John White, MBA

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~100 ·

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High School Sports Are As American As Apple Pie

High School Sports Are As American As Apple Pie


POUDRE HIGH SCHOOL nN < - < o. = oN hs oS S ~

Lately, the USA has been the punch line in a lot of jokes around the world due to our ridiculous election season. Frankly, these jokes were well warranted and deserved. 

I'm not here to make this some sort of American flag-waving nationalistic we're the best type of post. However, I would like to share a piece of our American culture that I feel is truly unique and has made our country great. 

That's high school sports.

There is something truly special about putting on a uniform that bears your school name: the school spirit at the games, the chants of the cheerleaders, playing in front of your friends and family, the rivalries with other schools, the pep rallies, the band playing the school's fight song! 

My first job out of college was a high school tennis coach. I truly loved it. I loved being called coach. I loved the feeling when one of the kids I was coaching learned something new. I loved watching a kid beat someone they didn't think they could. High school sports is full of coachable moments both in sport and life. As a coach, your impact on the kids can be felt each and every day. There's something truly rewarding about that.

From the Friday night lights of a football game to a packed gym of screaming fans at a basketball game, I love it all! Here are some photos I've found that really describe the beauty of high school sports in America. I hope you enjoy them!

803dddd7.jpgHigh school football in Colorado at its best. Players meet after the game for a prayer as the snow falls.    


5a908035.jpgThe look of concern is evident here on this high school basketball players face. Clearly, this game means something to her.


bfbbf188.jpgThis one is from the movie Hoosiers, one of my favorite and a movie set in Indiana where high school basketball is king. It's moments like these in the locker room before the big game that kids remember forever.


4af1462c.jpgHomemade signs like these are so much fun. You won't see these at a pro game. This one made me chuckle a bit.

c870d172.jpgHere is the team I coached for four years. This particular team went 14-0 and won the conference title. I also won coach of the year honors, truth be told they carried me to that award. I still stay in touch with many of the guys on this team. They've all gone on to be quite successful in life. One of them just won an award at NASA as a top scientist. Another of them is one of Silicon Valley's top entrepreneurs. I interviewed him in this post on Inc: http://www.inc.com/john-white/startup-lessons-from-one-of-silicon-valleys-top-young-entrepreneurs.html


89650278.jpgWow, that's some serious height! Cheerleaders make the games fun and pump up the crowd.


21ab18a3.jpgEven tough guys cry in high school sports sometimes. There is blood on their hands. Think they played hard?

cadd562e.jpgHigh school sports can be one of extreme emotions. Compare the look on these girls faces to the boys in the previous photo. It feels good to win!


f774660a.jpgThe bus ride to and from the games is often when friendships are cemented.


I saved the best one for last. This one is a video that will surely touch your heart.

I hope you've enjoyed my look into high school sports in the USA. Someday, I will return to coaching at the high school level. I love it too much not to do it.


""""""""""
#Friday #High School Sports #USA #Apple Pie #America
Comments

Bill Stankiewicz

7 years ago #13

Love this post John White!! You and Lisa do a great job in the posts & articles that are created. They enrich all of our lives!!! best regards, Bill Stankiewicz

CityVP Manjit

7 years ago #12

#9
I like the bit where someone described the whole feel of Golddigger Stadium as pure Americana. The big difference I saw from the video between what I have seen out of the extravagance demonstrated in Texas is sense of community. Whereas the Texas stories are highly tribal, I got a real sense of friendship, community and family spirit in the Idaho Springs video. That is the difference I think Hollywood choosing Texas locations for drama and a more authentic relationship. It turns out in my follow up to this story that Clear Creek High School has been moved to Evergreen and but the Golddiggers remain in Idaho Springs - but that is not where my learning stops here. I took a stop by to peek at the DIGGERS core tenants DIGGERS - CCHS Student Athlete Core Covenants http://s3.amazonaws.com/vnn-aws-sites/8111/files/2015/10/2ba4f1cfe0c6ad5d-Student-core-covenants-DIGGERS.pdf They also have a Coaches Covenant but the chief values that I find most relevant are transcribed in the Student Covenant. They spell out what DIGGERS means in much more detail but the overall moniker is : Determination Integrity Goals Grades Excellence Respect Spirit That value statement contains the core of RISE which usually is Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence - the school chose Spirit instead of Service. I actually prefer the word SPIRIT - too many communities water down things to service when spirit is more.

