It has been said, numerous times, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Such is the case this week with the photo in the bottom right hand corner of this page. The picture, taken by our ace photographer Jessica Brown, shows members of the Winder-Barrow High School football team working out Monday morning in the middle of summer.
That in itself is not unusual. High school athletics spend the summer months working in preparation for their upcoming season. It happens in Winder and across the state. However, what was telling to me was how the photo captured the empty bleachers behind the players as they toiled in the morning heat.
There was no one cheering the players on. There was no big crowd yelling and screaming for them to do their best. No, during summer workouts it takes inner drive and determination to be successful. This inner drive to succeed has never been lost on me because I have seen it first-hand for years as a sports journalist.
It’s going on right now at both WBHS and Apalachee High School. It will continue right through the remainder of the summer until fall practice begins and throughout the season. Once the season ends, it will be back to the weight room for winter workouts. AHS head coach Shane Corley in fact places a high level of importance on weight training, entering his players in competitions. The Wildcats have enjoyed a degree of success unmatched by most in weight lifting.
Why am I mentioning this? It’s simple really. It’s a common fact many fans don’t understand what today’s high school athlete goes through in preparation for an upcoming season. They don’t understand the sacrifice it takes to be part of a team. They also don’t understand the hours upon hours put in by the coaches who are dedicating themselves to the players to make them better now and help prepare them for life after athletics.
Yet, on Friday nights you often hear Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes or Vince Dooley in the stands. How could this be? Well, considering the amount of advice these “fans” are offering, I figure it would have to be someone like one of these coaching icons. I mean, who else would be such as expert on what the coach is doing right or wrong, on what the quarterback should be doing, on what play should be called, on what defensive scheme would or would not work.
If these “fans” only knew how much they were really embarassing themselves then maybe they would leave the coaching to the coaches and the playing to the players. I know that’s wishful thinking, but I guess I’m someone who still believes miracles can happen.
As for me, I understand what the coaches and players go through. I understand the work they put in 12 months a year, not just when the season is in full swing. If only we could convince the “coaches in the stands” of just how things really work.
Perhaps the 2009 season will be that time. Perhaps not.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
