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Saturday, December 1, 2007
Grill with Roy Ward
St. Paul, MN
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Roy Ward is a forty-year retired educator, coach and administrator in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School system. He taught physical education and coached for twenty-eight years. He was an athletic director for the past twelve years. For seventeen years, he was the athletic coordinator for the City of Maplewood. He has officiated high school and college football games for thirty years. He is also in the following hall of fames:
Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame
The ASA Softball Hall of Fame
North St. Paul High School Hall of Fame
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Hall of Fame (NSIC)
We asked Mr. Ward to answer a few questions about his experiences:
HSSTM: You have held several positions in the St. Paul area. Do you prefer teaching or coaching more and which is more satisfying to you?
Mr. Ward: I prefer both. They go hand-in-hand. Coaching is teaching. Generally, a good teacher is a good coach. Students relate and grow when teachers extend their normal day by coaching. Disciplines are key in both.
HSSTM:
How have parents’ attitude towards sports changed over the years when it comes to having their children specialize in one sport?
Mr. Ward: Participation fees are charged today, unlike years ago. Sons and daughters are expected to play. Playing multiple sports becomes expensive for many families. Parents today, as well as coaches rush student athletics to specialization too early. With this, the burn out rate increases.
HSSTM: How have the training methods changed over the years?
Mr. Ward: There are specialized strength and conditioning programs today for each sport. Specialists are hired to run these programs. Some schools offer credit and letter if the program is completed. They are twelve month programs. Speed, size, agility and strength of athletes have changed today.
HSSTM: It seems to be coming increasingly difficult for some areas to field competitive teams. Why is that?
Mr. Ward: This will improve with the new open enrollment guidelines. Transfers for athletic reasons will decrease. State funding to schools has decreased. This makes sports either be dropped or financed by booster clubs and fund raisers. These cuts limit equipment, transportation, coaches, etc. Wins and losses do not balance. Students do not come out to participate. Public school teams suffer with the growth of the Parochial school programs. Balance should been seen in the next few years.
HSSTM: You’ve touched a lot of lives in your time in youth sports (including mine). What does it mean to you when one of these kids moves on to something great?
Mr. Ward: I am so proud of many former student athletes that lead positive lives and are giving back. I see it every day and so many of them are still a part of my life. There is not more gratification anywhere. Things like respect, dedication, desire and work ethic are not being taught today, as in years past.
HSSTM: How do you spend your days today and are you still active in the sports world?
Mr. Ward: Retired? I do the following activities for the Minnesota State High School League: work the football prep bowl; basketball rules clinician and supervisor of officials for the boy’s state tournament; site manager for big schools state baseball tournament; supervise a penalty box at the State Hockey Tournament and section manager for Region 4AAA fast pitch softball. I am a division two coordinator of women’s and men’s basketball officials in the seven state area. I assign games and then go out and observe their work. I manage and coach an over thirty-five men’s elite slow pitch team that is rated in the top three in the country. I have six grandsons that participate in multiple sports. I work with and watch them. I preach two things; have fun and learn something at every practice and game.
Words to live by and I think it is safe to say we will still be seeing Roy Ward around High School activities for quite some time.
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