WHAT a GAME!

What a Game!

Sport is about the contest. It’s about the atmosphere in the arena and the drive of the players. It’s about the desire to win. All that filled the Civic Center in Montpelier Saturday night when two winless teams faced each other and a dramatic hockey game broke out.

Montpelier High and Woodstock High girls hockey teams met and battled for three periods of action-filled play. It was Senior Night and the players from both teams were recognized during the pre-game ceremony. Flowers, pictures and reflection of four years of competition were center stage. Coaches, parents and players made the most of it. After the ceremony (L/R) Junior Tess Adams, Freshman Chole Golonka, and Sophomore Julie Connor completed the festivities by singing a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to start the game. Check it out below.

The game was physical and penalty-ridden. Montpelier jumped out to a lead and Woodstock responded. It went back and forth until the final minutes of the game when Woodstock broke a 3-3 tie and topped it off with an open net goal as time expired giving them the win, 5-3.

That’s what happened but this is the story. Montpelier scored almost as many goals tonight as they did all season. Tess Adams “The “Tasmanian Devil”, and Rachel Ebersole “The Rock”, scored early to put Montpelier in the lead. Woodstock tied the game. Then Freshman Chloe Golonka (who not only took up hockey for the first time this year but also had to learn to skate at the beginning of the year) made a beautiful unassisted score off a rebound to put the Solons ahead in the third period, 3-2.

Chloe Golonka puts MHS ahead 3-2 against Woodstock.

Woodstock’s next 3 goals were all part of the drama. Two teams sacrificing life and limb got after the puck and settled it at the end of three periods of hockey. I enjoyed every minute. Two teams playing their hearts out near the end of the season.

It was disappointing to watch the Solons fade toward the end but they have to be proud of their effort and hopefully they know what joy they bring to the ice for an old dog like me. You would never know the records of these two teams watching the style of play and the energy of the coaches, fans, and players during the game. It doesn’t get much better!

You can check out pictures of the game at Crowley Photos.

Three games remain next week: North Country, Rice and U32. I hope to watch all three!

Historic Hockey in River City!

A huge shout out to a couple of Montpelier High girls on the hockey team; Mary Cain and Rachel Ebersole.

First, congratulations to Mary Cain for her outstanding play at the Kreitzberg Arena against Northfield where she endured 77 shots on goal in one game! She stopped 71 of them. She made a historic save in the first period and the puck was snagged by the coaches. It was her 500th save of the season! That’s right, 500th save this season. How long did it take Tim Thomas to get 500 saves while playing in Vermont? Mary’s save percentage is around .910 which is top shelf in any arena.

500th Save of the Season

Second, Rachel Ebersole made one of the sweetest unassisted goals of the season. She weaved through defenders and covered 3 zones of the ice. She approached the net from the left side with a defender on her right shoulder. She used her speed and power to ward off the defender and cut in front of the net to score in the lower right corner – Poetry on Ice!

SCORE! "Poetry on Ice"

You can view images of the girls hockey season at CrowleyPhotos.

Their next game is Saturday against Mt Mansfield @ 7PM at the Civic Center in Montpelier.

Confused by Concussions?

There’s been a lot of talk about concussions lately and there’s a ton of information to get confused about. Every athlete takes a shot in the head at some point and it’s important to know what’s going on and how to deal with it before getting back to competing.

For example, could heading the ball in soccer lead to degenerative brain disease, like that seen in athletes of other contact sports; boxing – MMA? The January issue of Neurosurgery discusses this topic and others.

So take the time to get some baseline information and become aware of what’s happening to you when you get hit in the head and how to handle it so you avoid long term damage.

SportsConcussions.org explains: “a concussion is a brain injury that can occur in any sport. The good news is most of them heal within a short period of time, like any other sports-related injury.  But what makes concussions unique is that they are invisible and it’s hard to know exactly when an injured brain has completely healed. So take all the time you need, and be patient.  It’s not worth the risk.”

These sites are full of great information but If you’re looking for a brief and very informative explanation about concussions just watch and listen to Dr. Mike’s Visual Lecture below. It’s one of my favorite sites!

