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Sparkman Legacy Began in Jefferson County

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When you write about past things, you never know what memories it might invoke in the minds of people.

 In a recent article about Waurika track, one of the outstanding athletes mentioned was Hurschel Sparkman, an outstanding hurdler for the Eagles in the 1930’s.

 A cousin of Sparkman made a point to reach out and share a few more stories about this family that had deep roots in Jefferson County.

 Hurschel was one of two boys born to Frederick and Willie Pearl Glazner Sparkman. The other brother was named Carl, who was born in 1918. The family also had a sister, Theda. They made their home in Ryan, but moved to Waurika at some point before Theda was born in 1922.

 All three siblings eventually ended up in Great Bend, Kansas, with the two boys heading there about the same time – probably in the early 1940’s.

 The family was known for strict discipline and one summer evening Carl tested that discipline of his father and it resulted in Carl taking off that night and running eight miles in the dark to his grandparents that lived near Ryan.

 Carl ended up graduating from Ryan High School. He followed his brother to Great Bend and became a businessman, insurance salesman and entrepreneur having founded Sparkman Aerial Photography.

 In 2010, Carl passed away in Hutchinson, Kansas, which had been his home for a number of years. He was less than a month short of his 92nd birthday at the time of his death.

 Carl had two sons, Dean and Gene, who is a well-known artist. Gene held art shows up and down the east coast and makes his home in Maryland.

 

Dean, who currently is a resident of Hudson, Wisconsin was a successful businessman as well, but also served as a lobbyist and worked for Elizabeth Dole lobbying for some of her causes at one time.

 Carl, or Sparky as he was known in his younger days, also ran track at Ryan, but results from that time for the Cowboys are scarce.

 Hurschel, who carried the nickname “Speedy”, was one of the stars of the Waurika track dynasty in the 1930’s and much of his success is well-documented.

 The older Sparkman won both hurdles races at the OU Invitational in 1935 and that was considered the state championship at the time. His time in the 120 high hurdles at the OU meet set a meet record and was the fastest time in the United States that season among high school thinclads.

 He also won the 200 yard low hurdles at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) a week later.

 In 1936, Hurschel continued to dominate the hurdles’ events. He repeated as champion in the 200 low hurdles and 120 high hurdles at OU and helped Waurika earn the team title that season.

 At the 1936 Oklahoma A&M meet, he won the 220 low hurdles and helped the 880 and mile relay teams claim first place.

 Later that fall in 1936, Hurschel scored three touchdowns in Waurika’s 71-0 rout of rival Ringling.

 Hurschel went on to run track at Oklahoma A&M.

 Hurschel was not the only Waurika native that made a mark on track success of Oklahoma A&M. R.V. Wright, also an accomplished hurdler at Waurika, was a star for the Aggies and eventually was named the Aggies’ freshman track coach in 1940 after completing his collegiate career.

 One of Hurschel’s dreams was to compete in the Olympics. In 1936, he competed while still a high school student at Waurika in the regional Olympic tryouts and he finished second in the 120 high hurdles. The winner of the race advanced to a semifinal competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 However, in that day, competitors trying to fulfill that dream had to pay their own way and Hurschel’s dreams were quickly dashed as he could not afford the expense it would take to earn a spot and then actually travel and compete in the Olympics.

 When Hurschel made his way to Great Bend, he actually hopped on a freight train that was departing Waurika.

 The area was good to Hurschel as he eventually married and had four children – Randy, Tommy, Mike and Carla. He retired as an engineer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad after 33 years of service.

 Hurschel was a veteran who served in the U.S. army during World War II. He died in 1983 in Great Bend.

 While the Sparkman family made more of a mark in central Kansas, it all started in Jefferson County.

 NOTE: Thanks to Waurika News-Journal/The Ryan Leader reader Ramona Bryant who provided some of the information for this article. She is a cousin to the Sparkman boys and resided near Ryan for many years. She is currently a resident of Duncan.

