The Waiting Game - Sports or No Sports?

So, the end of a school year is just days away, and I figure things are rather quiet these days at high schools around the city.

Apparently, not so. School administrators and teachers are packing up - and on the move.

This is the time of year when they play the shuffle game and move off to other schools. Every Board of Education likes to move some of those six-figure salary senior administrators either for a shake-up or for promotions or to get some strong leadership in certain schools.

It can also be because they, just like teachers, want a change in scenery. Some teachers tell me they have had enough with colleagues and administrations in certain schools and, yes there are personality clashes, and they have to make a move for professional and emotional reasons.

Sadly, many of the younger teachers also won't have full time work in the fall. They've been declared surplus while some, who could retire, are still hanging around - but often don't coach.

I have been getting an unusually large number of calls and e-mail from parents and students -- and even teachers -- concerned about whether schools will offer inter-school sports in the fall. The way it works, if teachers don't coach, the likelihood of sports is not good. For liability and behavioural reasons, a teacher needs to coach or stand around for supervision at a game, even if a non-teacher is doing the coaching.

Remember, coaches are not paid. It can be time consuming and also very challenging - especially when some students pick and choose what practices they show up for and what games they play. Some students still believe that it's a right, not a priviledge, to play for their school. I'll leave that topic for another time.

I know one school in Toronto where two teachers are surplus and a head of physical education, after 10 years, had to re-apply for his job and didn't get it. Hmm. Could there be a problem? He's off to a better job and school - but, unless those coaches are replaced, four teams are no more.

This leaves students, especially those in their graduating years wanting to play sports and impress colleges and universities in Canada and the United States, with a problem. As they pack up in June after exams, students have no idea on whether the same school will have a team in the fall.

It's also tough switching schools now with transfer rules and politics to contend with at various levels.

So, it's now a waiting game. 

Comments

[Most wanted one]

I recognize my shool in the comments--the one where the head of physical education, after 10 years, had to re-apply for his job and didn't get it. The good news is that "he's off to a better job and school". The bad news is that we (the students) are not. We'd love to be off to a better school, one with inter-school teams, intramurals, and an administration committed to athletics. Unfortunatley, optional attendance rules determine our fate.

Keep up the good fight Mr. G! The more people that know our school sucks at delivering sports programs, the better.

[Most wanted one's gf]

You rock, Mr. G. Let everyone know: we want sports at our high school.

[S. Mitchell]

Time for Dr. Chris Spence, director of the TDSB, to stop with his talk and understand that kids can learn from more than just sitting in a classroom. He needs to instruct his senior staff to get coaches in place so kids can play sports and learn from those experiences rather than have opportunities to create problems. Dr. Spence, enough of the philosophical talk, it's time for action.

[Method Man]

Maybe Mr. Grossman's column and the blog responses can trigger a movement to totally remake HS sports into what they ought to be - a partnership between the school institution and the community they ostensibly serve. End HS sports as a "school only" construct, mandate community volunteer involvement, and you will have school sports that are more vibrant and more inclusive than ever. If teacher volunteers cannot or will not provide their services, let the community do it.

The school portion of my property tax bill seems to rise every year (my own children are long graduated from HS)...yet, anonymous school board administrators make rules that serve to limit the use of these public gyms and sport facilities. Sports facilities that are underused...the product of a school sport mentality that is hopelessly twisted out of any sense of commitment to students and the larger community.

I offer this challenge to every HS in the GTA - take out an advertisement asking for volunteer coaches in basketball, soccer, hockey, volleyball, track, curling, cricket, badminton...any sports (for girls and boys). Unlike the rules governing the present teacher / coach standards, required all volunteers to have current certification (e.g. from a provincial / nation sports body like the NCCP). Make the applicant provide a current police check. Insurance premiums will NOT increase if such precautions are taken (e.g. club sport insurance is dirt cheap for this reason). My prediction - virtually every school who advertises will easily fill their coaching rosters with keen volunteers.