Degree of Difficulty

High School Basketball: Degree of Difficulty

It’s time for me to rant a little about the current style of play that is dominating high school basketball in central Vermont. Mid-range shooting has all but disappeared. Players like to shoot the three or drive to the hoop drawing 2-3 defensive players and attempting acrobatic feats that rival an Olympic diver on a three meter board. Players make twists, turns, spins, and crash into players in the lane hoping to draw a foul or maybe just chuck up a no-look basket.  The only alternative – a 3-point shot.

Where has the mid-range game gone? The great players know how to “stop and pop” to make a simple 10-12 foot high percentage shot and score an easy two points. It’s rare to see a player make a move that backs up the defense and then quickly stop and shoot an easy uncontested mid-range shot.

What we see instead is a desperate go to the hole move and a low percentage shot. Game scores are low and style of play is hectic. If we gave points for degree of difficulty like in diving then basketball would a very high scoring game.

I think players like Lebron James have had a lot to do with this style of play. James is an incredible athlete and fabulous individual player. He shoots the three or drives to the basket making unbelievable scores. He has never won an NBA championship but he is fun to watch. So are the Harlem Globetrotters.

It’s not fun to watch a young player without James’ abilities try to score with the degree of difficulty seen in a James score.

I think any player that put the mid-range shot into his/her game would dominate today. It’s such a simple move. If you have a 1/2 step advantage on a defensive player, you just slide behind the defender then stop and shoot a simple 10-12 high percentage shot. It’s a two – three dribble drive move and it can’t be stopped 99% of the time. Today the defense would be backing off and waiting to jam you as you start one of those impossible low percentage high degree of difficulty moves.

The only player in central Vermont that I’ve seen effectively use the mid-range shot is U32′s senior guard Karla Clithero. She has quickness and will stop and pop the 10-12 footer occasionally. She’s a very unselfish player and could take over any game if she looked to score more often.

Annie Jones, a junior forward at Montpelier High, is one of the better shooters in girls basketball. She is very athletic and drives strong to the basket from the right. Sometimes she gets caught in traffic and if she ever added a mid-range shot to her game, Montpelier would be a much bigger threat.

Arlo Patterson, MHS senior guard, has a good 3-point shot and makes very aggressive moves to the basket. He’s a player that would really benefit from a high percentage mid-range shot. Because of his quickness, he’s able to get defensive players scrambling backwards when he attacks the basket and with his leaping ability could pull up and take an easy 10 footer for 2 points anytime he wanted.

Basketball is such a simple game when played properly. You pass the ball, you catch the ball, you shoot the ball. Add some team movement, strong rebounding and pressure defense and you’ve got a great game.

My advise to young players is take the easy high percentage shot and take less of those high degree of difficulty shots that result in low percentage attempts. It makes for better basketball.

MHS Girls Hockey vs Stowe

I had a little treat today at the Civic Center in Montpelier when two MHS players, Tess Adams and Chloe Golonka, sang a duet of the National Anthem at the beginning of the girls hockey game against Stowe High School. You can hear them in the video below.

I could only stay for the first period which ended in a 0-0 tie. It was the best period of defensive hockey MHS has played this year. They really got after the puck and were very good at breaking up Stowe’s speed and passing game. You can see photos of the first period on CrowleyPhotos website. Just go to the SPORTS gallery and follow the High School Sports menu.

 

MHS Girls Hockey update

Brief update on the progress of the Montpelier High girls hockey team:

Saturday night (1/07/12) MHS played U32 and with less than two minutes remaining in the game the score was 2-1 with U32 in the lead. The Solons called a timeout to plan strategy for the final 120 seconds of the game. MHS won the faceoff and headed down the ice toward the U32 goal. Montpelier pulled the goalie but unfortunately U32 gained control of the puck and scored a goal on an empty net making the final score 3-1.

They lost the first game of the season 10-0 and in this game had a chance to tie with just a few seconds left in the third period. It’s so much fun watching them improve daily. More and more players are showing that desire to win as their skills improve.

Below is a audio slideshow of highlights during the game. The National Anthem is sung by MHS center Tess Adams. You can access the pictures at Crowley Photos website under the SPORTS gallery – High School Sports.

MHS Girls’ Hockey Note

The Montpelier High girls’ hockey team began as a club program in 2002 and has grown into a competitive varsity sport. Over the years they have beat some very good Vermont teams and like any team there are years when the numbers are down and it’s time to rebuild. This is one of those years. They have a bunch of new players learning to skate and learning what it means to be a hockey player in Central Vermont. They’re off to a very slow winless start. I have to add a scoreless start as well. Each game the players show improvement and the more experienced players are doing what they can to help the new players learn quickly.

