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Summer school — Off-season programs help prep football players stay sharp, fit

I think team bonding, learning discipline and respect are things most high school boys' teams definately benefit from learning.

However, I'm glad my boys are almost done with high school and their football playing days. Not because I haven't thoroughly enjoyed it, but because gradually high school football is becoming like basketball and baseball - year round. Those sports require year long commitments and lots more money. And where does your family time go?

Yeah, I know, taking trips to tournaments, 7 on 7's, camps and competitions can be made into family time, but it's also expensive and the siblings that aren't playing can't do "their" sport while you're away in Timbuctoo.

I miss the days when kids worked at home or on a job and learned team spirit, respect, and worked hard enough to build muscle. When parents challenged their kids so they didn't get out of shape. Now it seems we parents opt out of our responsibilities, pay a "professional," dream of D-1 glory and pray for perfection. It's sure a different world than it used to be and I'm not sure it's better.

However, congrats to the kids who do learn these lessons. You'll certainly benefit!

Your right football has turned into a year long sport and some of the players I know absolutly hate it!. They will be glad when football is done too. It's sad that coaches will turn something enjoyable into something that is dreaded

Nothing like turning sports into a 9-5 job. I don't think we are too far from a Capitalism version of the old Soviet Union sports system. Kids sports are so specialized these days they can't appreciate the other sports that are out there for them.

All these programs churn out are more ME ME ME thinking from our youth, who already are self-absorbed and think the world is centered around them. No wonder the American dream is failing. Kids never learn the real skills the will help them make it in the world. They can bench press 450 lbs and run a west coast offense but couldn't turn around and tell you where Iraq is on a map. America's obsession with sports in going to be its downfall.

I am a high school athlete and any sport requires you to stay in shape. I understand that kids need to appreciate other things in life, but most families are gone at work till 5 or 6 at night. What should these kids do? Go home and watch TV? The kids are benefitting from working out after school. The majority of America is getting more and more lazy. Tht fact that kids are being fit is something to be proud of.
I understand that America is dedicated to sports and it has taken away from othere aspects of life. Many states force players to be academically competant. I am a 4.0 student and tutor players that need help. It frustrates me that the public sees football players and idiots. Trust me that is not the case

It amazes me how some people in this community can take a simple positive, uplifting article about local kids who are working on improving themselves & turn it into a forum for complaints. Complaints about sports, about our education system (our kids can't point to Iraq on a map? - my kids can!), about partents involvement in their kids lives, about parents NON-involvement in their kids lives.. & that was only in the first 3 posts!! What is wrong with kids dreaming of going to a D-1 school & what is wrong with sports being an avenue to help them achieve that dream? Yes, it takes a toll on siblings, parents, & family time, but ultimately if it can help a kid who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to go to college & earn a degree, why all the complaints? Certainly it is better having them go to an after school or summer school program vs.having them just hanging out with friends, watching tv or getting into trouble. Often we hear the complaint that the news only reports on the negative - from the comments above it seems like that is what we want. That is the sad thing...

Let's see if this "Discipline" learned from the martial arts class helps Cottonwood's head coach Cecil Thomas. If anyone needed this training in Cottonwood's football program it is him. He was one of the few football coaches last year that had to be ejected from a game.

To all parents, take it easy it's still a game. It is not life or death. As a coach 99% of these kids will never ever play one down of college football. So let them enjoy the sport, and if they want to make it a 9 to 5 job let them. After H.S. they will be just like everyone else. Time to go to camp God bless you all.

Being ejected from a game is not the worst thing in the world. Cecil was ejected because he stood up for what he thought was right-he is all about the kids. Give the guy a break!!! You have to know the man before you can judge him. Walk a season in the shoes of any ooach. They coach because they love the sport, it is NOT about the money. If you figured in the time spent coaching and the moeny paid it would probably amount to just a few cents on the hour. Come on people, there are more serious things to worry about in this world. Keeping kids busy and in shape---it is all good.