Joe Allen Named New Eagle Football, Baseball Mentor

 Joe Allen was selected recently as the 38th head football coach in school history at Waurika High School.

Allen will not only be the grid mentor, but will also serve as the head baseball coach for the Eagles next spring.

 “I am really excited about coming to Waurika not just because of the job opportunities, but because my wife teaches at Waurika, we live here and my kids go to school here,” said Allen in a recent interview.

Allen, a 2009 graduate of Cameron University and a 2004 Ryan High School graduate, is looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build on the success Waurika has had in football the past couple of years.

For the past four seasons Allen has been the head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Walters High School. He guided the Blue Devils to one district title in baseball in the four seasons.

“The big selling point for the job was of course my family, but also the kind of athletes they had coming up at Waurika,” said Allen. “I was happy at Walters, so it had to be the right job for me to leave there.”

Allen began his coaching career as a lay coach for the Duncan High School baseball team for two years.

He became the head baseball coach at Rush Springs for two seasons before moving to Temple in 2013 to become the head football coach and head baseball coach for the Tigers.

It was his only season as a head football coach and he guided the Tigers to a 4-5 mark before the opportunity came to move over to Walters.

“Football and baseball were always neck and neck for me even when I was a little kid,” noted Allen when asked which sport was his favorite.

 Allen has not yet had an opportunity to meet with the football team, but is looking forward to getting together with them in the near future.

“Being in the area and living here in Waurika I have known the kind of athletes they have,” said Allen in reflecting on his new challenge.

“They have been really competitive in junior high and what I have been impressed with is they have a number of athletes that I have heard are willing to work hard to improve,” said Allen.

While the timing of his hiring did not allow him to get involved with Waurika’s summer league baseball team, he did see the squad in action in their final summer league game at Comanche.

Allen will take over for former Waurika football and baseball coach Glenn Howard, who moves over to Wilson to become an assistant for the Eagles.

“I was glad they had a team because it is hard to get a team together in many of the smaller communities around,” Allen said

Allen was an outstanding athlete during his high school career at Ryan. He excelled in football, baseball and track.

In the 2003 season football season Allen was the starting quarterback on the Cowboys’ semifinal squad that finished 9-4. He threw for 1,113 yards and connected for 11 touchdowns. He also contributed 553 yards rushing.

During his junior season for the Cowboy football squad Allen snared seven interceptions, which was the third most in the state among eight-man schools. He was also named to The Duncan Banner’s all-area football team.

Allen was a ringleader on the 2003 baseball squad that earned a district title – one of only three district titles for the Cowboys since 2000.

In track, Allen was a state track meet qualifier in the high jump in both 2003 and 2004 and was the Southern Eight Conference high jump champion in 2004.

Allen is married to the former Magen Wright of Ryan and she is currently a teacher in the Waurika Public Schools. They have three children with the oldest entering first grade at Waurika this fall.

Individuals Led To Waurika’s Track Excellence During The 30’s

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Track is one of those sports where team and individual performances are tied together.

 A string of strong individual showings in a few events can go a long way in helping a team earn a meet title.

 At Waurika in the decade of the 1930’s there was no shortage of outstanding individual performances.

 A number of these individuals for the Eagles went on to participate in track in college. Or, track played a role in them earning a spot on collegiate football squads.

 Results for the first four years of the decade are scarce, but a few performers can be identified as standouts for the Eagles.

 In 1930, Charles Rhoades was a ringleader for the Eagle squads. He won the conference title in the pole vault and placed in the 440-yard dash, the mile run, the long jump, the javelin and the 880 in the county meet held at Ryan that year. He aided the Eagles to earn a team title over the Cowboys.

 Rhoades was the champion at the 1931 county meet in the 440 and he placed in the 100, 200 and the pole vault as Waurika earned the team title.

 One of the standouts during the 1932, 1933 and 1934 track seasons was Tillie Roach. He went on to give up track and play football at the University of Tulsa.