One of the constants about the Montpelier High girls’ hockey program is that they know how to have fun. Enjoying each other and enjoying hockey has always been a strong part of the program since it’s club days and that has to do with the attitude and coaching style of Chris Turley and his staff.  They do whatever it takes to get the kids involved and excited. Over the years it was not uncommon to see the coaches paint their faces or walk the ice in their bare feet after a game all in good fun and sometimes as a consequence of a pre-game deal with the players. In any event they have been a lot of fun to watch.

This year however is different. They are not competitive. They are not getting many shots on goal. I’m looking forward to the first goal of the season. I’m sure there will be some big time celebrating.

The fun for me as a fan and a photographer is watching senior goalie Mary Cain. She is (to put it simply) amazing! The Solons have played four games so far this season and are 0-4-0. They have had 28 goals scored against them in 12 periods of play. You’re probably wondering how I can claim that Mary Cain, the goalie, is amazing when she’s given up 28 goals in four games. Well, she has had over 200 shots on her in four games and if you do the math she averages about 16 saves a period. Now that amazing!

Here’s a short Soundslides clip of pictures I took during the first two periods of the North Country game to give you an idea of just how amazing she really is. There were 42 shots on goal. She stopped 38. I’m sure the third period was just as active.

The Solons have a tough home schedule the next few games facing U32 (1/7), and undefeated Stowe (1/11). But Saturday (1/14) they host Rutland and I expect to see some much improved players helping Mary with less shots on goal and maybe scoring a few for themselves.

No matter the outcome of winning and losing (and losing sucks!) these players are not just out there skating around watching Mary make awesome saves. They are improving, getting more competitive and having a good time doing it.

Go watch a game and see if you have as fun watching as I do.

Welcome April Wortmann and others . . .

April Wortmann, the new Girls’ Basketball Head Coach at Montpelier High, had her debut in the Lenny Drew Gym against BFA-Fairfax Wednesday night. Welcome April! Not much hoopla about her arrival from the school community or our local paper. The Barre (sometimes) Montpelier Times Argus sports editor, Anna Grearson, has her agenda and Wortmann is low on her list right now. I’m sure that will change when Anna hires a half dozen reporters to cover events she can’t get to with her limited staff of one or two others. There is a lot going on in winter sports in Central Vermont and the TA can’t be everywhere but a new head coach deserves a stronger welcome from the community and the local news. There was a time when we would celebrate new hires and a time when the stands were full of rowdy spectators. This is not one of those times in Montpelier and I believe it has a lot to do with the degree of involved leadership, supportive community (Boosters Clubs, faculty, students), and interested sports writers. We can’t ignore the efforts of our young people. We need to celebrate with them as they learn and strive to succeed.

I wish April a lot of success this season. Coaching is a very enjoyable experience and I hope you and your players have a lot of fun this year as well as continue the winning tradition at MHS. The BFA game showed signs of promise for the young Solon team. Once they were able to get the ball over half court ball movement in their set offense was good. They had some good looks at the basket now they just need to become better shooters. On the defensive end things were shaky. As they learn to anticipate better and get more active in the defensive lane things will improve. It was great to see Jessica Sweeney back in action after missing a year with knee rehab. She seemed a step slow because of the knee brace and it looked like she was not totally confident about the strength of her knee. Once she wears away some of the basketball rust and gains better mobility, I’m sure she’ll be providing some of that Sweeney excitement we saw a couple of years ago. She is the only senior on the team.

As the Solons and Wortmann begin to know each other better and the new system becomes second nature, we should see some good basketball this winter in the Lenny Drew Gym. Now if only the local papers and school community could get invloved.

