Coaches input needed in choosing all-star teams

The prep staff at the Times Free Press is in the middle of another all-star period, a time when we pour over stats, listen to coaches and try to take hundreds of athletes and pair them down to the most deserving.

After selecting the All-North Georgia Wrestling team, I began working on the boys’ and girls’ basketball squads, and one thing has really stuck in my mind lately: why do some coaches not care? You would think a coach would want to see his or her athletes rewarded for their hard work, but it’s getting harder and harder to get some coaches to cooperate.

I can only speak of my experiences in Northwest Georgia, but I can honestly say the past few seasons have been the worst in my 21 years as far as cooperation from some schools. And this isn’t just for all-stars. We’re talking the simple act of reporting a game, match or meet. Sure, coaches don’t get paid anything extra to report their scores, but, as one veteran coach recently told me, it’s an inherent responsibility.

Yes, coaches are extremely busy and often are too distracted after a game to make a phone call. Understandable. What’s not understandable, though, is why a coach can’t get an assistant, parent, administrator, mascot, student, ANYONE to get the scorebook and make a two-minute call. Those simple calls mean more to us than anyone will ever realize. They are our lifeblood. We can only cover so many events per night, and most coaches realize and appreciate that.

Now, this isn’t to say all schools in my area are slackers. On the contrary, Gordon Lee, Ridgeland, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Ringgold and Trion have been good in most every sport. Others, like Dalton, Dade County and Northwest Whitfield are good in some sports and the others, well, you know who you are (though our readers have probably forgotten you by now).

Hey, folks, it starts at the top. If the administration doesn’t care, it’s most likely the coaches won’t either. So this is a plea to all parents and fans of high school sports. If your school isn’t calling us, let the coaches and administration know about it. If they still won’t listen, step up and volunteer your time.

I guarantee you, the kids, not to mention a weary group of sportswriters, will greatly appreciate it.