 Roach was the conference champion in the 120 high hurdles at the conference meet in 1932 and he placed in the same event as well as the 200 yard dash at the OU Invitational.

 Another outstanding performer for the Eagles beginning in 1933 was R.V. Wright. He won the 120 high hurdles at OU and had the best time in the state in that event at 16.1. He went on to star in track at Oklahoma A&M, where in 1939 he was the team captain for the Aggie track squad.

 R.V. Wright also ran in an invitation only 120 high hurdles race during halftime of the 1939 Sugar Bowl football game.

 He was also part of the seven-man team that was so successful in 1934. Roach was on this squad along with Roscoe Long, Tubby Daniel, Elmer Wright, Fuzzy Fowler and Hurschel Sparkman.

 The mile relay team of Roach, R.V. Wright, Long and Daniels was the conference champion in the mile relay with a time of 3:33.7.

 Sparkman won the 220 low hurdles, while Daniel won the 440 and Fowler earned the title in the mile run and the 880.

 In the 120 high hurdles, R.V. Wright set a meet record in winning the race, while Sparkman and Roach were second and third respectively. Elmer Wright rounded out the meet champions with a first place finish in the discus.

 Elmer Wright eventually went on to a track career at Connors State in Warner.

 At the OU meet in 1934, Roach was the 220 yard low hurdles and R.V. Wright finished second and Sparkman was third. R.V. Wright also earned the title in the 120 yard high hurdles.

 Fowler was a meet champion at OU in the 880 and the mile run and Elmer Wright was the champion in the discus, setting a meet record in the process.

 In 1935, fewer results are available, but Sparkman began to establish himself as an outstanding hurdler. He won both the 200 low hurdles and the 120 high hurdles at the OU meet that season and set meet records along the way. Sparkman eventually went on to run track at Oklahoma A&M.

 Sparkman, Fowler and Long returned for the 1936 track season.

 Sparkman continued to dominate the hurdles events, while Fowler won the mile run in every meet he participated in during the 1936 season.

 Jackie Taylor, who became an outstanding athlete at Waurika, began to make his mark during the 1936 season. Taylor earned a runner up spot in the 220 yard dash and third place in the 440 yard dash at the OU meet.

 At OU that same season, Sparkman won both hurdles’ events and Fowler was a champion in the mile run.

 Those performances spurred Waurika to the team title in 1936 at OU.

 Taylor began to dominate in the sprints during the 1937 track season. He was a county champion in both the 100 and 220 and also the shot put.

 Taylor won three events – the 100, 220 and the 440 – at the OU meet which would be equal to sweeping the state title in three events today, which is rarely done. Taylor also anchored the 888-yard relay to a first-place finish for Waurika at OU.

 Sparkman won the county meet in the 200 low hurdles, but finished second to teammate Rex Lewis in the 120 high hurdles.

 Oral Hairston was a key member of the 1937 squad as he also competed in the hurdles for the Eagles.

 During the 1938 season, Hairston took over for Sparkman in the hurdles and was nearly as dominate. He won the 120 high hurdles at the Southwestern Exposition Invitational at Fort Worth and helped Waurika to the team title.

 Hairston was the top point producer at the 1938 Southern Six Conference meet as he was responsible for 15.25 of Waurika’s title-winning 83.3 points.

 At OU in 1938, Hairston was the champion in the 120 high hurdles and the hop, skip and jump event. He finished third in the 220 low hurdles.

 Hairston finished out his career at Waurika in 1939. He was the conference champion in the 200-yard low hurdles and finished third in the 120 high hurdles. He also won the pole vault that season at the conference meet. Waurika won the 1939 conference title in overwhelming fashion.

 These men and a number of others were the people responsible for Waurika becoming the “track capitol of Oklahoma” during the decade of the 1930’s.

Green All-Stars Roll to 56-8 Victory Over White Team in Eight-Man Game

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Ryan eight-man all-stars and cheerleaders are pictured with Ryan principal and Cowboy assistant football coach Tony Tomberlin (center) at the end of last Saturday’s eight-man all-star game in Miami. Pictured are, from left to right, Laken DeBoard, Joseph Martin, Coach Tomberlin, Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Holland Carter (photo provided).

