kids will perform better if parents leave the coach alone

“We really need to get back to a situation where we just let the kids have fun. That’s what high school sports is about. It’s supposed to be about the team and winning and enjoying your teammates.

Murphy points out many student-athletes might be better served in aiming for an academic scholarship. Try to excel in athletics and academics, he said.

“There are lots of opportunities to take home an academic scholarship,” he said. “Kids shouldn’t miss the boat on what might be available to them.”

Murphy’s thinking is echoed by administrators and coaches.

“I believe we’ve lost a lot of what high school sports used to be like,” said Groff. “Before, it was playing for the team and the school. You played to have fun, above everything else. Now it’s more of a me-first thing. It’s what I can get out of this.

“I hope it’s a cyclical thing, and we get back to more of the way things used to be.”

Joe Vaughan, the successful girls’ basketball coach and athletic director at Buena High, has a similar sentiment.

“We tell our players not to think of what’s best for themselves, but for the team,” he said. “Too many people look for the wrong things in playing sports. I believe they should look at the high school experience as an investment.

“You put a lot of time into this, so the important thing is to enjoy the overall experience. There are so many memories you can create for a lifetime.”

Got a beef? Administrators offer their advice. So do players.

“If you’ve got a problem, never, ever discuss it with the coach on the court or the field,” said Royal High principal Bob LaBelle. “Go home, make an appointment for the next day. You’re never going to do any good by confronting a coach after the game.”

Players said they wish parents would stay in the stands.

“It’s always tough when the parents get involved in a team situation,” said former Newbury Park third baseman Matt Eisenstein. “It becomes a big distraction for the whole team. The best thing for parents to do is let the players play.”

Westlake High football standout Jimmy Miller agrees.

“When parents stay in the stands and cheer, that’s the best thing for the team,” he said. “It’s always best when the players and the coaches handle any problems. Let that all stay inside the team.”

By Loren Ledin, The Ventura County Star.

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