You make the choice

Every year, kids have to choose between travel teams, AAU teams and HS. Now throw in family events, sweet 16's Proms, etc.

One thing I never messed with as a coach was God!

While searching on material to read about HS Sports, I came across this blog and article about a coach and his terms on missing practice:

Remember - THIS IS HIS VIEW, NOT MINE, I am just copying for your reading enjoyment:


From: Despising none: Joe Ball

"There is an interesting article in today's Courier Journal. A High School Volleyball player was told by her coach when she ask about missing practice to attend a national youth convention with her church, that she would "have to pick between being on the squad her senior year or going to the convention in Orlando, citing a policy in which players would be dropped from the team if they missed practice."
To read the entire article click here.

According to the article, "two other students on the team were being allowed to participate in the Governor's Scholars Program."
And that is the kicker. The student and her parents pleaded that by allowing the students to miss to attend the Governor's Scholar Program and to not allow her to miss for a religious event amounted to religious discrimination.

The lawyer for the school board said: "the coach was violating a long-established district wide policy against religious discrimination and she
advised him to reverse his decision, which he did. "

Everyday Christians have to make faith based decisions that have sometimes monumental consequences. Students are no different. And it isn't always religious discrimination when we are persecuted for our faith.

When we don't get the promotion, make the team; get invited to the party and such. It is the results of leading a Christian life. Scripture teaches this.

The religious discrimination did not occur when she choose to go to the national youth convention with her church. That was a free choices based on her faith, and the opportunities placed before her. Should the coach be accommodating, sure? But the nature of athletic competition and the demand we place on coaches to win doesn't lend itself to that. The discrimination occurs when the other students were allowed to miss for the Governor's Scholar Program and not be removed from the team.
Every year this scenario is played out on athletic teams all across Kentucky.

Students must choose between church camp and sports practice. We as youth ministers know this. That is why most of us do not schedule events for high schoolers in July. We can accommodate our students and partner with our schools and parents in this issue.

Hang in there college and real life is coming soon enough. "

Note: The above views were copy and pasted from another blog for your reading. They are only here to provoke thought, not to ensue or provoke a opinion or discussion.

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Time for a softball TOC

1 – Sectional Sites: Do not assign the Group-Sectional Final sites until the final four teams are determined, this way a central location may be easier to assign.

2 – Seed like volleyball does. No more record only, assign a points system much like the one that works so well in volleyball.

3 - Time for a TOC, lacrosse does it. Why can't softball. Softball and baseball are not the same sport. They maybe counterparts on paper, but the rules are so different that keeping softball on a baseball schedule is a shame.

Sectional Format (using 2007 as example dates)
Preliminary – by Saturday May 19
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, May 22
Semifinals – Thursday, May 24
Sectional Final – Saturday, May 26
Group Format
Group Semifinals – Tuesday, May 29
Group Finals – Saturday, June 2
Tournament of Champions
The Three-Six Seeds and Four-Five Seeds play Tuesday, June 4.
TOC Semi games Thursday June 7
TOC Championship Saturday June 9

Sectional Format (using 2007 as example dates)
Preliminary – 2nd to last Saturday in May
Quarterfinals – Last Tuesday in May
Semifinals – Last Thursday in May
Sectional Final – Last Saturday in May
Group Format
Group Semifinals – Last Tuesday in May
Group Finals – 1st Saturday in June
Tournament of Champions
The Three-Six Seeds and Four-Five Seeds: 2nd Tuesday in June
TOC Semi 2nd Thursday in June
TOC Championship 2nd Saturday in June

Why make plans?

I had my day all set … on the road by 8:45. Coffee & a Bagel. A Couple EZ-Pass tolls and arrive at Toms River North about 10:30. Pick out a nice spot to watch the Clifton v. TRE match-up. How long could that game last? 1 hour 10 minutes? 1:20? Walk over, catch Randolph in the 3rd and tape the game. Hop in the car and catch the second half of Mendham Girls Lax, then watch Mt. Lakes pull the upset of the year in Boys Lax.

It simply started out ugly. I forgot to set my alarm. Woke up at 9. Arrived at TRN at 11:40. No big deal, the softball game was 0-0, bottom 4. Perfect! I decide to camp out with Sean Reilly and the Pride Crew. It’s always fun seeing Stern and there’s some people you just need to watch a game with … the Pride contingency are those people you need spend one game with. It is that funny.

But we’re still on pace … I am now hearing tons of cheering from across the great plains that TRN calls their athletic complex. I know I need to get over there. But it’s no 0-0, top 8 and my love of softball has taken over that desire to down that one last chicken wing!

Move ahead to the 10th … 0-0, International Tie-Breaker. This is the 1st time in NJ State history that we have had a ITB in the state finals, You can watch the 10th inning when I upload the video shortly.