…Local gridders on the wrong side of the scoreboard

 It was a tough evening for four Jefferson County football stars last Saturday evening in Miami at the Oklahoma Eight-Man Coaches Association All-Star game held at Northeastern A&M’s Red Robertson Field.

 But, the 56-8 loss by the White team, which featured players from Waurika and Ryan, did not dampen the experiences of the week for Seth Cathey of Waurika and Ryan standouts Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Joseph Martin.

 Martin was a late addition to the White squad and was able to join his two teammates for most of the week’s festivities.

In addition, two Ryan cheerleaders, Laken DeBoard and Holland Carter, were part of the all-star cheerleading group that performed during the game.

Tomberlin, who was awarded one of 12 scholarships by Oklahoma Farm Bureau during the awards banquet last Friday night, saw action at linebacker on defense.

 Tomberlin also carried the ball three times on offense in the game and accounted for a total of three yards.

(l-r) Dawson Tomberlin, Seth Cathey of Waurika, and Tate Kimbro. Photo by Jennifer Cathey

Kimbro anchored the White’s offensive line at the center position – much like he did through most of his high school career for the Cowboys, He had a tough assignment most of the night facing a couple of outstanding nose guards on the Green squad.

Martin, the defensive leader on the 2017 edition of the Cowboys, saw action at both defensive end and nose guard.

 Cathey, the Eagles’ lone representative at the game and the team leader on the 2017 playoff team, also saw action at defensive end and nose guard. In the fourth quarter, Cathey was in the White backfield on a number of plays and helped stop the Green’s final two-point conversion try.

The Green team scored on three straight possessions in the first quarter to build a 22-0 advantage.

Ryan eight-man all-stars and cheerleaders are pictured with Ryan principal and Cowboy assistant football coach Tony Tomberlin (center) at the end of last Saturday’s eight-man all-star game in Miami. Pictured are, from left to right, Laken DeBoard, Joseph Martin, Coach Tomberlin, Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Holland Carter (photo provided).

Early in the second quarter the White squad put its only points of the night on the board as Boogie Brown of Dewar capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a one-yard run. Brown caught a pass for the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 22-8.

That would be as close as the White team would get the rest of the night as the Green scored 34 unanswered points over the remainder of the game.  He gained the offensive most valuable player for the White.

The game capped off a five-day stay for the outstanding eight-man footballers in Oklahoma and the players participated in various events throughout the week.

The City of Miami and the Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in partnership with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and the Oklahoma Eight Man Football Coaches Association (OEMFCA) sponsored the festivities.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER – Ryan’s Dawson Tomberlin, front row, second from left, was one of 12 athletes honored at the Oklahoma Eight-Man Coaches Association awards banquet last Friday in Miami. Tomberlin received his award from Oklahoma Farm Bureau. (Photo courtesy Miami News Record)

County Baseball Players in Tournament

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Three athletes of Jefferson County will compete in the Heartland Classic AllStar Game. 

They will be playing this Friday through Sunday at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma.

(l-r) Grayson Tomberlin Ryan High School & Hunter Wesberry and Austin Dyer Waurika HS.

Photo by Steph Wesberry

Cowgirl Standout Honored by State Publication

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Juliet Spangler Photo by Shannon McCord

Ryan High School track and cross country stand out, Juliet Spangler, has been named the Chickasha-Duncan Area Girls Spring Sports Athlete of the Month by VYPE magazine.

The award is sponsored by Arvest Bank.

The honor was determined by on line voting and Spangler received 11,509 votes – well ahead of Bridge Creek soccer star Skyli Lassiter who garnered 8,475 votes.

Spangler was one of four Cowgirls that participated in track this spring and she qualified for state in the 3,200-meters and helped anchor the 3,200-meter relay team that also qualified for the state meet.

