ARE WE LEARNING SERENDIPITOUSLY?

Written by Dan Salzwedel

I’ve always had a passion for what we as an organization-the NMAA-stands for in terms of the importance of interscholastic activities within the total educational framework. Specifically, the mission or objective, to teach morals, character and the American system of achievement, represents a substantial direction by which all decisions should be made in our arena for learning.

As I’ve traveled around the state over many years, I’ve observed what appears to be an almost serendipitous approach to interscholastic activities and its role within our society upbringing. The teaching of success! how to compete in every pursuit, and the development of character co-mingled together formulates the basis for becoming a productive member of our citizenry. I’ve witnessed administrators not understanding the rules, much like many coaches, but more troubling is the fact that very few truly understand and practice the aforementioned objective with any degree of depth and understanding. The need to acknowledge that objective, or role if you will, in every decision that we make is critical in that you cannot affect tomorrow by not living it today. As has been published in other forums, it has been determined over a period of years, utilizing the value research conducted by our office at various events, that kids don’t realize the value of their interscholastic participation for many years after the initial event. For example, we know from our own data that over 90 of those participating in the survey either attributed or affirmed their value selection to an interscholastic adviser/coach. This is further supported in that 92 of those surveyed who are 15 or more years out of high school attributed their value selection or affirmation to their interscholastic experience, and the number increases beyond that to over 93 for individuals who are 20 or more years out of high school. The latter is very revealing, in that we know at the time the experience takes place that it’s regarded as fun for the most part as a result of participation, and what’s important in this very revealing data is the latent effect that occurs and the very positive impact we can and do have on society’s future. You truly do shape the value selection and substantially frame how our society will think to a great extent far beyond what the immediate goals might conceive.

It’s more than a game or an event, and to rely simply on the fact that we have good

. !c:::ec-c :,,,-,(“”,,,):~ckin acl:lfev~ng-tt1ings that are not necessarily sought-outrepresentsan tll-fated trendin our area of education. My observations are that we are lacking in depth and breadth in many cases and knowledge that this very important laboratory for learning has far-reaching effects, which in many cases are not properly planned for as prescribed through the Association. As an extension of the classroom, this author would contend that this may be America’s biggest classroom for learning, as opposed to sports and activities’ assigned role as something frivolous to the educational process in many cases. As a consequence of our observations and the investigative process, among other sources of information and research, it’s quite clear that parents value the opportunity to live vicariously through their children at our level, similar to Little League opportunities for participation, officials who assure the safety and educational welfare from their perspective during the course of the contests or events are all too often caught up in the immediate gratification of the experience.

Examples of serendipitous learning:

1. Kids learning to conduct themselves appropriately without a concerted effort in implementing any kind of formal or informal program to teach sportsmanship and value education.

2. Learning values in spite of inappropriate behavior being role modeled by the adults who lead our kind of our activities.

3. Learning how to compete in a competitive society without identifying appropriate outgrowth objectives and formally inculcating those concepts of success necessary to achieve later in life.

4. Where does one learnthe work ethic? Goal setting? Time management? Teamwork? Persistence? Perseverance? Pride? How to love? And how to conduct yourself under pressure? Are you sure that your program is inculcating these values as we purport to each student who participates?

5. Attendance at events continues to slip or is driven by winning only.

6. How many of us advance the concept of handling pressure and/or stress by putting people in the stands to enhance that educational environment