Thursday, April 26, 2007
Activities a bargain for school
By Jerry Ness | The Daily Journal
Published Wednesday, March 21, 2007
As the May 8 date for District 544's bond referendum approaches, I'll take advantage of every opportunity to talk about the referendum with district residents, both in print and through community presentations. This column gives me the chance to expand on the answers to some of the questions I hear during those presentations - questions that might be on the minds of other people, as well.
"Why don't we just cut student activities to save money?" This question was asked last week after I outlined the cost savings that would result from the referendum. Cutting activities would be a major mistake for two reasons. The first reason is based on the decades of research cited by the Minnesota State High School League, which oversees the interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs for more than 200,000 students in the state.
That research shows that students who participate in high school activities tend to have:
* higher grade-point averages
* better attendance records
* lower dropout rates
* fewer discipline problems than non-participating students.
National studies repeatedly report that high school activities:
* build character
* increase self-confidence
* relieve tension
* support classroom learning by generating school pride, a sense of community, and by nurturing a feeling of belonging that makes students want to achieve.
These studies also show that students who participate in athletic and fine arts programs are more likely to:
* graduate from high school
* stay off drugs
* attend college
* avoid unwanted pregnancies.
A Minnesota study of more than 300 schools showed:
* The average student had a grade-point average of 2.68 (on a 4.0 scale), but the grade-point average of student athletes was 2.84 and 2.98 for students involved in the fine arts (speech, drama, music and debate).
* The average student was absent 8.76 days a year - Athletes were absent 7.44 days. - Fine arts participants were absent only 6.94 days.
Second, I believe cutting activities actually would hurt the district's finances. The total cost of all FF athletic activities is $461,109, or 2 percent of the general budget. After you subtract total revenue of $179,926 generated from admissions and fees, the net cost to the district is $261,183, which is less than 2 percent.
So how would cutting activities negatively affect the budget?
Here is where open enrollment has an impact. Each high school student enrolled in our district generates revenue of $7,896 each year.
As an example, the total cost of our football program is $46,879, including coach's salaries, transportation and supplies. If you divided the cost by the per pupil revenue, you get 5.94 students.
In other words, it only takes six students to generate the revenue needed to fund the total football program. So if we cut football and six students left our district to play at another school, we would lose enough funding to cover all the costs for the program.
The following list is of the activities, their cost and the number of students needed to generate the revenue necessary to fund the program.
High school
Alpine skiing: $868 program cost, - 0.11 pupils needed to fund the program
Nordic skiing: $445 - 0.06 pupils needed to fund the program
Boys athletics
Baseball: $21,692 - 2.75 pupils needed to fund the program
Basketball: $31,204 - 3.95 pupils needed to fund the program
Cross country: $8,663 - 1.10 pupils needed to fund the program
Golf: $8,449 - 1.07 pupils needed to fund the program
Hockey: $29,709 - 3.76 pupils needed to fund the program
Soccer: $17,969 - 2.28 pupils needed to fund the program
Swimming: $23,030 - 2.92 pupils needed to fund the program
Tennis: $12,181 - 1.54 pupils needed to fund the program
Track: $14,355 - 1.82 pupils needed to fund the program
Wrestling: $20,020 - 2.54 pupils needed to fund the program
Girls athletics
Basketball: $30,237 - 3.83 pupils needed to fund the program
Cross country: $4,380 - 0.55 pupils needed to fund the program
Golf: $8,488 - 1.07 pupils needed to fund the program
Gymnastics: $12,577 - 1.59 pupils needed to fund the program
Hockey: $24,378 - 3.09 pupils needed to fund the program
Soccer: $17,059 - 2.16 pupils needed to fund the program
Softball: $22,561 -- 2.61 pupils needed to fund the program
Swimming: $22,930 - 2.90 pupils needed to fund the program
Tennis: $9,679 - 1.23 pupils needed to fund the program
Track: $13,037, - 1.65 pupils needed to fund the program
Volleyball: $21,180 - 2.68 pupils needed to fund the program
The total program cost for middle school basketball, football, golf, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling for both boys and girls is $39,136.
