As the New Smyrna Barracudas go into their playoff schedule no one can deny that the players, coaches, parents and fans are getting their reward for sticking it out through thick and thin. This year’s success comes at the end of some pretty tough times. No matter how the playoffs go, this season has been a great success.
All sports are educational especially football at the high school level. This year’s seniors have received a thorough education that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. So you should ask, ”What did they learn?”
First of all, they learned to “hang in there and don’t quit.” Success in football as well as in life involves much effort and frequent gut wrenching disappointment. If you give up easily your chances of success are close to zero.
Next, they learned that if you do hang in there long enough you will get a shot at success. When things are not going your way refrain from doing things that will make it impossible for you to “get back in the game.” In sports that means quitting the team or getting out of shape or not practicing.
In life when faced with setbacks or tragedies like getting fired or the loss of a loved one, you must refrain from doing things that will keep you from getting “back in the game.” Things you must refrain from in life include getting hooked on drugs or alcohol or worse. If you keep from ruining yourself when things aren’t going your way life, will most often give you another chance.
My dad used to say as we struggled through some miserable seasons back in the fifties, “Son, notice that the sun still comes up on Saturday after you lose on Friday.”
Another lesson they may learn is to follow Rudyard Kipling’s advice and treat victory and defeat as the imposters they are. That is when you lose you aren’t as bad as you feel and when you win you are not as great as you think you are.
All in all sports especially football are among the most successful learning programs in the public school system. It baffles me why sports are the first thing our educators want to curtail when funds get scarce.
Reaching success the way they did was no doubt a much more valuable experience than if New Smyrna had had a winning football program for the last three years. You sometimes wonder if the kids that play on perennial winners really get the whole benefit of the playing the game. Too much success too easily and too early can be ruinous.
The old sports fans in town have known for a long time that Rocky Yocam is a really good coach and he has demonstrated it one more time. Dr Kelly, at the high school, has demonstrated many times her ability to bring in outstanding talent for the benefit of our kids.
We at NSBNEWS.net congratulate the New Smyrna Football team, the coach and his fine staff, the parents and fans for a really productive and worthwhile season.