I doubt my challenge will ever be accepted - our administrators would seemingly prefer the current educator apathy and pending ruin of school sport
than reach out to the huge potential supporting resources of the community. There are lots of great coaches! Invite them in the high schools and they will come.

[SD]

Awesome challenge, Method Man.
At my HS, the principal refused a volunteer soccer coach because not a single teacher would agree to supervise. The coach was a great guy who coached us the year before. It made us loco when we couldn't play. I've hated my school ever since.

[Betsy]

The Toronto District School Board should have physical education and athletics mandatory at all high schools and the appropriate staff should be distributed accordingly.
As a former student of a high school with a long tradition of supporting school athletics programs I feel very sad for students attending schools without such options. In addition to the health and wellness benefits of physical fitness which are desperately needed now more than ever, there are the emotional and spiritual benefits of belonging on a team. The camaraderie, esprit de corps and shared purpose which come from team membership serve to help young people build healthy relationships and learn about group dynamics. These are important skills they will benefit from throughout life.

[Dad]

I am so glad that the issue is now moved out furthure into the community. It is absolutley ridiculous what the administrators do, and TDSB needs to get involved if something is to be done.

[Beth]

Inter-school sports were invaluable to me in high school. Every student deserves a chance to excel. Those who struggle academically, musically, or artistically should be given equal opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities in which they can be successful. It's only fair. Perhaps it's time "to move some of those six-figure salary senior administrators" straight out the door to make room for leaders with vision.

[Jim]

According to Active Healthy Kids Canada, only 14% of Ontario children and youth meet appropriate physical activity levels. Now I see why. Even if kids want to be active, depending on the school, they might not get the opportunity. Something is ratty wrong here. Those six-figure salary senior administrators need to make fitness and activity a priority in our schools.

[Esther]

I find this story difficult to believe. Are you saying that some high schools have school teams and some schools don't? And that a student doesn't know if her school will have a team until she starts in September at which point it's too late to change schools??? Outrageous! Surely as a society we can do better for our children than this. Every child has a right to play.

[BP]

It's ridiculous that some people don't have the bigger view of the picture, they don't see what makes the school a place students love to be in for their highschool years; the money is all they care about. Might as well be labelled a jail if no extracurricular sports are offered. Just studying 24/7 might be the lifestyle of some, but it's truly not a healthy one.

[v, t, l, e, and t]

Mr Grossman, thank you for writing this blog. As students at a school with very limited intramurals and inter-school teams, we can't believe that no one seems to care about our situation--not the vice-principals, the principal, the trustee, or the superintendent. We've tried to fight. We prepared a petition with 200 signatures. Unfortunately, it was not even acknowledged by the administation. Then we held a protest during a School Council meeting. Ditto. We asked that our parents get invovled, and they did, but they have not received any response from the administration either.

You are the first non-parent grown-up to actually acknowledge that there is a problem. The comments here indicate that other grown-ups care, too. It's a real boost for us because we were almost defeated. Now, we feel ourselves rallying. Do you have any ideas of what else we could do to encourage more sports at our school?

[KG]

For years students have been complaining, thank you for finally recognizing it, I just hope the school board can see it the way we do and will finally realize that we need sports. And the consistancy of the sports is a huge problem. As a highschool student entering grade 12 next year, I was so angered when I heard that next year the majority of the sports in our school, most of the one's that I play, probably wouldnt be running. As someone already said, consistancy in clubs and teams is important for universities, and there's nothing i can do about that if the school cuts off everything i've been a part of since the beginning of highschool. It's just not fair.

[Florin]

I am a student going into grade 12 next year and this is the exact situation i am in. I hope that the school board will understand the importance of sport along with education. Thank you for getting the message across.

[MG]

Last year, there were no boys' soccer teams at my HS. The schools to the north, south, east and west of us each had two: senior boys and junior boys.
Don't my parents pay the same taxes as the parents of kids at those schools? So how come only our school sucks?