The revenue generated by 4.95 students would fund all of these programs.
Student activities are a great bargain and help students focus on a positive and healthy activity.
Published Wednesday, March 21, 2007
As the May 8 date for District 544's bond referendum approaches, I'll take advantage of every opportunity to talk about the referendum with district residents, both in print and through community presentations. This column gives me the chance to expand on the answers to some of the questions I hear during those presentations - questions that might be on the minds of other people, as well.
"Why don't we just cut student activities to save money?" This question was asked last week after I outlined the cost savings that would result from the referendum. Cutting activities would be a major mistake for two reasons. The first reason is based on the decades of research cited by the Minnesota State High School League, which oversees the interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs for more than 200,000 students in the state.
That research shows that students who participate in high school activities tend to have:
* higher grade-point averages
* better attendance records
* lower dropout rates
* fewer discipline problems than non-participating students.
National studies repeatedly report that high school activities:
* build character
* increase self-confidence
* relieve tension
* support classroom learning by generating school pride, a sense of community, and by nurturing a feeling of belonging that makes students want to achieve.
These studies also show that students who participate in athletic and fine arts programs are more likely to:
* graduate from high school
* stay off drugs
* attend college
* avoid unwanted pregnancies.
A Minnesota study of more than 300 schools showed:
* The average student had a grade-point average of 2.68 (on a 4.0 scale), but the grade-point average of student athletes was 2.84 and 2.98 for students involved in the fine arts (speech, drama, music and debate).
* The average student was absent 8.76 days a year - Athletes were absent 7.44 days. - Fine arts participants were absent only 6.94 days.
Second, I believe cutting activities actually would hurt the district's finances. The total cost of all FF athletic activities is $461,109, or 2 percent of the general budget. After you subtract total revenue of $179,926 generated from admissions and fees, the net cost to the district is $261,183, which is less than 2 percent.
So how would cutting activities negatively affect the budget?
Here is where open enrollment has an impact. Each high school student enrolled in our district generates revenue of $7,896 each year.
As an example, the total cost of our football program is $46,879, including coach's salaries, transportation and supplies. If you divided the cost by the per pupil revenue, you get 5.94 students.
In other words, it only takes six students to generate the revenue needed to fund the total football program. So if we cut football and six students left our district to play at another school, we would lose enough funding to cover all the costs for the program.
The following list is of the activities, their cost and the number of students needed to generate the revenue necessary to fund the program.
High school
Alpine skiing: $868 program cost, - 0.11 pupils needed to fund the program
Nordic skiing: $445 - 0.06 pupils needed to fund the program
Boys athletics
Baseball: $21,692 - 2.75 pupils needed to fund the program
Basketball: $31,204 - 3.95 pupils needed to fund the program
Cross country: $8,663 - 1.10 pupils needed to fund the program
Golf: $8,449 - 1.07 pupils needed to fund the program
Hockey: $29,709 - 3.76 pupils needed to fund the program
Soccer: $17,969 - 2.28 pupils needed to fund the program
Swimming: $23,030 - 2.92 pupils needed to fund the program
Tennis: $12,181 - 1.54 pupils needed to fund the program
Track: $14,355 - 1.82 pupils needed to fund the program
Wrestling: $20,020 - 2.54 pupils needed to fund the program
Girls athletics
Basketball: $30,237 - 3.83 pupils needed to fund the program
Cross country: $4,380 - 0.55 pupils needed to fund the program
Golf: $8,488 - 1.07 pupils needed to fund the program
Gymnastics: $12,577 - 1.59 pupils needed to fund the program
Hockey: $24,378 - 3.09 pupils needed to fund the program
Soccer: $17,059 - 2.16 pupils needed to fund the program
Softball: $22,561 -- 2.61 pupils needed to fund the program
Swimming: $22,930 - 2.90 pupils needed to fund the program
Tennis: $9,679 - 1.23 pupils needed to fund the program
Track: $13,037, - 1.65 pupils needed to fund the program
Volleyball: $21,180 - 2.68 pupils needed to fund the program
The total program cost for middle school basketball, football, golf, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling for both boys and girls is $39,136.