Winter Sports 2011

Winter Sports 2011-2012

Sorry to be away so long but I’ve been building a new house and finally (never really finally) done! My mind has wondered to the process of hiring and informing the public (US) of new hires for coaches for winter sports. I wrote a piece about the firing of Lynn Ribolini last spring for the Times Argus newspaper and have reflected on the process of hiring new boys and girls basketball coaches for this season ever since. Unless you are part of the rumor mill or have a kid playing at MHS you have no idea of who the coaches are or how they were chosen for the job. Transparency is not part of the new direction employed by the new athletic directors at MHS. The outgoing principal has a lot to do with this considering that the new atheltic directors are truly puppies at the job and need direction and help. They are both talented and inexperienced. They will eventually do their jobs well but without knowing the MHS sports culture and expectations they are at an disadvantage and have to HOPE they ae doing what is expectated. Lynn Ribolini had years of success and experience and he didn’t know what was expected of him. Eventually he was fired. Anyway, who are these new coaches and what are their goals for improving the basketball programs at MHS? The first games of the season begin next week and I’m excited to see how MHS players compete. I’m excited to see both Sweeneys return to the court after dealing with knee problems. The new uniform might include a knee brace. Anyway, I’m back and will fill you in on what’s happening on the MHS sports scene as well as other Central Vermont teams that I favor. I hope you’ll respond with your ideas and updates. – LATER!

PROFILE: Dick Rouelle, President of Go Heaves, Inc.

Dick Rouelle attends his 100th consecutive Vermont Frost Heaves game.

Dick Rouelle is the current President of GO Heaves, Inc. He’s a native Vermonter and lives in Calais. He has gone to every Frost Heaves game in the past 3 years, home and away, and tonight was his 100 game! Actually, he’s been to a lot more Heaves games than that but 100 consecutive games in three years is outstanding! More than just a fan!

SIDE NOTE: Fran Voigt, father of Heaves championship coach Will Voigt, attended the game with a guest. Her name is Blanche and she may be the oldest Justice of the Peace in Vermont. She is a huge sports fan and at age 98 still attends local games at the AUD and in her hometown of Cabot.

Below Dick is mingling with the crowd during half time of the Saint John Mill Rats game. A poster with pictures of places Dick has attended games, a huge cake shared with the fans and a 106-103 victory over the Mill Rats punctuated the celebration night for Rouelle.

Dick Rouelle attends his 100th consecutive Frost Heaves game.

Where Have All the Fans Gone?

Saturday afternoon I went to a Montpelier High varsity girls basketball game against a strong southern team, Mill River, in the Lenny Drew Gym. The MHS girls were disappointed because they lost but they showed heart and grit. If they could only shoot. They’ll get better as the season continues and it’s a treat to watch them play. Great bunch of kids!

I was disappointed in the atmosphere and lack of fans. The student section had 7 people in the stands. Behind the players bench there were two families – a total of 6 people. 14 people in 4 sections of bleachers that could easily seat 200! The “parents” section may have had 35 people in it. The biggest group of fans could be found in the visitors section. 40-50 people must have driven up from Mill River to watch their girls play an impressive game.

Why? Where have the fans gone?

Things sure have changed over the years. It wasn’t too long ago the stands would have been full of screaming fans and players would have been charged with excitement.

What’s happened? Why aren’t students showing up to support teams? Where are the crowds?

I have a couple of thoughts about it but I’m an old dog so like the kids I can easily be ignored. Anyway, here are my thoughts. The idea of a school community is being redefined by students, teachers and adminstrators.

Coaches generally are not teachers. They don’t have direct daily contact with students that teaching-coaches had in the past. Today’s coaches, show up, coach and are gone. Job done!

Inschool promotion of activies doesn’t happen at the level of the past. When was the last all school rally introducing the teams and players and pumping kids about upcoming games?

There’s a Boster Club. What are they doing to help get fans in the gym and develop a sense of community?

It is rare to see more than a couple of teachers at games or other school events like dances, concerts, art shows. Like coaches many teachers come to school, do their jobs and go home. In the past teachers and coaches of fall and spring sports attended winter games and supported “their” students.

These are just a few of my thoughts on why the fans are gone. What are your thoughts?

Injuries: When is it OK to play?

Kreitzberg Arena in Northfield Vermont

My first coaching assignment was in 1967 as a downhill, jumping and cross-country ski coach for girls and boys at Community High in Fort Kent Maine. I was fresh out of college and other than being a college athlete and certified teacher, I knew nothing about coaching. I read books, went to clinics and coached at camps for years and the biggest problem I had as a coach was knowing when a player was ready to get back to competing. Years later I still felt I didn’t know enough about injuries.

