Schools Should Look to the Past to Prepare Coaches

As the school year draws to a close, it’s an appropriate time to address the issue of how to prepare young coaches to assume control of a sports program.

The old way of choosing a coach, based solely on their experiences as a player, doesn’t work. The so-called players’ coach wouldn’t last a month in an environment that requires specific understanding of issues ranging from devising a budget to ordering equipment, from fund-raising to dealing with one-on-one parent meetings.

But that hasn’t prevented some schools from hiring unprepared coaches and “throwing them to the wolves,” as one coach put it.

There’s a better way, and that’s turning to retired coaches to serve as mentors.

School districts have mentor programs for young teachers, in which they are observed and trained by master teachers.

The same idea can work with coaches. There’s an endless reserve of mature, knowledgeable retired coaches who’d be willing to help if asked. Their wisdom is sorely needed.

Too many young coaches worry more about their on-field record than preparing their students for life after high school. Too many young coaches don’t know how to deal with parental bickering. Too many young coaches don’t know what to do when they hear profanity.

Too many young coaches don’t know how to act when they object to an official’s call. Too many young coaches don’t understand the importance of maintaining their composure when everyone else is losing theirs.

A mentoring program for young coaches would be a valuable educational tool to supplement their experiences as players.

Old coaches don’t fade away and disappear. They keep going to sporting events as spectators, waiting and wishing someone would call for advice. It’s time to make the call.

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More than 100 football players participated in the Ventura County combine Wednesday at Oxnard Rio Mesa High. The fastest 40-yard time was turned in by Westlake running back Kenneth Mackins, the Marmonte League 100-meter champion. He ran 4.36 seconds.

Two intriguing players at the combine were from Thousand Oaks, 6-foot-4, 195-pound receiver Corey Mazza and 6-1 quarterback Brad Sievert. They’re taking over for Colorado State-bound receiver Dave Anderson and Brigham Young-bound quarterback Ben Olson.

Mazza runs 40 yards in 4.55 seconds, can dunk a basketball and would crash through a window to catch a football. Sievert was 8-0 as a starting quarterback for the freshman team and 10-0 as the starting quarterback for the sophomore team.

It’s understandable that not many people know about Sievert. “I was stuck behind the best quarterback in the country,” he said.

But Mazza and Sievert should earn plenty of respect this summer in passing leagues.

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Brett Simpson, a junior at Huntington Beach, won the open men’s division at the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. Western championships at Huntington Beach Pier two weeks ago.

He’ll be one of the favorites to win the national championship June 25-29 at Lower Trestles in San Clemente.

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Many scouts are hoping that La Puente Bishop Amat (26-2) and Westminster La Quinta (28-2) meet for the Southern Section Division IV baseball championship Saturday at Edison Field so they can see Adam Simon face Ian Kennedy in a prolific pitching matchup.

But West Hills Chaminade (23-7) has USC-bound left-hander Bobby Paschal (9-2) ready to face Bishop Amat in today’s 3:15 p.m. semifinal at Lake Balboa Birmingham. Paschal lost to Simon in last year’s semifinal and wants revenge.

Paschal has six shutouts and is in peak form. Bishop Amat will use Anthony Hidalgo (6-0).

In the other semifinal, unsung Oak Park (22-4) will play host to La Quinta and go with unshakeable sophomore Garrett Ozar (11-2).

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Encino Crespi is starting a football hall of fame by inducting its first three players at a dinner Saturday night in the school gymnasium. The honorees are safety Shaun Williams of the New York Giants, tight end Christian Fauria of the New England Patriots and running back Russell White, who led Crespi to the Division I championship in 1986.

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UCLA-bound Matt Moore of Newhall Hart will quarterback the West team in Sunday’s Valley Youth Conference all-star football game at 5 p.m. at Birmingham High. Moore is also scheduled to play in the Shrine All-Star Classic on July 13.

The Ventura County all-star football game is set for June 9 at Moorpark High.

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It’s always fun to see how athletic teenage television actors can be in real life considering they have such little time to play for sports teams.

On a Saturday afternoon, Frankie Muniz, 16-year-old star of “Malcolm in the Middle,” was playing a one-on-one basketball game against another teenager at a park in the San Fernando Valley. A couple kids stopped to watch, but there were no cameras, no bodyguards, no limousine driver and no one seeking autographs.

Wearing a headband, T-shirt and shorts, Muniz was dribbling between his legs, hitting jump shots and looking like a potential point guard for a high school team.

He lost by one basket and walked home, his pride intact.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at [email protected]