The revenue generated by 4.95 students would fund all of these programs.
Student activities are a great bargain and help students focus on a positive and healthy activity.
# posted by Viking Warrior @ 10:06 AM
Monday, April 16, 2007
Coaches Fall Victim to Parents
Mike McFeely, The Forum
Published Sunday, April 15, 2007
HELP WANTED: High school coach. Candidates must have four-year college degree, at least two years of coaching experience at the high school level, skin as thick as tree bark, willingness to be stabbed in the back by the meddling parents of the players you coach and the tranquil restraint of Gandhi to not punch those same parents in the beak when they accuse you of a) not playing their kid enough, b) not playing their kid properly or c) not winning every game during the length of their kid’s career. Success is not a guarantee of job security. Pay is equal to $2.17 an hour, less if you take into account time spent talking to dads who think their kid would be getting college scholarship offers by now if you weren’t such an idiot. Good opportunity for a young coach not yet embittered by years of know-it-all parents. Applications will be taken until May 1, or until we find somebody dumb enough to take the position.
Would you answer that ad? Would anybody answer that ad? Perhaps the better the question is why would anybody answer it?
It is that time of the year when, after a long and cold winter of discontent among overzealous dads and moms, high school coaches’ heads are rolling. Or the coaches are sticking their own necks in the guillotine, tired of dealing with shenanigans.
Last week, longtime Wahpeton boys basketball coach John Del Val was ousted by the school board after a group of parents grumbled. In Kindred, girls basketball coach Waylan Starr resigned because he sensed he didn’t have the support of parents. There are rumblings in other towns – including one that begins with “M” and is nuts about hockey – that winning coaches are catching flak.
The kicker with Del Val and Starr is that they were successful. That’s particularly true of Starr, who in two seasons won 85 percent of the time and advanced to a pair of North Dakota Class B state tournaments.
In Kindred, apparently, if you ain’t winning nine of 10, you ain’t winning.
My question is this: Are we going to reach a point in high school sports where bright young kids, scared off by the horror stories, don’t want to coach?
To put a twist on an old saw, you can only kick a coach so many times before he stops coming around.
After talking with several high school types, it seems most didn’t believe that was going to be a problem. Like beat-up old sports columnists, maybe they’re used to shrugging off the salvos.
But Wahpeton athletic director Mike McCall, perhaps tainted by a tough week of dealing with the Del Val situation, offered a different take.
“I think eventually coaching could become like officiating. We don’t have a lot of new officials coming out and not a lot of people want to get into it because of the grief they take and the situations they are put into,” McCall said. “I think we could find ourselves in a position where we could be facing a shortage of coaches.”
An alarmist’s view? Possibly. But you can’t blame McCall after he watched a competent veteran coach submarined like somebody who went 0-20.
# posted by Viking Warrior @ 12:48 PM
Thursday, April 12, 2007
It's Been A Long Time, Since I Rock and Rolled!
I'm still here. . .I still have a ton of thoughts I would like to write about. . . But time, it's not on my side???
Here is a fundamental truth about getting others to be successful.
If you do not demonstrate, with your actions, that you are committed to a value, a work ethic, a goal, etc. . . those that you wish to lead will NOT follow.
Parents, bosses, teachers, coaches, or whoever. . . you can not just stand in front of your kids, employees, students, athletes, etc. . . and talk about success. You must lead by example.
Too many people can talk the talk, but they fail to walk the walk. . .They ask a lot out of others but fail to ask the same for themselves.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote:
"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."
As a coach, I can not expect my players to get into the gym and play hoops unless I make that commitment. Nor can I expect my players to get up at 6:30 in the morning to come in to work out, unless I get up at 6:30.
Great coaches, bosses, teachers, & leaders are the ones who ask more of themself than they asks of those that they lead.
Parents. . . If you want your child to value something. . .you must show them, with your actions, what it is you want them to value. Sports are a great way to teach young people so many habits that will make them successful in life.
However, too many parents feel that the institution is responsible for the child's success. I'm not just talking about the parents who blame the coaches for the lack of success their child has in sports.
How many times do we read in the newspapers that American schools are failing? I'm sorry if this hurts some people's feelings but our schools are not failing!