In 1984 I decided to take a sabbatical and learn all I could about athletic training, injury prevention and management. I spent the summer at Montclair State in New Jersey with their athletic trainers and in the classroom learning modalities, prevention and taping techniques. I spent the winter as an intern or volunteer at Green Mountain Physical Therapy where I was a goofer but had the opportunity to pick some incredible trainers brains. They helped me create a plan for helping players with injuries. What I learned most was what NOT to do when it comes to treating an injury. I also learn what to do if a player wants to return to play.

This is a long winded way of getting to the point but for over 30 years I’ve advocated for a trainer at Montpelier High. I have never found an Athletic Director, Principal or School Board member in Montpelier that has showed any support for this position.

Saturday a Montpelier girls basketball player returned to competitive play after breaking a bone in her leg during a soccer game a few weeks earlier. She spent weeks on crutches and met with her doctor plus doing some therapy. Saturday she played for a few minutes in a scrimmage against Twinfield and reinjuried her leg after a couple minutes of play.

At what point are athletes allowed to compete after and injury? Who decides? Obviously it’s up to the coach but how does he/she make that decision?

Ask the player? Ask the parents? Get a note from the doctor? Is there a policy in place to guide coaches making those decisions?

Regardless of how the coach makes the decision, it is rarely made with true knowledge about injuries. It’s rare that a coach has the expertise in atheltic training. I’ve watched coaches wrap ankles, knees, wrists etc. and violate every rule of protective modality. I see players taping players.

At Montpelier High players are put in situations that the personnel dealing with their injuries lack the knowledge to help or prevent further injury regardless of intentions. It happens time and again. Players return to competition too early.

MHS needs to hire an athletic trainer to not only assit coaches with injuries but help players learn how to train to prevent injury. Athletic Trainers can be an integral part of the curriculm by teaching courses on nutrition and fitness as well as attending contests and assisting injuried players. Spaulding, Harwood and U32 all have full time athletic trainers. They make a huge difference in players health and safety!

Some comments from decision makers at MHS about hiring a trainer:

We have fireman at football games. Why do we need a trainer?
Kids have insurance!
It’s up to the parents to let their kid play after an injury.

Do you think we need a athletic trainer at MHS?

 

Cross-town Rivalry is Dead

When I first started teaching and coaching in Montpelier back in the 70′s the MHS-Spaulding rivalry was fantastic. Great competition, wild fans and the overflow energy would last until the next game. Local media hyped the events and we had great coverage of the games with profiles, interviews, photos and articles that recaptured every highlight and delivered the emotion of the competition.

MHS was running double sessions of classes because of the large number of students (1400) and U32 was born. Area towns started sending middle and high school students to U32. So a new triangular rivalry began but Spaulding remained the rivalry for MHS into the 80′s and 90′s. I remember one group of SHS girl basketball players that would crash our MHS team dinners. They would sneak over to my house and press their noses against the window to watch us eat before the big game. We always invited them in for dessert and then the next day tried to kick their butts on the court. Great friends, great memories!

Times have changed! MHS (declining enrollment) has moved to DIII in basketball and Spaulding remains DI. This year there is no MHS-SHS girls basketball game. The cross-town rivalry is dead.

Given all the history and the small fact that the schools are only 10 minutes apart, why is it happening? You can’t cry money because traveling to Barre is a money saver compared to a trip to North Country. MHS hasn’t posted it’s winter sports schedule yet so I can’t highlight the long trips they take. If things are as usual we should see the MHS schedule about mid-season. I’m guessing the loss of SHS games it has to do with the AD’s and personal preferences of the coaches.

Spaulding does play Randolph (DIII) but not MHS. Why?

Spaulding used to play MHS in girls hockey – no longer. Why?

Most teams pack the schedule at the beginning of the season with non-conference games and you see some routs but you also see some amazing games. I remember when Spaulding was having a tough year and came in the MHS gym with a record of 1-12. Montpelier was 12-3. The game went into overtime and the place was rock’n! You never know how a game will turn out given the rivalry and the pre-game prep.

Press coverage of local games has changed along with the loss of this great rivalry. You see more and more “Staff Reports” and less pre-game articles building the game of the week.

Why do you think the MHS-SHS rivalry is dead?

Harassment or Just Trash Talk?

