Mar. 28—What’s the value in high school sports? Why, in small towns and huge cities across the nation, are millions of local taxpayers’ dollars spent on gymnasiums, football fields, swimming pools, hockey rinks and baseball/softball diamonds? What is the return on that investment?
That’s an easy question to answer. Playing high school sports instills discipline and accountability. It fosters leadership. It teaches the importance of teamwork and perseverance. It encourages civic pride and a sense of community. And athletic competition, like life, isn’t always fair. Winning is fun, but losing builds character — or it reveals it.
On March 7 in St. Paul, under the brightest spotlight that Minnesota high school athletes can face, two teams came up short — and not just on the scoreboard.
Minnetonka and Hibbing/Chisholm lost in the Class 2A and 1A boys hockey championship games. Both contests were fast-paced, hard-hitting, back-and-forth overtime thrillers, with the final score in each being 5-4. In the storied history of the Minnesota state hockey tournament (known as one of the best high school sporting events in the nation), this one will go down as one of the greatest.
But right now, people are talking about what happened after these title games. Upon receiving their second-place medals, some players immediately removed them, while others refused to allow the medal to be placed around their necks. One of the teams had to be pushed to accept the second-place trophy, and the Minnetonka coaches didn’t attend the post-game press conference.
Social media immediately erupted with opinions about the behavior of the players and coaches for both of these squads. In the days that followed, journalists for multiple media outlets across the state weighed in — some in defense of the players and coaches, some to join the chorus of criticism.
Those who defend (or at least minimize) the losing teams’ actions argue that these were teenage boys, playing under tremendous pressure in a game they’ve dreamed of since they were 5 years old. Hockey is an intense, physical, emotionally charged sport, and the suddenness and finality of losing a state championship in overtime was devastating. The coaches of the losing teams have said that it might be asking too much of 16-year-old boys to be gracious in defeat mere minutes after their dreams died.
We see at least some merit in that last point. A 15-minute cooling-off period, either in the locker room or on the ice, might have helped the coaches and players compose themselves and put on a better face during the trophy ceremonies. We’d be surprised if this year’s drama didn’t push the Minnesota State High School League to mandate such a buffer for next year’s tournament.
But still, we won’t give a pass to Minnetonka and Hibbing/Chisholm. Yes, some of the players were 16 years old, but others were 18. They’ve played and lost big games before. And, while the medal ceremony did happen fairly quickly, the players had a few minutes to console each other, and they had already gone through the “high-five line” with the winning team before medals were awarded. There was ample opportunity for coaches to say, “Respect the process.”
That’s what should have happened. Playing a high school sport is a privilege, not a right. Playing on the grandest stage in the state is an opportunity that also brings a responsibility.
The preparation for such a moment should begin when kids first lace up skates, pick up a bat or attempt their first layups. As first-graders, they should hear the same messages: Practice hard, play hard, play to win, but respect the game. Respect your opponent and the officials. After the game, shake hands and hold your head high, regardless of the outcome.
Today, it’s possible those messages have become muted. Perhaps some coaches and parents have lost sight of the big picture, due in part to the amount of time and money that is being spent on private lessons, club teams, year-round play and out-of-state tournaments. That kind of investment demands results, and kids feel the pressure to win.
But we can’t endorse or even grudgingly accept a “winning is everything” mentality. Finishing second in the state is a huge achievement — one that would have thrilled most of the 137 boys hockey teams that saw their seasons end before the title game. Likewise, fans who came to Mayo Civic Center to watch boys and girls section basketball championships didn’t see losing teams behaving badly. Sometimes they accepted their medals with tears in their eyes (especially seniors who will never wear that jersey again), but they still stood tall, and their coaches usually spoke with the media within a few minutes after a tough defeat that nixed their hopes for a state tournament berth.
Very few high school athletes see their seasons and careers end with a victory, and it falls on coaches (and parents) to prepare them for that eventuality. The message, from the first day of practice, should be something like this: “When you put on that uniform, you represent your school and your town. Make your family and your community proud. Act with dignity and respect toward everyone.”
Athletes who hear that message throughout the season (yes, even 16-year-old boys) should know how to behave when the final horn sounds and the other team celebrates.
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