John White, MBA

7 years ago #11

#11
That is in the town of Idaho Springs. It's about a 2 hour drive from Fort Collins where I live if the roads are good.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #10

#9
I can see why you'd be partial to that town John White, MBA, what a cool, old fashioned town! How far is Clear Creek from you? It's in or near Idaho Springs? I wonder how far that is from my son, looks like a place I'd love to visit! So many beautiful places in Colorado.

John White, MBA

7 years ago #9

#8
CityVP Manjit In Colorado our stadiums are not as big as Texas. BUT texas has got nothing on this stadium. Set high in the mountains in an old mining town, I'd rather see a game here than anywhere in Texas. However, I'm a bit partial to mountains. https://www.facebook.com/VisitClearCreek/posts/10152004797310379

CityVP Manjit

7 years ago #8

#4
Explains why the Dallas Cowboys became to be known "America's Team" and why Friday Night Lights as a movie would not have worked as well, anywhere else other than Odessa/Midland, Texas.

John White, MBA

7 years ago #7

#3
*It's own country.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #6

cc: Matt Sweetwood

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #5

We've always been great, improvements are always part of growing. I'm glad you posted this buzz to remind people about just one of the things that makes the USA so great. I don't want to make this political so I will just say one thing- Telling the world, "We need to make America great again," is sending a very bad message which leads me to the crux of your buzz- you shared one GREAT example of why we are great and sports is one major feat that unites many of us. I bet your memories are wonderful from your coaching days John White, MBA and I noticed you still play tennis! My brother played on the HS tennis team and his coach was so respected. His former coach died a few years ago and many former team mates were extremely saddened by the news and went to his funeral. That coach made a lifelong impact on his players he coached. Jason, the basketball player from the video... WOW- Happy tears!!!! So many things unite us and remind us how we do come together for various reasons, sports included. Love the photos.... the football players praying in the snow, what a story that photo tells. Thank you for sharing this John! Sharing and tweeting.

John White, MBA

7 years ago #4

#3
CityVP Manjit: Texas is practically its own county. LOL

CityVP Manjit

7 years ago #3

First of all we should read this soccer score from the British Premier League - Bournemouth 4 Liverpool 1 http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38121184 That game was today's big news in England. The ground capacity for the winning Premier League professional football team is about 11000+ Now I will go to just one state in America - the state of Texas and list out its capacities In Texas there are 1305 High School Football Stadiums with a total combined capacity of 4.13 million. The 10th biggest high school stadium in Texas has a capacity of 15,000. That is 4000 MORE than a game that went out live all over the world between Bournemouth and Liverpool. Then things get extra crazy when one considers the sizes of college football stadiums. Yet it shows how valued high school sports is in America. That the large percentage of professionals flow through to traditional American sports - just imagine as soccer begins to take off in America - the kind of team the USA will be in a decades time in terms of being a world power. The root of all that stems from high school sports and the community that comes out to support those sports. I agree it is quite a remarkable and unique phenomena. And it does not stop there residents of McKinney North in Texas have voted to build a $62 million stadium http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2016/05/09/mckinney-north-coach-mike-fecci-excited-new-stadium-voters-really-voices-heard

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #2

John White, MBA High school sport is the best - coaching and partaking (long ago). At the moment I am coaching four school athletes - immensely satisfying. Nice article on a joint passion. Thanks John.

John White, MBA

7 years ago #1

CC: Jim Cody

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