All-Stars Should Win with Class, Not Crass
CALLER 1: I want to join the chorus of praise for the Hollister American 9- and 10-year-old All-Star team which recently won the Northern California championship. The coaches were organized, disciplined and fair; the parents were respectful and supportive; and the kids made our whole town proud with their outstanding efforts.
The only downside to their run, however, was the use of the slogan “H-A-K-A” (Hollister American Kicks Ass), which they would chant as a team after a game. Some parents and coaches wrote “HAKA” on their cars.
Call me a prude, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for adults to encourage 9- and 10-year-olds to use a slogan that contains the A-word or any vulgarity (however innocent it may seem), much less chant it on the field after a game. A kid of any age who said the A-word at school would get detention, at the least. This team wasn’t the first to use “H-A-K-A,” it just borrowed it from previous Hollister American all-star teams.
I hope this group of kids, coaches and parents has continued success – and I’m sure it will. The adults involved just need to remember that these are kids, not teenagers, who are representing Hollister and YOUTH sports. They are good enough that they don’t need to motivate kids with the A-word.
GREEN PHONE: Well put, Caller 1. Winning with class, not crass should be the lasting mark of a true champion. If you’re good enough, why rub it in? Let your play do the talking. For the Hollister-American 9-10 All-Stars, their superior play on the field said enough right there.
CALLER 2: Hi, just weighing in on the Niners and the Kevan Barlow controversy. Can you believe that guy is so stunned he was shipped out of town?! And to compare Nolan to Hitler?!?! What is he thinking about? He just needs to shut up.
You got traded, Barlow, because you were never worth that big contract you signed. Have fun in the Big Apple. Good riddance.
GREEN PHONE: We’re just glad the 49ers feel they’re strong enough at a particular position to make that kind of trade, Caller 2. Nolan is still cleaning up his predecessors’ mess, so for now, the Green Phone is still cutting him plenty of slack. But if we don’t seem at least two more Ws this year, Nolan himself will start to come under fire from more people than just a disgruntled running back.