Not only was Spangler a key participant on the Cowgirl track squad this past spring, but she also was a member of the Ryan cross country team last fall that became the first team from Ryan to qualify for state in the sport. The Cowgirls were regional runner up in cross country last fall.

Spangler is a four-sport participant for Ryan as she was a starter on the Cowgirl basketball team and the fast-pitch softball squad.

In all four sports, her dad, Steve, is the coach. The Cowgirl athlete credits her family’s support for helping spur her improvement over the course of this past track season in particular.

Spangler is not only an outstanding athlete, but she is also active in academic and other extra-curricular activities. She is a member of the Beta Club, FCCLA club and was an officer for her sophomore class.

“She always puts team ahead of self,” her dad, Steve, told VYPE magazine.

Spangler will be a junior for the Cowgirls next fall.

One More Go-Around For Three Jefferson County Grid Stars

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Two Ryan graduates and one Waurika graduate are set to compete in the annual Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Association’s all-star game in Miami which will feature nearly 80 of the top eight-man seniors from all parts of Oklahoma.

 The contest kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Red Robertson Field. Game tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the gate. Concessions and game day merchandise will be available for purchase.

 This annual event was designed to recognize and honor the finest eight-man football players throughout Oklahoma. Around 3,000 fans from across Oklahoma are expected to attend the game.

 Dawson Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro of Ryan along with Waurika’s Seth Cathey will be competing for the Gold team in the annual showcase of eight-man football talent in Oklahoma.

 In addition two Ryan cheerleaders, Holland Carter and Laken DeBoard will be part of the cheerleader squads for the game.

 Serving as a counselor for the week-long all-star game preparation is Ryan assistant coach Tony Tomberlin.

Coaches for the Gold team include Tipton’s Travis White, Shane Weathers of Coyle, Gus Overstreet of Pioneer, Josh Been of Dewar and Cave Springs’ coach Tom Osburn.

The other participants from District B-4 of which Ryan and Waurika competed this past season are district champ Central High’s T.J. Birdwell and Hayden Cooper.

The Gold team is made up of all-stars from the even numbered districts in both Class B and C, while the Green team is comprised of players from the odd numbered districts in the two eight-man classifications.

This is the 16th year for the city of Miami to host the game. Prior to 2003, the game had been held in Alva since its inception in 1973. The first state champion for eight-man football was crowned in 1959.

Sponsors of the game include the City of Miami, the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and the Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association (OEMFCA).

The players and coaches from around the state arrived in Miami on Tuesday and participated in a full schedule of activities that will lead up to Saturday’s game.

Those activities include a night at the night at the Historic Coleman Theatre, a cook-out in Riverview Park and swimming at the state’s largest municipal pool as well as an evening with hypnotist Joe Comet. The players will team up with the Ottawa County Boys & Girls Club on Friday for an afternoon of bowling at PlayLand Lanes.

Tomorrow night (Friday), the players, coaches and cheerleaders will participate in the annual awards banquet. The OEMFCA and the local organizing committee will award some $11,000 in scholarships for 10 players. The OEMFCA awards an additional $1,000 in scholarships for two of the all-star cheerleaders.

More About the Decline in High School Football Participation

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Participation in 11-man football is on a multi-year decline according to studies done by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

This was mentioned in an earlier article but the issue was mainly looking at what is happening to the sport in relation to population shifts.

Participation in 11-player football was down 25,901 from 2015 to 2016. Just over one million high school students participate in 11-man football.

When you add the other types of high school football – six, eight and nine-player football – participation is still down 25,503.

With 14,099 high schools offering 11-man football, the decrease amounts to fewer than two individuals per school or a 2.5 percent decrease.

Football remains the top participatory sport for boys at the high school level by a large margin – even with the decline. Sports that follow include track and field, basketball, baseball and soccer.

The peak of participation with 11-man football came in 2009. Since that time participation has dropped 4.6 percent, which hardly seems like a big problem.

But, the small decline over a long period of time is not a good sign.

