Future of HS sports is one of decline

You’ll find more questions than answers here today.

Things have changed since I went to high school. I know I’m old and it was seemingly light years ago that I darkened the halls of high school. But these days we have club sports for almost every high school sport.

I got to thinking: Will we ever see a day when the high schools decide to drop some sports that have a cousin club sport? With the ever-shrinking dollar, I could see a time when some sports are axed because of economics.

Is it just me or are high school sports becoming secondary to club sports? Consider the options out there: AAU basketball; USA wrestling; USVBA volleyball; American Legion baseball.

I know American Legion baseball isn’t a so-called club sport. But it’s the off-season equivalent.

Thank goodness there isn’t a club equivalent for high school football. Although I never played the sport competitively – I was a four-year letterman in golf and played two years of basketball before an early start in my profession presented itself – football is the king of high school sports.

Club and youth recreation sports are out of hand. It’s sad that kids as young as kindergarten are being thrust into sports at such an early age. The Coeur d’Alene Recreation Department, for example, offered flag football for the first time to second-graders this fall. The image of a pack of ants moving about the field is amusing.

But I digress. By the time most kids are in middle school, they’re being pressured to pare down their activities from three sports to two or even one. This day of specialization could also be the undoing of high school sports. You can’t tell me that being a multiple-sport athlete hinders one’s ability to earn a scholarship. It should enhance that ability.

And how many of our high school athletes – especially in my neck of the woods in North Idaho – are going to go on to NCAA Division I schools? They are few and far between.

From my perspective, I’m convinced that the future will include fewer high school sports.

Panhandle picks

It’s a good thing I’m not in school and being graded here. After going 6-5 last week, my three-week total stands at 19-15. I’m trudging along at 56 percent. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that would garner a D in most classes.

Worse yet, I’m 2-4 in our new weekly video prep picks (check those out at www.spokesmanreview. com/blogs/sportslink).

Lake City at Gonzaga Prep: This is the first time that the Bullpups have played a team from North Idaho since 1982. That was the year, you may recall, that Coeur d’Alene defeated G-Prep on its way to a state title and an undefeated season.

G-Prep also went on to capture a state title. But legend has it that former coach Don Anderson was so mad that his Bullpups lost at CdA – something about being “homered” – that he vowed a Bullpups team would never play a North Idaho team again.

Enough with the history lesson. LC is coming off a big win two weeks ago over Del Oro of Loomis, Calif., and the Timberwolves used a bye week to get healthy. LC 24, G-Prep 14.

Centennial at Coeur d’Alene: The Vikings are in a state of urgency after embarrassing themselves in a 27-7 loss at home to Sandpoint. CdA will play better Friday, but it won’t be enough. Centennial 14, CdA 7.

Post Falls at Sandpoint: The 4A Bulldogs will be out to get a second straight win over a 5A team. The Trojans should rebound after a 37-20 loss to Eagle last week. PF 21, Sandpoint 14.

•Other games: Lakeland 21, Freeman 14; Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) 20, Moscow 13; Timberlake 28, Priest River 13; Bonners Ferry 20, St. Maries 14; Kellogg 23, Orofino 20; Kootenai 36, Wallace 26; Lakeside (Plummer) 24, Clark Fork 12.

Coming up

In the Prairie Voice today is a feature about Lakeland kicker John Novak, who hopes his leg will pay for his college education.

Check out a story about Lake City quarterback Adam Fenenbock in Saturday’s Handle Extra.