Call me old-fashioned, call me out of touch with today’s athlete and parent. That’s fine.
But this notion of spring athletes taking spring break off is ridiculous, especially in high school girls soccer.
Having played high school baseball for four years, the thought of skipping town or sleeping in during spring break was unheard of. But today, coaches and athletic departments have caved to parents and players who want to take vacations.
I’m all for family time and I’m all for getting away for a warm vacation. I travel as much as possible. But come on, the girls soccer season lasts eight weeks. You can’t be dedicated for eight weeks?
And before you tell me this might be the last time a family can take a vacation together, save your breath. The world isn’t ending tomorrow. If family time is that important, there are 358 other days each year to take a vacation.
How many basketball players skip town during the two-week holiday break in December? How many football players skip town on Labor Day weekend?
I just don’t believe taking a week off a mere 25 days into the season promotes a healthy athlete. Maybe that’s why we see more and more injuries in girls soccer every year. Not to mention that it gives coaches, parents and players another excuse when they come back from break. Play a tough team and lose? It was because they were out of shape or it was their first game back from break.
Here is what some area coaches think:
Nazareth coach John Nikchevich, who also is the women’s coach at the University of St. Francis: “At Nazareth, it is known from the first day to the last that total commitment is required from all our varsity players. The family should understand when you are in season to schedule your vacation when you are out of season.
“Our players are taught that whatever decision they make, they will need to live with the consequences, good and bad. They understand how we feel, but I will not make the decision for them. With that being said, we are missing one player out of 26 this season. In years past, we’ve either been at 100 percent during spring break or missing one. I have great support from my parents.
“Athletics is a great teacher of life. I want my players to value the rules of being a team member and learn from the structure that you can only get by being an athlete. Coaches need to be strong in those beliefs and make their players embrace what it means to be an athlete. This spring break, we took Monday off and will train Tuesday through Saturday. The season is short and players need to be fit to stay healthy.”
New Trier coach Jim Burnside: “We take Saturday through Wednesday off. This has always been the rule at New Trier.
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“If you are back late or leave early, you are suspended two games. I have a hard time telling kids they might need to skip their last break with their family before they go to college when we possibly could have 34 degrees and rain the entire week.
“I tell the parents and players that family is the most important piece of every player’s life, with school and soccer following as a close second and third. This family vacation is important. However, the players also know there is no wiggle room for other “days off” as the season rolls on. They know they get this time off with the expectation that they will give everything they have (and more) over the course of the season and beyond.
“It is interesting that this may be viewed as caving to pressures from the outside. Or is it just adjusting our priorities to the right level when teaching/coaching the entire kid? I have never heard anything from the parents on this. They are aware of and accept the level of commitment that we ask for.”
Stevenson coach Mark Schartner: “In 17 years, I’ve never kept the girls around for spring break. I just feel family and family time are more important than soccer. I’m sure my parents appreciate it.”
Glenbrook South coach Seong Ha: “We have always talked about family, school and soccer as the priorities for the girls. Particularly for the seniors, it may be the last time they enjoy family time or a family vacation before they go to college.
“We notify the girls in October/November what dates they are allowed to go and hold practices towards the end of spring break to balance it off. For us, it has worked very well, and the parents appreciate it. The key is early communication for all involved.”
Hersey coach Brad Abel: “We actually don’t give them the week off, as we train during spring break. We implemented this a while back, and it took a year or two for everyone to get on the same page.
“We try to have a couple games scheduled over break as well, to keep everyone around. It’s tough, because some of my players are three-sport athletes and never a get break. But with conference play starting right after, and the Pepsi Showdown around the corner, it’s almost as if we have to train.
“I always remind my players that running on a cruise ship on vacation is very different from soccer specific training. I also think the training over break can build a sense of team unity.”
Loyola coach Craig Snower: “We took four days off for spring break, which is our normal amount. We have a 24-woman roster, 23 returned on time. The one that missed sits the next game.”
Oak Park coach Paul Wright: “I am a coach that has flipped on this idea twice during my girls tenure. I have tried it in the past, and the problem becomes you are not prepared enough when girls get back from break and entering a big tournament.
“Sectional seeding is really important in a tough sectional like ours. The first two weeks of the season is cold, and it’s hard to get out there and work on things. Then you lose another week to spring break. If it’s not spring break, it’s college visits or Easter. The word commitment has changed over the years.”
Sycamore coach Dave Lichamer: “We practiced and played two games over our spring break, and then did not have a game this week. So I did give them an extended weekend, because of the space between games. Spring breaks are at different times/weeks for schools, which leads to scheduling problems for athletic directors. A question I would also pose is this: Does basketball have the same problem of attendance with Thanksgiving/Christmas tournaments?”
Email Joe Trost at [email protected]