In 2009, 25 percent of boys who played sports were on the football team. Now that number is 23.2 in 2016, which was six-tenths of a percent drop from 2015. That is the sharpest decline in recent memory.

The recent finding of the impact of concussions has both parents and students thinking about participating in football.

But, there are other reasons for the trend of decreased participation in football. Increasing sports specialization has an impact as well as bench players deciding that football requires too much work for so little time on the field.

Some teens are distracted by other things our culture has introduced (social media being the main thing) that cause teens not to want to put forth effort required to be a participant at the high school level.

The decline of football could certainly have an impact on Ryan and Waurika schools. Just visit schools in communities such as Duke and Forgan (former eight-man schools with the latter having had great success) and Velma-Alma (an 11-man school that had to forfeit much of its schedule this past year).

A slow decline may keep football looking healthy on the surface, but there is some rotting underneath.

It is a reminder of a quote from noted author Ernest Hemingway, “How do you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

Hopefully, students in Ryan and Waurika schools will continue to participate in football driven by not only a love of the sport, but also the desire to learn life lessons that participation in sports affords.

Woods and Waters June 7 2018

 As I write this, we are enjoying a fabulous Sunday afternoon with temps in the 80s and moderate winds. Quite a relief from last week – whew! It was flat hot!

 If you haven’t started fishing yet, then you better get going before the summer passes you by. It’s difficult for me not to think about fishing, living next to the Cathey boys and getting many calls a week from Hoot about his most recent lunker bass!

   Well, we have talked about getting our fishing gear ready and cleaned up for the upcoming season and with the current temps , it seems like the time might be here.

   In fact, as I was working on this article, I got a call from Houston Scott and was asked to accompany he and his brother, Lodge, for an afternoon of fishing on some of their ponds. We had a great trip, caught several bass and crappie, with all returned safely back to the water. No monsters but spending an afternoon with two quality young men in the outdoors is hard to beat! They certainly come from “good stock”!

Houston Scott

  Growing up it was different, fishing was such a simple affair back then. A quick trip to the barn or my mother’s flower beds and in a few minutes you would have dug up enough juicy worms to fill up a tin can; it was going to be a good day! It didn’t matter if you were after catfish, perch or anything, they were all suckers for a fresh red worm. A simple cane pole with a hook and cork was all you needed to be masters of the water. We could sit for hours and watch that cork “bob” on the water waiting for that slight twitch which signaled a fish was interested.

  Back then a mess of perch and yellow cats was a good day! My, how things have changed. With thousands of lure and bait options available it’s easy to get lost in the process and sometimes it gets so complicated you feel like you need a degree in fishology, if there is such a thing!

  On a brighter note, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You don’t have to use a cane pole, but they are fun if you haven’t tried them. Just grab your rods and reels, hooks, sinkers and bobbers, if you wish, and some bait. As we mentioned, tried and true worms are hard to beat but if you are after catfish you might add some chicken livers and bait shrimp! I might add if you use bait shrimp be sure to wash your hands well before returning home. Your wife will appreciate it!

  Now that we have everything together let’s head out to our favorite fishing hole, whether a pond, lake or creek it doesn’t matter. This is a great time of year for creek fishing if you don’t mind snakes. A hot day in the shade of a tree while sitting on the creek bank is a pretty good way to spend the afternoon, especially if you have a nice breeze. An occasional bite and the company of a good buddy, like grandkids or your spouse just makes it better.

What a beautiful Monday!

  Fishing should be relaxing and a time of peacefulness and reflection. OK, I’ll admit those days when the sand bass are running, and you’re wearing out a silver jig or small spoon, thinking your arm will fall off from casting so many times are pretty hard to beat. But so is sitting on a quiet pond or creek in the early morning while watching the woods come alive with bird and wildlife – it is hard to beat!

Take a buddy!

