Leave the Criticism for the Pro's

Nothing in the world is more exciting than counting down to the start of the football season. From recruiting and spring ball in college football...to the NFL draft, training camps and the always popular OTA's... and now to high school football's spring practices and great preview magazines like what VYPE High School Sports Magazine has on newsstands everywhere. The excitement level can reach a peak for the start of football season in July and there is really nothing wrong with it at all. With the increased amount of coverage that has consistently built every year for high school football, the prep game has now reached a level of coverage that in the state of Oklahoma seems to parallel what you get for college and pro football. High school athletes grace the cover of magazines, they find themselves at the center of features in the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman, and they can typically be the center of conversation on radio talk shows across the state. Every school across Oklahoma seems to be on a quest for more coverage. From television coverage, to radio broadcasts, to even print features... the quest to have your schools name in the headlines is a continual and necessary challenge for high school football programs and athletic departments from Class C to 6A. But, as impossible as it may seem, some can end up getting a little more than they intend to receive. Here is the problem that seems to have started, we are as quick to criticize and destroy a high school athlete as if we are a pro athlete or even some college players. And that is just not acceptable.... not to say it's acceptable to spend too much time over criticizing collegiate athletes, but at least they are playing for a college scholarship. High school athletes are usually kids who are doing nothing more than fighting to get more coverage, more respect and more importantly more wins. Sometimes we forget that these are high school athletes and who are not paid professional football players. Sometimes we forget as fans that a high school football player is supposed to be playing for the love of the game. Sometimes we forget as fans that these are still kids that are playing a game to do nothing but hopefully earn the right to play for a college scholarship. Sometimes we forget that increased coverage and more print and airtime do not open a kid up to be the brunt of our criticism. It's bad enough some of the heat that most of these kids have to face from opposing team's fans and for the most part it appears to be in harmless fun. Sometimes fans can get a little carried away in the stands and most of that falls on the Athletic Department and administrators to keep their fans in check. It's not acceptable for a kid in the stands to be mean spirited and disparaging, but it is much more disappointing for a grown man to take that to the next level and decide to take a run at a high school athlete. Let this serve as a reminder to everyone that even though high school athletes, specifically those on the gridiron, are receiving the type of coverage usually reserved for pro and college athletes... it does NOT open them up to the same amount of criticism that is usually reserved for those who play the game for pay. Coaches will take care of discipline... administrators will take care of unruly fans... you should take care of making sure we remember why we enjoy high school sports. High school arenas are some of the few places that we can still watch athletes perform for the love of the game. And let us hope it stays that way.