- May 5, 2024
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In the time I’ve been writing for the Observer, many parents and coaches have complained about not seeing their kids’ name in the paper for an accomplishment. This comes with the territory, and I understand that we are biased to those close to us, but sometimes the complaint is valid. On the other hand, when the tables are turned, how should parents react, when they think their student-athlete isn’t being treated fairly by a coach or anyone in the school administration?
Swimming. Golf. Tennis. Bowling. What determines a school’s attention to a sports program? Is it the amount of money a program generates? The level of personal interest the administration has in said program?
A few weeks ago, a disgruntled parent of a student-athlete reached out to me to have his child acknowledged for success in a particular sport. This student had won a conference and district championship in their sport, while also excelling in the classroom, but no one, including the coach or higher-ups, recognized this student’s effort and achievements.
I don’t have all of the right answers, but it seems fairly easy to cry foul, when the more popular sports and athletes, who play them, often get acknowledged and heavily celebrated, while the others exist merely for the joy of those competing. If the principals and athletics directors only show up at the “best events” and support the most popular athletes, what does that say about the less popular sports and athletes who compete in them?
Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast don’t have this problem. After talking with Natasha Rodriguez, FPC’s assistant tennis coach, about this topic, I was leaving, and Matanzas Athletics Director Rich Weber was pulling up. He and Principal Dr. Earl Johnson are everywhere. The Pirates’ cheerleading team praised Weber, on Twitter, for driving to Disney in the pouring rain to see them compete.
The same is true for FPC’s principal Dusty Sims and Athletics Director Steve DeAugustino. I’ve seen them support the less popular sports programs, such as bowling.
While it shouldn’t be the focal point of an endeavor, we all enjoy when someone acknowledges what we do. From elementary schools to high-level businesses, awards are given for accomplishments, so it makes sense that this parent, and others who have voiced complaints, would love to see their kids acknowledged, especially by those who will reap some of their success.
