The view from the other side of the court!

One of the pleasant surprises of spending some time in SW Florida during February is high school sports and, more specifically, the guys and girls state basketball playoffs, as they vie for a spot in the state tournament. I stand out like the proverbial sore thumb in the heavily biased home town stands, thanks partly to my summer attire that differs greatly from the Floridian sweatshirts and slacks, but mostly because (and some reading this will not believe it) I am silent during the play. The Floridians "cheer" loudly for their side ... I say "cheer" but could have as easily wrote "jeer" since a substantial amount of the volume is directed at the referees decisions. Some parents lived up to the "ugly American" stereotype with coaching tips for their progeny like, "Crush him", "Eat his food", "Ram it down his throat" and my personal FAV, "He can't handle you so don't effing pass it". I smile, clap for the effort and great plays made, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle that FLA makes of their high school events.

Since I am in Naples, it seemed appropriate to support the local school. It really doesn't resemble my personal understanding of a school with its 2000 seat football stadium, tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, turf practice field and 1500 seat hard court, but the $5.00 entry fee for each event likely goes a long way to assisting since the stands at the games I have attended were full. TBH, the quality of the play is mediocre with a barely average game awareness and skill execution, but the athleticism is other-worldly! Case in point, the opening 3 minutes of the district semi featured a put-back dunk, a double pump And-One, a huge cross for a posterized Tomahawk, and a pin on the glass well above the box. If you know basketball, you'll be conjuring appropriate images and shaking your head. If you don't, I apologize that I didn't think to take video.

It is my understanding that Florida is known as one of the top states for grooming football players. I can't really attest to that since there's no football to view right now, but if the bodies of the young men I am watching play basketball are any indication of the the level of training that Florida teens are capable of, I can only shake my head. The local school won their district tournament and will be heading into regional play - something I hope to be able to take in - but, as a former coach, I was envious of my Floridian counterparts. The highlight reel warm ups (FLA lets kids dunk??) signaled to me that over 80% of the young men were capable of playing the game above the rim ... I've coached teams where the 80% couldn't grasp the rim, let alone play above it. Having said that, I would pose alternate stats in favour of my teams ... over 80% of my players can pass, shoot layups, and dribble with both hands. 80% of my players understood HOW to play and regularly made plays that indicated a solid understanding of the strategy and game plan. The teams I was watching would barely break 30% but HOOOO BOY did they make it exciting!

It is also my understanding that coaches in the US are paid positions, but I really have no direct knowledge of that. If this fact be true, it was interesting watching my counterparts ply their trade. I have watched 3 games, and the coaching styles for all 6 couldn't have been more different, with everything from shouters to stompers, finger-pointers to spineless pleasers, disinterested to empowering. I would say that I have the greatest respect for the head coach of the the Naples HS team that won the district tournament. Some would say, "Well, no duh, Porter ... they won, no?" My respect was not earned through victories, but through the way he conducted himself in the coaching box, the way he interacted with his players, the way he managed runs of ineptitude, and the way he coaxed his star to embrace what was obviously team goals for deportment and character. At one point, this particular player took over the game, but when he started to "preen his feathers", the coach immediately called for a substitution and proceed to chastise him behind the bench. The ensuing animated discussion lasted a very short time and resulted in a dropped chin and then the universal "My bad" sign by the star.

Having spent some time watching NCAA games on the trip down here, I feel that I can confidently say that I prefer to spend my dollars on high school basketball games. I would guess that is why I spent all of those years coaching in the schools where I taught. I have been blessed with opportunities to experience coaching college, university, provincial and national level athletes and, while that was an incredible experience, I really feel that the thrill of developing an athlete through the 4-5 years they attended your school leaves me incredibly satisfied and proud. Those of us who have chosen the less trodden path of education accept the nay-sayers tempered with the understanding of the profound effect we are having on our kids, and although we'd rather accept a congratulatory pat on the back, we know deep in our souls that we are making a difference. I tip my hat to my American compatriots and wish all of my fellow education workers good health.

You are making a difference.

And you're great entertainment.