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Text Box: The Longhorn Tale

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Text Box: “Value of Extracurricular Activities” Recently I had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Steve Tasker of Leoti, KS and the Buffalo Bills. He spoke on the lifelong lessons he has taken from being involved in activities, whether it was a school play, athletic team or school organization. He stated that he would rather have been involved in the activity and never played than to never have had the opportunity to experience the process of being a part of a team I spent a large portion of my life being involved in athletics and had the opportunity to continue that experience as a coach for a number of years. I also now have a son who is playing college football and learning the lessons associated with increased expectations and goals at that level. As a father, I have always tried to emphasize the process and the experience over the value placed on “starting” or starring”. Students involved in activities learn many rules which will guide them throughout their adult life. They learn how to function as a part of a team or organization and the parts or roles that we must all assume if the unit or group is to be successful. Every activity has roles which have to be filled and they are not all glorious or get printed in the newspaper. However, our children learn how to successfully function in society or in the job force when they feel value for their performance in these roles and therefore contribute to the success or failure of their team or group. When I coached at Smith Center, we had 80(+) students involved in football and there was no way they were all going to start or even see significant playing time. The kids knew however, that if they stayed in the program they would be a part of a successful program and they would have a chance to win a starting position as a senior. I was amazed at the fact that the boys enjoyed the competition and it meant a lot to them when they won a starting job because they knew that they had put the time and effort in to earning it. It made them feel good and they learned that hard work yields its own rewards now and in their later life. The community understood this mentality and worked to propagate it because in a farming community with little industry, life was not easy and a solid work ethic would serve their boys well. The success of this philosophy is evident in the number of state championships they have accumulated in the last ten (+) years. It is our function as parents to point out the lessons of life which arise as our children progress through their school career. The first lesson is that the rules are for all of us and the equitable enforcement of these rules are a valid expectation. It is a shock when we “stub our toe”, so to speak and the rules and consequences are applied to our own. It is at that moment when our children look to us for advice. The best advice I ever received from my father was that if I break the rule- be ready

Text Box: for the consequence and face it head on. He was not sympathetic, nor do I remember him coming to my defense. He did however teach me to be my own man and shoulder my burden that for the most part was self inflicted. I appreciate those lessons now because as I have progressed through life, I realize that rules never go away whether it is at the job, in society, or on the field. I have learned to operate within the established parameters and find ways to be productive and successful. Coaches are a special breed and I can relate to a small stipend for a whole lot of headaches and being the subject of everyone’s second guessing. They are usually some of either the smartest or most ignorant people in the community and this classification can change at a moment’s notice. All jokes aside, I appreciate those people who take time from their own family to coach or sponsor our children. I have always taught my boys as I was instructed which sometimes was harsh, but usually true and that is to be “coachable”. Listen, learn and react in a positive manner to the philosophy and instruction you are given. It is no different in life when we are expected to perform or sometimes change the way we do things. A good friend of mine had a son who went to K-State to play football and the first couple of weeks in Manhattan, his son called and wanted to come home. He was upset that the coaches yelled at him and did not always treat him kindly. His father was a coach and told him that when they stop getting on you and stop having expectations for your level of play- then you have a problem because they have given up on you. He went on to love the experience and was an All Big 8 player. It was a tough lesson but a valuable one that resulted from a change in mindset and a reframing of the problem. Sometimes we are asked to do things for the good of the team and it is at that moment when you know that you have it so to speak when you do it without question. We had a two time All State QB in Smith Center that we considered moving to a guard as a sophomore because we needed help on the line. He practiced there and never uttered a cross word. I know that this was not his desire but he would do it if asked to do so. Luckily, we did not have to do it, but I remember as coaches the amount of respect that we had for that kid who put his own accolades on hold in order to help the team. In Holcomb we have the luxury of having good programs and our kids have success. This is a great situation and a huge plus for our school and community, but let us not lose sight of the little things that bring continued success or get you to the next level of success. People who take care of the little things in life, reap the associated rewards. These lessons of extracurricular participation play a role in molding our students into productive adults who know the value of being contributors and productive.

Text Box: From the Longhorn Corral Robert O’Connor, Superintendent