Fall sports are in high gear and local teams are very competitive. So are the fans. During the summer Montpelier School Board was presented a “new” Athletic Handbook which was aimed at improving communication and making expectations clear about behavior of fans and players during games. So what has changed? Parents, players and coaches now have a comprehensive document that outlines all aspects of sport at MHS. That’s about all that’s changed. What is needed now is for people with strong positive energy to put that document into action before it gathers dust on shelves around town.

The first major incident of the season occurred during a boys soccer game between Lyndon Institute and Montpelier. Players began trash talking during the contest and it escalated into a Montpelier player verbally attacking (racial/ethnic in nature) an Asian player from Lyndon. We’ll never know who said what or how the exchange escalated into harassment but it did and it’s absolutely wrong. The Montpelier District Handbook, the MHS Athletic Handbook and the Vermont Principals Association Guidelines all have addressed Hazing and Harassment. I’m sure Lyndon Institute does as well. Big deal! It’s great that we have all this stuff on paper but does that change the climate or improve fan and player behavior. Apparently not.

So, what are people doing about it? Coaches and Athletic Directors have talked with the teams and players. The MHS player was suspended for a couple of games. So maybe this little lesson will serve as an example of what you shouldn’t do but it’s all after the fact. MHS needs to start cleaning up it’s house because it’s getting messy. Even a game official commented that he doesn’t like Montpelier and it has to do with the fans and players behavior. It needs to be addressed. It needs to change.

What are the lessons being taught? I watch teams come onto the field and always notice the team with the most discipline. Do they look like a team? Do they act like a team? Usually they are the ones that perform the best and have the most fun. When they leave the field what does the bench area look like? How do they leave the bus after the trip? Is it a mess? What does the locker room look like after a game? All this stuff shows the amount of class a team has and you will see it in their performance.

Montpelier has a big job to do this year to improve fan and player behavior. It’s time to start paying more attention to the values and expectations outlined in the handbooks. Start with coaches meetings. Collect their ideas and put those ideas to work. Add some student rallies to develop school pride and maybe create enthusiasm through Booster Club activities.

Get creative! Get involved! Do something! These are our kids and I’m sure we’re not helping them by allowing bad behaviors.

Who Cares About non-Athletes?

This has been one of my pet peeves for years! The educational environment in most towns is created to educate children and provide opportunity to excel and grow. Theater, music, clubs, and of course sports. Why is it that we have created elaborate handbooks and policies that support and regulate student-athletes? Most communities require players to maintain a certain academic standing in order to play. They must sign training rules swearing to avoid drugs and alcohol in order to play. Oh, some schools actually say the rules begin with the teams first practice and end after the last contest or practice. That gives athletes a window between sports to be like all other students. (Message: It’s OK to get busted out of season.) Most schools have serious consequences for breaking training rules during the season. Some schools even break it down to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd offenses with a variety of complicated conditions. Vermont Principals Association has guidelines for each sport.

All of this brings me to my current “pet peeve” about Athletics Handbooks. Why is it we only seem to care about the student-athlete? Why aren’t we trying as hard to help ALL our students learn the value lessons outlined for the athlete? Co-curricular, interscholastic competition (debate, spelling, one-act plays . . .), music festivals, foreign trips, clubs, etc. do not have the same expectations that we place on athletes to help them learn and grow. I feel we should apply a high standard of participation and behavior to all students in all aspects of the educational community. A student caught drinking at a party can attend the school dance, participate in spring concert but an athlete has consequences and special attention is given to helping him/her figure it out and do better. Why can’t we help ALL our students with the same level of commitment and caring?

Academic Privacy

Recently I’ve been working with the MHS Athletic Council creating a new handbook that outlines the mission, objectives and goals for sport at Montpelier High. The discussions have been interesting and the new handbook should be helpful to everyone involved in sport, especially parents. The handbook will be presented to the school board sometime in early June and, hopefully, new policies concerning fan behavior and expectations for athletes will be approved. I can’t go into details until we have presented to the board but I will explain one fact that was an eye-opener for me. It has to do with students rights and academic privacy. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) has been around since 1974. It is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. How this law is interpreted and applied has changed significantly over the years. When I was coaching in the 80′s, I would check with my players regularly about their school work. I would check with teachers and create structures that helped the “student-athlete” manage their time and do as well in school as on the playing field. Total involvement worked and players knew that coaches and teachers were there to help in the classroom and on the field.