[Liliana]

Let me get this straight. I'm a terrific volleyball player and could easily be the star of my high school team, but I might get a chance to play and I might not? Maybe there will be a team in my freshman year, but not in Grade 10? Maybe in Grade 11, but not my senior year? Meanwhile, at other high schools, my fellow athletes are participating in full seasons of practices and games? Just what do I put on my university application??? I played in Grades 9 and 11, but not in Grades 10 and 12 because "six-figure salary senior administrators" couldn't motivate my teachers to volunteer? I don't want to play the waiting game. I want to play volleyball!

[Mr. J]

In my experience, the number and success of sports teams at a school depends on the school leadership team. When administrators create an environment that promotes physical education and participation, then committed teachers are attracted to the school and want to participate in coaching. Sometimes older teachers make the best coaches--they've got the most experience--but if the administration does not value their role as coaches than why do it? Look at the high schools with the most successful teams and athletes--every time, their principals actively support sports. That's because senior administrators set the tone--and everyone in the school is aware of it. If a principal never attends games and doesn't encourage staff and students to support teams, you can be sure the staff and students know that sports are not valued.

[Linda]

My son is a student going into his first year of HS at a school like the one you describe in your blog. He's an excellent soccer player and should have the opportunity to play as part of his school experience. If we lived in another neighbourhood, he would have the opportunity. How can the TDSB support this inequity?

[Pedro]

thanks for gettin this message out

[Dee]

I attend the high school that this article is about, and let me tell you, the school's athletics have gone down the toilet. At a parent council meeting, some parents who lead the council this year told all of us that sports don't get funded for at our school because their children are not part of any teams. Does that not sound ridiculous? Supposedly, we had an $8000 budget for athletics this year and only $1000 was spent throughout the ENTIRE year. If so, why are we paying $20 per school team and even more money for athletics at lunch and after school? It's absurd how many lies you'll hear from our administration. Our head of physical education has always done an AMAZING job, hosting a number of various tournaments at our school in order to make money to support our athletics program. Not only will we lose those tournaments, our teams are at risk as well as our intramurals. It's not right that due to personal differences that our head of phys-ed had to leave our school. I have friends who have already enrolled in other schools in our area for their sports programs only because our head of phys-ed is leaving. For some of us, school isn't just about math, science or our music program (which has always been funded much more generously and receives a lot more support). Save our athletics.

[Pedro]

Back in my junior high i qualified for OFSAA track and field. After a year of training and hoping to get top 5 at OFSAA, i came to the realization of my high schools lack of sports teams. Unfortunately there was no track and field for me to join and all of my athleticism gone to waste. There are many others such as myself in my high school. Athletes with incredible talent not being recognized anywhere, because we are not given a chance shine.

[Alex]

I'm starting high school in September. Am I looking forward to it? Not at all.
My future high school had 12.5 hours of intramurals this year. It didn't have a soccer team or a track and field team.
I'm not a superstar, but in elementary and middle schools, I was on the soccer team each year since Grade 4. I made it to districts in Track and Field each spring since Grade 5.
Now, since I live in this cachement area, my soccer and track and field careers are over. If I lived in another neighbourhood or I was Catholic, I'd have the chance to play next year. It's not fair.

[Catherine]

WE DEMAND EQUITY FOR OUR CHILDREN. In our area, we have elementary and middle schools with vibrant track and field programs. However, when our children reach high school, these opportunities stop. At the same time, in neighbouring areas, both TDSB and TCDSB high schools have dynamic track and field programs. How is this fair??? Why is it that a 14-year-old on the west side of the street is given opportunities that a 14-year-old on the east side is not offered? The TDSB must resolve these inequities.

[-lala]

Its only fair if I got the same rights as other students who go to other schools.

[Anonymous Teacher]

I am a teacher. Enough of this cry baby stuff. If I want to coach, I will. If not, too bad. Take your complaints to the Board of Education and maybe they'll respect us more for what we do in our own time. By the way, they don't care. They say they do, they don't.