Sideline Slants

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JOE KLEINSASSER
How often do you see a newspaper ad for coaching vacancies? A recent ad in the Free Press caught my eye, and not because I’m looking for a career change. Hillsboro High School apparently needs to fill some coaching positions.

It’s virtually impossible for a school district to fill the multitude of coaching positions internally. Ever since Title IX and the explosion of women’s sports, it doesn’t take a math major to calculate that the demand for coaches exceeds the supply.

For more than 20 years, the state activities association has allowed schools to fill their coaching vacancies with people outside the school system. I experienced this firsthand about two decades ago when I served as an assistant coach for one season to HHS boys basketball coach Jerry Jones.

Coaches aides come in all shapes and sizes, and their qualifications can vary greatly. In hindsight, I’m not sure why I was hired. Maybe Jones thought he’d do area coaches a favor by temporarily getting me out of officiating. More likely he needed someone to help run practices and do whatever it is that assistant coaches do.

The recent ad was straight to the point, but it could have been better. Just in case the school district needs to advertise again, I’ll offer the following coaching ad at no charge.

“Coaches wanted: Must be willing to work long hours for little pay. Expect considerable verbal abuse and significant second-guessing from parents, fans and sports columnists. Provide instruction to young people who think they know it all.”

If that’s too much truth in advertising, perhaps the following ad will be received more favorably.

“Coaches wanted: Experience the opportunity of a lifetime working with the future of America. Help our young people develop life-long skills in the midst of thrilling athletic competition.”

Tabor College also faces an annual struggle to fill all of its coaching vacancies. They have the additional challenge of finding coaches who also need to be able to recruit. And Tabor has never been accused of overpaying its coaches.

At some point the question must be raised, “How many sports can a high school or college effectively support?” My final answer is, there’s no easy answer.

* * *

What sport at Tabor has had the greatest struggle? If you said football, you’re wrong. It’s softball. This year’s Bluejay softball team had a 16-27 record, its best single-season record. While nothing to brag about, at least the program shows signs of life.

* * *

The HHS track program continues to turn out great relay teams. As long as I can remember, the Trojans have always put together a strong relay team or two. This year was unbelievable with five relay teams qualifying for state. And for my money, the most exciting events in track are relays.

* * *

Congratulations to Marion’s Braxton Skiles for winning the triple jump for a third consecutive year. The odds of winning three state titles are hard to fathom. The fact that Skiles was able to meet such high expectations this spring is worthy of applause. A triple jump three-peat has a nice ring to it.

* * *

The recent Folk Festival race in Hillsboro on the Memorial Day weekend was run in 46-degree weather. Imagine how cold it could have been if not for global warming!

* * *

Speaking of the 2-mile race, the cool, breezy weather didn’t slow Hillsboro’s Marie Wiens, who set a new Kansas record in the 80-plus age category. She shattered the 1997 record by more than four minutes. Wiens covered the two miles in record time of 25:02. The old record was 29:27.

Jack Crook, Kansas state record keeper, points out that Wiens also set a new 80-plus women’s age group record earlier this year in the 5K at the Emma Creek event in Hesston.

* * *

P.S. Practice humility until you feel that you’re really good at it.

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