How about assertively communicating with the referees in a non-threatening way? Coaches' ultimate responsibility is to be a model for the student-athletes in their program. How does getting ejected from a game translate to the real world? Let's see, how about getting fired from your job for blowing up on someone because things didn't go your way? That's how.

We saw how two players from Cottonwood, got ejected from the 5a vs 4a game. This is what they learned and I hope the Cottonwood and Timpview kids play fair this year.... NO CHEAP SHOTS.

Good job Coach. Cottonwood has been an undisciplined team in the past. I'm glad you are finding creative was to add more descipline to your program.

His "ejection" was improperly called and it was later reversed after game. (even his "ejection" was for another coach getting called) Cecil never got a penalty.

He was later suspended for comments made to a SL Trib. reporter.

SO, there are 2 lessons there.

1) sometimes what seems to be, isn't
2) Never talk to a reporter that thinks he's the next coming of Woodward & Bernstein. Because even if you don't say much they will turn it into something major.

So, according to Shaking my Head, we need these extra programs so our kids don't "go to an after school or summer school program vs.having them just hanging out with friends, watching tv or getting into trouble."

This is another example of parenting gone wrong! Don't enroll your kids in every program you can find or buy into the "fact" that kids need to do something every minute of every day. A parent should supervise their kids, we shouldn't just pay someone to do that job for us! If kids get into trouble because they have too much free time, then teach them to work!

This program sounds like a good one and is teaching the boys things they need to know, but I agree with Good and Bad. I remember the days when we learned discipline from our parents, team play because we were expected to get along with our siblings, got stronger in the off season because we might actually have had to use a tool around the garden or yard and held jobs in the summer. Too bad that old-fashioned stuff isn't respected anymore!

Yes sports are moving in the direction of year around programs mostly to stay ahead of the next program or what they believe the next program is doing. We have truley forgotten as parents that we trained all year around as athletes in high school only what most of us did it in a way to that helped out our school's athletic programs more then most of these private clubs or weight training programs do today. An example from my days was Hillcrests all-star athlete Marty Haws who played football, basketball and ran track thus keeping his athletic edge, conditioning and getting competition. We tryed out for several different teams in high school and participated all year around in one sport or another. Thus we were year around athletes and we even spent time with our families. But I believed we help ours schools to be that much better.

What would Marty's son being doing today?

If it was so good "back then"?

While it saddens me to see the demise of the 3 sport athlete, I see it as more kids actually PLAYING for their HS (instead of the same group of kids being THE team for every season).

ACTUALLY, all this specialization has increased the amount of involvement as kids focus on one sport.

Where do teams like Bountiful and Skyline take their players every year to get them disciplined. I've never heard. I could only assume that those kids have so much respect for their coaches that discipline isn't much of a problem internally. Coaches like Cottonwood's NEED to turn to someone else to teach his players discipline because he's not cut out for that role.

For a few years now, Duchesne H.S. and Grand County H.S. have held week long summer camps together. Duchesne would always come down and visit and camp in really a classroom, and then all day in the southern heat it was lifting weights, running plays and scrimmaging. By weeks end, both teams would come to know each other very well. On the last day, it would be GCHS v. DHS, since we would not play each other in the season or even tourneys since our classifications separate us. These summer workouts are a plus! These athletes are staying fit, learning leadership, and steppin it up. If 5A/4A teams acted like those of 1,2,3 A teams and played for more than themselves. Not only would they be good players and a good team, but an all around good person with good traits. Small schools, my hats to you!

I think they turn to drugs not martial arts

What a joke...if you don't join in the off season programs you will be relagated to mop up duty or shifted to second or third string. For xeample Brock Whitney at Bingham and Justin Campbell at Alta. Two total studs who were shot down by coaches who didn't like the fact that these boys preferred baseball to football and didn't have the time to do all the summer football crap. High school coaches are the dumbest lot I've ever seen.

You have hit the nail on the head. Year-round football (basketball and baseball as well) has turned off many talented athletes and made them pick one. Soccer is the worst. No comp soccer at age 5 and you won't get scholarship. At Bingham and Alta, there are many other good athletes to take their place but Whitney and Campbell were and will be missed.