  Remember our Saviour, Jesus Christ was the greatest fisherman of all time and he didn’t have a bass boat! Slow down and take time to witness and enjoy all that our Creator has blessed us with and get out and renew your acquaintance with our beautiful Oklahoma outdoors!

  And remember, take someone with you!

Trend of Increased Participation in High School Athletics May Be Changing in the Future

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While the statistics from nearly three decades show increased participation in high school athletics, that trend may be about to change.

An earlier article documented some of the reasons participation has been increasing, but let’s examine the possibility that the trend may reverse in the next few years.

In an article published in 2015 it was noted that over 70% of children drop out of organized sports by the age of 13.

There are some legitimate reasons for this as competition begins to increase as a child begins to compete at the junior high and high school level therefore eliminating the kids who may not be as gifted in the athletic arena.

What are some of the reasons for kids to quit sports? Here are five reasons that are bound to influence participation at the high school level at some points.

1. Playing sports is no longer fun.

The simple fact is that as kids enter junior high and high school there is increased pressure to win. In kids’ sports, that is not always the case, unless you have a parent or coach that has lost perspective on the purpose of kids’ sports. As mentioned above, the kids who may not be as gifted are not going to enjoy the experience nearly as much as the pressure to win increases.

2. They have lost ownership in the experience.

This is a most interesting reason and much of the reason for this is the influence of the video game industry. Once a kid gets a controller in his/her hands, they are in charge of the experience. If they are playing a sports video game, they can choose their own players and put together a customized team. They determine how much playing time each person gets. They choose a strategy. They are in control of the experience. Obviously, if they participate in kids’ sports or stay around until the junior high or high school level, coaches are in control of their experience for the most part. Anyone with some age on them will have to let this reason sink in a bit because before the video game experience, this was no doubt not a factor in someone deciding not to compete in sports.

3. They don’t get enough playing time.

This is certainly a factor at the kids’ sports level. It is certainly all right to play to win at any level, but winning at all cost – including not including all the players – at the younger levels is not all right. Once students reach junior and particularly high school, competitiveness becomes a greater issue and the best players should be put on the field, court or diamond to help ensure success. However, when a team is getting drilled, it is appropriate to “clear the bench” and give everyone some playing time.

4. They are afraid to make mistakes.

Grade school kids want to please their parents and their coaches. They begin to find some acceptance when they succeed. On the negative side, overzealous parents and/or coaches can influence kids to become timid. Their will to try is diminished by the reaction of the parents.

5. They feel disrespected.

A 2014 study of characteristics that make up a great coach reveals the number one thing that gives a coach that label is “respect and encouragement.” Kids today have it tough. Many kids have a difficult life because of family circumstances. Some kids are in very difficult environments. They need an adult to come alongside them and care about them and encourage them. That doesn’t mean that a coach has to be soft. Kids are primarily looking for an adult that will invest in their lives.

What are the answers to these factors? Probably the most important one is that parents, coaches and administrators have the responsibility to create an environment that serves the needs, values and priorities of the kids – not just the adults.

This can be accomplished by communicating better with kids, understanding what they want out of the experience of participating in sports and then trying as much as possible to give some ownership of the experience to the participates.

Other articles bring up other reasons why participation in sports may be impacted.

Skyrocketing costs, sport specialization and the need for coaches to have more training has impacted the participation in kids’ sports which will at some point impact high school sports.

Traveling teams have been the number one reason for increased costs for families.

There is a movement to try and overcome the impact of sport specialization. Professional sports leagues have actually been working together to encourage kids to play more than one sport.

“The best athlete is a kid who played multiple sports,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in a recent article. Manfred spoke with commissioners of the National Basketball Association, National Football League and National Hockey League to come to this conclusion.

One other disturbing trend is watching high school athletes – many of them very talented – suddenly decide to give up a sport when they hit their junior or senior years.

Burnout has caused this to happen with many kids. They have been playing the sport competitively since a very early age and are simply tired of it.

 Coaches and parents would be wise to help guard against this as kids grow up.

 Next Week: One Sport Suffers From Declining Participation Above All

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