The game ends about 2:25 minutes after 1st pitch and I run over to Randolph. Bottom 7, Score 15-7. I notice that Randolph is at bat … and it’s the bottom of the 7th. Not good! I think to myself … “maybe I am just in time to catch one of the greatest comebacks in NJSIAA history!” Kral leads off the 7th and hits a frozen rope to right. I notice the right fielder taking a very aggressive angle and sprawls all-out … and makes a sensational catch -- Belly out, feet in the air, fully extended!! You know it’s not your day when that happens, but what a great season for the Rams!

It’s now 2:45 and if I jet up to Rutgers, I was due to miss almost all of the Mendham game. So why not watch Porcello? I grab a seat at the 6 tables that the NJSIAA has set up for the press and watch one inning. What impressed me the most? The hitting of SHP! Are you kidding, Talk about a stacked line up! Then the reason why everyone bought a ticket … Porcello gears up for the 1st inning. A classic hush and quiet awe overtook the crowd as the future Detroit Tiger took the sign for his first pitch. Pop. Oh yeah, he brings it. You know that, everyone knows that. He then walks the 1st batter on four pitches. Did I mention he already had a 4-0 lead before even throwing a pitch? A wild pitch and single and St. Joe’s cut it to 4-1. Needless to say, like the class act and born ball player that Porcello is, he settled in and cruised to a 10-1 victory.

Back to watch softball. Watched the rest of the 4-1 Wall victory. The crowd was tiny compared to Clifton-TRE. Any the atmosphere was a joke compared to the all-out shabang that the NJSIAA puts out for baseball. What ever happened to Title IX?

That just tell me that’s it time to send the Softball-TOC letter to the state again. I will be very happy to send the same letter I sent Boyd Sands years ago; the one that fell on deaf ears. The one that explains that softball and baseball are not the same sport and keeping softball on a baseball schedule is purely a waste of time that can be used to crown a TOC champion. I’ll post that letter in a few days.

Baseball Star Ledger: Washington 15 (20-11), Randolph 7 (24-8)
Girls Lax Star Ledger: Moorestown 16 (23-3), Mendham 6 (21-2)
Boys Lax Star Ledger: Mountain Lakes 13 (20-2), Delbarton 11 (21-1)

For those of you who are looking for past articles and game coverage, all of the material on this site has been moved to a Blog as I revamp the entire look during the summer. I will let you know where you can find everything once it has “gone live.”

35 Innings?

international tie Breaker or not?:

Spy Sweeper - A must for PC protection

Keep Your PC Safe from Spyware

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Summer Tutoring & getting a leg up

It’s almost summer and it’s school is about to let out for that ever-so-short break we teachers call summer. As a parent and a teacher, I see how learning centers only benefit the learning process and the educational development of the student, especially the student athlete.

You may have never considered using a learning center for the summer, but Score Learning centers are the absolutely excellent and provide your child with a head start on the rest of the class. Remember, academics get the student into college, rarely if never does athletics give the pass.

As a math teacher, I see students struggle and others who seek this extra help proud of their accomplishments and eager to learn. They develop into better students. I strongly suggest looking into a Math Tutors from Score.

There are 14 Score Learning Centers in New Jersey and the center in Livingston is readily available for you. You should definitely consider looking into their Mountain Challenge Workbook Series, Math and Language Arts workbooks and an online companion for kids in grades K-6 - Click here for more information. You Can Save $100! when you enroll by June 30th. But remember they offer help to children ages 4 to 14 and make significant academic progress in an innovative tutoring environment.


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2007 Morris County SOFTBALL Coaches' Team

Listed below is the Morris County Coaches Team. These young Ladies will be honored tomorrow by the Coaches and their peers at a Luncheon at the Zeris Inn. This team is selected by the Coaches

Boonton
Chelsea Perrotty & Amanda Sheehan

Chatham
Liz Barna & Amanda Costa

Dover
Caitlin Lally & Chelseya O'Connell

Hanover Park
Cassandra Cefolo & Alyssa Marchitto

Jefferson
Jenna Pettoni & Christina Palombi

Kinnelon
Ariana Infozino & Madelana Escudero

Mendham
Amy Lieberwirth & Jennifer Schmitt

Montville
Stephanie Malgeri & Noelle Sisco

Morris Catholic
Morgan Griglick & Melissa Kanouse

Morris Hills
Jess Sitzer & Taryn Fernicola

Morris Knolls
Kati Eggert & Maria O'Connor

Morristown
Blair Sittmann & Rebecca Satz

Mt. Lakes
Elizabeth Schumman & Erin Stahl

Mt. Olive
Noelle Diana & Kathleen Mooney

Parsippany
Kim Rubino & Kelly Flanagan

Parsippany Hills
Bethany Greenfield & Samantha Sorrentino

Pequannock
Noelle Ramirez & Tara Earley

Randolph
Holly Piasciak & Alison Wertheim

Roxbury
Erica Desmond & Caroline Kiernan

Villa Walsh
Kelly Bracken & Stephanie Lopez

West Morris
Brittany McGarry & Kate Weger

Whippany Park
Becky LaMarca & Casey Musarra