Parents, you are the number one reason why your child succeeds or fails in the classroom. You are not the only reason but you are the biggest factor in the success of your child.
I get sooooooooooooo frustrated with this "blame" game that everyone plays. Can schools get better, Yes! Are there some poor teachers out there, Yes! However, when a child comes home from a poor school, classroom or teacher there is nothing stopping the parent from helping their child learn.
How may parents tell their kids to do their homework versus how many parents help their kids do their homework?
How many parents tell their kids to read versus how many parents shut off the television and read to their kids?
How many parents yell at their child for bad grades or blame the teacher versus how many parents search for a way to help their child overcome learning problems?
How many parents tell their children they have to get their work done before they can play xbox 360?
Talking is easy. . . setting an example is hard. Too many choose the easy path.
The parents that complain and blame are the ones that are really hurting their child.
You see it all the time in coaching. So many parents quickly go to the philosophy of:
"If my child isn't succeeding it must be the coach's fault."
How does that improve the situation?
Wouldn't it be better if you worked with your child on their skills? Or if you showed them the value of hard work by going out and working on their game with them? If nothing else wouldn't it be better for them, in the long run, if you helped them realize that sometimes things don't always work the way that we want them to work but you can still create great experiences by being a part of a program?
That's probably why people say: "You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk".
It doesn't take a lot of effort to point fingers and blame others. . .In fact it is the easy way out of most situations. It does take effort to work to be a problem solver. . . to look at yourself in the mirror and make that needed change. . .
Here is a fundamental truth about getting others to be successful.
If you do not demonstrate, with your actions, that you are committed to a value, a work ethic, a goal, etc. . . those that you wish to lead will NOT follow.
Parents, bosses, teachers, coaches, or whoever. . . you can not just stand in front of your kids, employees, students, athletes, etc. . . and talk about success. You must lead by example.
Too many people can talk the talk, but they fail to walk the walk. . .They ask a lot out of others but fail to ask the same for themselves.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote:
"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."
As a coach, I can not expect my players to get into the gym and play hoops unless I make that commitment. Nor can I expect my players to get up at 6:30 in the morning to come in to work out, unless I get up at 6:30.
Great coaches, bosses, teachers, & leaders are the ones who ask more of themself than they asks of those that they lead.
Parents. . . If you want your child to value something. . .you must show them, with your actions, what it is you want them to value. Sports are a great way to teach young people so many habits that will make them successful in life.
However, too many parents feel that the institution is responsible for the child's success. I'm not just talking about the parents who blame the coaches for the lack of success their child has in sports.
How many times do we read in the newspapers that American schools are failing? I'm sorry if this hurts some people's feelings but our schools are not failing!
Parents, you are the number one reason why your child succeeds or fails in the classroom. You are not the only reason but you are the biggest factor in the success of your child.
I get sooooooooooooo frustrated with this "blame" game that everyone plays. Can schools get better, Yes! Are there some poor teachers out there, Yes! However, when a child comes home from a poor school, classroom or teacher there is nothing stopping the parent from helping their child learn.
How may parents tell their kids to do their homework versus how many parents help their kids do their homework?
How many parents tell their kids to read versus how many parents shut off the television and read to their kids?
How many parents yell at their child for bad grades or blame the teacher versus how many parents search for a way to help their child overcome learning problems?
How many parents tell their children they have to get their work done before they can play xbox 360?
Talking is easy. . . setting an example is hard. Too many choose the easy path.
The parents that complain and blame are the ones that are really hurting their child.
You see it all the time in coaching. So many parents quickly go to the philosophy of:
"If my child isn't succeeding it must be the coach's fault."
How does that improve the situation?
Wouldn't it be better if you worked with your child on their skills? Or if you showed them the value of hard work by going out and working on their game with them? If nothing else wouldn't it be better for them, in the long run, if you helped them realize that sometimes things don't always work the way that we want them to work but you can still create great experiences by being a part of a program?
That's probably why people say: "You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk".
It doesn't take a lot of effort to point fingers and blame others. . .In fact it is the easy way out of most situations. It does take effort to work to be a problem solver. . . to look at yourself in the mirror and make that needed change. . .
