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The Crook County Booster Club has taken on a daunting task. Every since school funding in Oregon was changed from local property taxes to state funding, athletics as well as other programs have faced problems raising money. The Booster Club has chosen to take over fund-raising so that coaches can spend their time coaching instead of worrying about budgets and fund-raising.
This is not a simple task. Households and businesses are continually being asked for money for one worthy program after another, and people do not have the time or the finances to adequately support all of the activities available in a community the size of Prineville.
Coming up on Oct. 20 is an opportunity for you to support CCHS athletics while having a good time as well. The Booster Club is putting on a golf tournament and dinner at Meadow Lakes Golf Course. The cost to participate is $300 for a team, not a bad price if you look at the cost of playing 18 holes on many Central Oregon golf courses. There are courses where green fees alone would take more than the entry fee.
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with a shotgun start. Participants receive a welcome pack, 18 holes of golf, a catered steak and chicken dinner, and there are raffles and an auction.
The money goes to a good cause, so why not have a good day of golf and support the CCHS athletic program at the same time?
While we are on the subject, in many small communities throughout the United States booster clubs have huge membership and help to generate excitement for the athletic program as well as wielding a considerable influence on the direction athletics goes in the community. Right now in Prineville you can come close to counting the Booster Club membership on your fingers. If you believe in the benefits of athletics for students, schools and community identity you should get involved.
With that said, columnists are paid to provoke thought. Last week Jenni Carlson a columnist for The Oklahoman newspaper wrote a column critical of recently benched Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid.
On Saturday Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy spent his post-game press conference in a public rant attacking her character rather than talking about his team's dramatic come from behind 49-45 victory over Texas Tech.
Gundy went so far as to say: "I hope someday you have a child and somebody downgrades and belittles them," and "I hope when you have a son he's fat and comes home crying to his mom."
Gundy has received wide-spread support from current and former players, and residents of Oklahoma. Surprisingly he has also received support from many other current and former coaches.
Sports writers and coaches have sometimes had strained relationships. The coach desires for his team to look good in print. The sports writer wants to interest the reader and perhaps report on something juicy.
In this case both the writer and coach went too far. The writer should never have questioned the player's manhood, only his performance on the field, and the coach should obviously not have insulted the reporter's unborn child.
The whole incident brings up an interesting question. When is it okay to criticize a player or coach?
Newspaper columnists are often highly critical of players and coaches of professional teams, as are spectators. And this may be fine as all of the people taking heat are being well compensated for playing a game. Spectators can also be brutal to players at games. However this behavior has trickled down to amateur athletics as well. If you don't believe that, look at some of the not so nice things in print on the forum portion of oregonlive.com, or listen closely to the armchair quarterbacks at any game.
Athletics are a wonderful opportunity for students to learn discipline, responsibility, work ethic, teamwork, sportsmanship and many other things. As parents, spectators and reporters we should be applauding their efforts not criticizing them or putting them down. By the same token it may be admirable that Gundy stood up for his player, but he should have treated the reporter with the same respect that he is asking her to give his players.
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