and false — comments about the person you love, especially when you see them putting a whole lot of unpaid energy toward that job. But I also leave this up because I think recruiting comments are constantly made verbally. It rarely happens here because the fact is, you need to back up your comment or you’ll get hit hard. I haven’t seen anyone come out in support of that poster.
That poster hasn’t backed up the comment. Hasn’t pointed out specific areas that it happened and has no proof. Proving recruiting is extremely difficult. Trust me, here at the Eagle we’ve thought of how can we prove that recruiting is going on. We’ve tried to figure out ways to follow it and see it happen, but unless I’m camping out at a 7th graders house every night for two years, I don’t know how to make it work. If you have an idea, my e-mail is jchadwick@wichitaeagle.com.

I guess my point is, this is a blog where people can make their comments, but I tend to ignore those recruiting ones. As I said, the comments are rarely made and I usually laugh because any program that is successful is accused of recruiting. If you noticed, Weston Schartz doesn’t respond to such comments — he and I have had many conversations about it and it gets to a point that you just ignore it.

My suggestion? Prove that it’s happening. I’ll write a story if you can show me how to prove it. No one should be recruiting. No one. But do kids want to play for specific coaches? Of course they do. I’ve heard so often that black basketball athletes choose to go to East and Southeast because  they want to play for a black coach. Remember Kellen Winslow’s son? Kellen wanted his son to go and play for a black college football coach. His son chose not to.  I digress, however. When a program wins, players tend to go to those schools. It’s not that hard to do, really, as long as they do it before they go to high school. Remember West High? That wrestling program drew kids to that school, so did its football program. Did they recruit? I never saw proof, but I know I had a nephew who was a wrestler and where did he want to wrestle? At West.

As I said earlier, I understand the coach’s wife. But I think there is some great dialogue going on here. And after Travis’ impassioned posts, I doubt we’ll see more of the haters.