# posted by Viking Warrior @ 11:49 PM
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
SHADA (SHA dah) is Ojibwa for “pelican”
Registration forms are ready to be filled out by basketball players both young and old for the 14th annual Shada 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament that will be held on June 15th, 16th and 17th in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.
Where to get the forms:
Elementary Office
High School Office
Call Doug Bruggeman at 218-863-4388
go on line to --> www.shada3on3.com
email Doug Bruggeman at dbruggem@pelicanrapids.k12.mn.us
Tournament Information:
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT:
Entering it’s 14th summer, the Shada has become one of the most popular 3 on 3 Basketball Tournaments in upper Minnesota. We annually draw over 600 players to the community of Pelican Rapids to compete in male and female divisions ranging from 3rd grade to 35+.
PHILOSOPHY:
The goal of the Shada is to provide players with a fun and competitive environment in which to test their skills
ELIGIBILITY:
Men, women, boys and girls ages nine to ninety are invited to participate in this event. Divisions will be established based on age and skill level.
WHEN & WHERE:
June 16 & 17 - Junior High to Adult Divisions will be played on both Saturday and Sunday.
June 15 - Elementary Night – One Day event starting around 2:00 P.M.
The location of the "Shada" is the Pelican Rapids High School and Elementary School gymnasiums.
REGISTRATION:
Each member of your team must fill out and sign this form. If you are under the age of 18 you must have a consenting adult sign the form.
Mail the registration form plus the entry fee to:
Shada
Box 274
Pelican Rapids MN, 56572
$52.00/Team Early bird fee post marked April 30th
$60.00/Team Regular fee post marked May 31st
$36.00/Team Elem. early bird-marked April 30th
$40.00/Team Elem. fee -post marked May 31st
***Registration Deadline is May 31st***
SHADA RULES:
•Games will be officiated by the players involved in the game. We emphasize honesty and fair play to insure the quality of the game. The offense will call the foul.(Refs provided for elementary divisions)
•If problems or disagreements do arise the official assigned to your court, known as a "courtaker" can be called upon to judge the situation.
• Generally 8+ teams in a division
•If a division is not filled by June 6th we will cancel the division and return the entrance fee.
•The first stage of the tournament, in most divisions, will be the round-robin games. Teams will be divided into pools. Each team will play against the opponents in their pool. These games will be played to 15 points(11 points in elem.) with a 20 minute time limit. It is the rankings in pool play that will determine a team’s seed in the single elimination stage of the tournament.
•In the second stage of the tournament teams will be placed in brackets for a single elimination shoot-out. These single elimination games will be played to 21(15 points in elem.) with a 25 minute time limit.
•Fouls will be recorded in each game. No player will foul out but after 7 team fouls the team being fouled will be awarded a free throw and possession of the ball on a missed shot. On a made shot the team will get a free throw and possession will be switched on a make or miss. (FT rules change in the last minutes of a game to a change of possession on any make or miss)
Scoring:
1 pt. per-basket inside 3 point line
2 pts. per-basket outside 3 point. line
1 pt for a free-throw
AWARDS:
Awards will be given to the top 3 finishing teams in each division including the elementary divisions.
DIVISIONS:
Elementary (played on Friday, June 15th)
Boys-3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grade
Girls-3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grade
Male Divisions (Sat & Sun, June 16 & 17)
•Junior High experience
•B-Squad experience
•Varsity experience
•Post High School
•Post High School College Experience
•35 years and older
Female Divisions(Sat & Sun, June 16 & 17)
•Junior High experience
•B-Squad experience
•Varsity experience
•Post High School
Grade, ages and playing experience
are prior to June 1st, 2007.
•Age, experience level and height will be factors in
placing teams in the correct division.
•The most experienced player on your team will
usually dictate your team’s placement. 4 player limit on all teams
• There is no charge for fans. Please bring your own balls for practice. No more than 4 players per team.
•An informational packet will be mailed out to team
captains on June 9th. Check in time, first game assignment
and a complete list of rules will be included
# posted by Viking Warrior @ 12:50 PM
