I am writing this letter to ask for your help in setting a goal
of within three years having the Haybalers play for a section
championship in boys’ soccer. Our girls’ team is already on the
verge of this.
How have they and other local teams like Gilroy, Watsonville,
Santa Cruz and Live Oak reached the point of being ranked in the
CCS? These towns and teams are no different than Hollister. They
have similar kids and facilities. In fact many of your children
have played soccer against them for many years in youth
leagues.
I am writing this letter to ask for your help in setting a goal of within three years having the Haybalers play for a section championship in boys’ soccer. Our girls’ team is already on the verge of this.
How have they and other local teams like Gilroy, Watsonville, Santa Cruz and Live Oak reached the point of being ranked in the CCS? These towns and teams are no different than Hollister. They have similar kids and facilities. In fact many of your children have played soccer against them for many years in youth leagues.
Why is it that a gap opens up by the time we get to high school? I believe there are five things that we must improve upon to get our kids to that level. All of them involve the word commitment.
First: We must recognize that soccer is not a “second class” sport, nor is it an ethnic sport. My daughters played city rec seven on seven soccer and I saw kids, parents, coaches and referees of every walk of life. There are people all over the world of every race, color, religion and ethnic origin who play soccer. It is the most widely played sport in the world and certainly one of the best for you physically. There are many schools where soccer is the marquee sport. What separates them from us? I believe it’s commitment.
Second: We must make the same “commitment” to the soccer team as people would for the football team, basketball team, girls volleyball team or other team sports. My hats are off to the eight boys who played against Gilroy on Saturday, and they will be the foundation for the future of Baler soccer, but where were the other kids?
Could you imagine what would happen if 30 percent of the football players didn’t show up for a game, or the point guard on the basketball team, or the setter on the volleyball team?
There would be severe consequences and most of them would be from the kids themselves. And all parties would support those consequences. Why? Because in those sports the athletes, coaches and parents have set and accepted the expectations for kids to be there, and generally the athletes “police” each other. They have almost a “fox hole” commitment to the other players on their team.
The Gilroy and Watsonville soccer teams have this, our girls’ team has this, our boys need to get this.
Third: We must make the commitment that academics, character development, and personal growth and development are more important than athletic accomplishments.
This season our boys’ team tied Live Oak 0-0, lost a heartbreaker to Gilroy 3-2 and beat North Salinas 6-0. They were 1-1-1 athletically at a crossroads. They lost 1-0 to Salinas, 2-0 to Palma, 2-1 to Live Oak. Athletically, they were discouraged, and “came apart” against Gilroy.
However if their priorities had been in the areas listed above, they could have stayed together and still been “successful.”
These goals transcend winning and losing on the field, because they create winners in life, which is most important. The goal of every kid, coach and parent who plays boys’ soccer at San Benito High School should be to leave that team at the end of the season a better person, academically, socially, athletically and morally, and should have a vision of going to college.
Fourth: We must make being a varsity soccer player for the Balers to the the pinnacle of soccer in San Benito County.
Adult leagues and club teams have a role, but they should not be the pinnacle. They have a very serious flaw: eligibility.
To play at the high school you must have at least a 2.0 G.P.A., (our girls’ team averages a 3.6, the boys’ team a 2.16,) you must also be behaviorally eligible, (no detention or suspensions), and have to take a physical exam, have proof of insurance, and owe no fees or book bills. Club coaches, city rec, the high school – all of us must make it clear that practice is mandatory and that we need to eliminate excuses. Youth coaches and rec league coaches need to become as concerned about your players’ grades and behavior as you are about their talent.
Fifth: As athletic director, I can tell you that I am committed to the sport of soccer. It is the only sport I will let my own children play before they get to high school. We are playing the games at the stadium, under the lights.
Financially we’re supporting the teams. The players have transportation to their games, we’re trying to have a youth soccer clinic this spring and we have proposed a synthetic turf field. The team has quality uniforms. The coaches are making a commitment to being there every day through good weather and bad, and throughout the season have stayed positive and always praised the kids in the media. We need to support them by elevating the sport of soccer.
Help us elevate our boys’ soccer program by having your sons “make a commitment” to their team, their sport, their school and their future.
To help or if you have suggestions, please call me at 637-5831, ext. 350.
Randy Logue is the athletic director at San Benito High School.