Today MHS coaches are not allowed to access student-athlete information without violating FERPA. They can get information about eligibility from the AD but can not actually help students with academics to prevent ineligibility. The days of coaches helping players avoid academic suspension by showing an interest in their school work is gone. Even though coaches have signed a professional contract with Montpelier Public Schools and are required to uphold the schools mission, they are limited to coaching their sport. They are not to address the academic parts of the district mission statement. The term “student-athlete” is now defined separately; students by teachers – athletes by coaches. The single most important reason for spending money on sport is to give students opportunities to work together and achieve their goals: strive for excellence, work collaboratively, solve problems, blah, blah, blah . . .

Student progress is important! Avoiding academic problems is important! Athletics are important. I feel separating the two is a huge loss for our so-called “student-athletes.” Fragmenting education into little pigeon holes of achievement does not help develop a well-rounded individual. Factory education, universal sameness and false accountability are the new corner stones of modern education and the student-athlete now is a misnomer.

SHS Girls Hockey vs BFA-St. Albans Fans

The Spaulding girls hockey team was one of my favorite teams this year. Not only were they fun to watch because of their incredible style of play but also because they were classy athletes. They didn’t back down from anyone and always displayed a high level of competitive spirit while showing respect for their opponent. They knew how to have fun and win! They were unlucky during the championship game last Friday at Kreitzberg Arena in Northfield against BFA-St. Albans. They dominated play throughout the game. It was the kind of game that one mistake might win it. BFA scored the only goal on a power play. BFA girls were tough and never backed off even though they did not get many very good chances to score. Their freshman goalie was incredible! She was very aware of everything and quick to anticipate Spaulding’s attacks. It got a little heated toward the end and a couple of players from both teams stopped playing hockey for a bit and let their tempers take over with some shoving and pushing. The refs called it roughing and gave them penalties. It was a great game.

BFA-St. Albans fans on the other hand were anything but classy! They demonstrated some of the worst fan behavior I have seen in sport. They began by chanting in fun and were noisy during the game. They had a lot of enthusiasm and it added to the game until the end. Once the horn blew ending the game the BFA fans started pelting the Spaulding girls hockey team with mardi gras beads they were wearing around their necks. They taunted them with looser comments and general insults.

Why would any group of kids be so out of bounds toward a team that was suffering such a huge loss? Why weren’t they celebrating with their own team that had just won the championship?

I was standing next to some BFA parents, adults and I believe the Athletic Director. I commented on the rude behavior and they just watched smiling. Mixed emotions I’m sure. They were smiling but I’m not sure at what – the win or the behavior. Probably both. I didn’t get a chance to see how the winning coaches reacted but I’m hoping they would have been appalled by it all. I certainly was. It did not reflect the winning teams efforts and great season. It totally changed my attitude toward BFA-St. Albans. I used to take my basketball teams to St. Albans to scrimmage in pre-season. Jim Bashaw was the BFA coach at the time and I have always had a lot of respect for BFA because of him. He is missed-RIP. They need people like Jim to turn their reputation around because right now it stinks!

Whistles & fan behavior

The Montpelier – U32 boys basketball game Wednesday night was exciting full of twists and turns. U32 dominated the defensive end and controlled rebounding all game long. Neither team can shoot the ball. Basic fundamentals just aren’t there. Actually all of Central Vermont players, girls or boys, lack a pure shooter that can stop and pop a simple 10-12 footer.

Anyway, the MHS vs U32 game changes at the 3 minute mark when Nate Smith hit a three pointer and the refs stopped the game (3+ minutes) because of fan interference (whistle). How would the game have ended if MHS had the opportunity to press U32 immediately after that 3 pt shot! We’ll never know but my hunch is it would have been a more exciting game if it had continued without fan interference! Somehow we need to get fans to better understand the game and participate without interfering with the result! Fans and parents are not the players and need to play their game without effecting the outcome. Inside the lines or Outside the lines. Where is the game really played? Lately it’s been more outside the lines . . .

Beyond the Score

Welcome to BEYOND THE SCORE! A Central Vermont Sports blog. We’ll share stories about local players and awesome plays of the week. We’ll also plug in some general opinion about sport and the joy of competing. We hope you’ll add your thoughts and ideas.