ONE FAN'S OPINION - It All Starts Here

by ROD ICE

Gazette Newspapers
Last week I interviewed Grand Valley Head Football Coach
Tom Henson, in Orwell. We discussed the upcoming season, and his group of players.
As I expected, he talked with enthusiasm about the expertise of his staff, and the developing skills of his athletes. But an extra component appeared during our chat. One that inspired lots of reflection after the meeting was over.
Coach Henson reported that everyone in the GV program was on-track academically, as well as physically. “They are good students. I can tell you about everyone’s grades,” he said. “They’ve learned discipline, and had a lot of fun.”
I smiled over the parental concern he showed for each performer as a total person. It said much about his individual character. But there was more.
“Lots of our participants play two or three sports,” he said. “We have to be careful not to burn them out. That is especially hard to do if they go to college. It requires lots of time in the weight room. They need some time to be kids.”
Henson summed up his viewpoint with a meaningful observation. “We’ve all got children of our own,” he said. “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you understand kids.”
Those words were still echoing as I returned to
my truck.
Driving to the newspaper office from Orwell, I pondered Coach Henson’s insight. He spoke with the kind of professonalism that one would want in any team director. But beyond being proficient in the details of coaching, he sounded like someone who honestly cared about his players as individuals. A person who would not accept the flawed philosophy that body and mind are separate quantities.
Still at the wheel, I realized something undeniably true
 IT ALL STARTS HERE.
Seeds produce healthy plants over time, with the right amounts of soil, water, air, and cultivation. In the same way, children grow into professional athletes when they are nurtured by experienced mentors who demonstrate the value of dedication and teamwork. Buckeyes fans, like myself, still talk about the fiery crash of Maurice Clarett. As a human being, he was gifted beyond his peers. The one-time football star rushed for 1,237 yards during a single season at Ohio State, scoring 18 touchdowns. His accomplishment was a freshman record. the performance helped drive OSU to a 14-0 record, and a national championship.
Clarett was named USA Today High School Player of the
Year, and Parade All American. Most publications ranked him in the gridiron top 100, overall.
Yet cracks began to show quickly in his personality. He argued with coaches and school administrators; got preferred treatment from instructors; and took unauthorized gifts. Then, he fought an expensive legal battle with the NFL over eligibility requirements. When the Denver Broncos signed him, he was overweight, uncooperative, and unimpressive. Eventually, his slide ended with a morass of drugs, firearms, and criminal charges. Clarett won a spot in jail rather than gaining more yards as a pro athlete. Considering his downfall, I mused that having someone who cared enough to provide discipline in his life might have made all the difference.
Someone like the Grand Valley coach I had interviewed, perhaps. Or his counterparts from Jefferson, Geneva, Edgewood, Lakeside, Conneaut, Sts. John and Paul, or Pymatuning Valley. The lessons such people provide today, could offer a pathway to greater success, tomorrow.
For this fallen star, there seemed to be an endless parade of hangers-on who filled his ears with hero worship and adulation. It remains doubtful that anyone pointed out the athlete’s recklessness or lack of committment. Criticism and guidance came too late in his youthful life.
Sadly,
it didn’t have to be that way.
The result was a pity for us as fans, but most
of all for the player, himself. Clarett surrendered a potential career worth millions, and years of personal liberty.
In Ashtabula County, our youthful athletes operate in a region away from the spotlight of metropolitan communities. Yet so often, they have proven to be well-prepared for achievement at the next level. They develop toughness and resolve here. Their bodies and hearts grow strong. We have a dependable stewpot of conditions, for creating the right mix of talent and discipline in our kids. Even after completing the high school experience, their work ethic remains. A bit of hometown Ohio stays inside of every son or daughter of the county. It is part of who we are as citizens of a special place.
Clarett could have used some of that in his own life. A person willing to take an unpopular stand. A figure ready to deliver hope and inspire courage. A voice able to speak with conviction and confidence.
Someone interested in winning in at life, more than merely at local high school games.
A person like Tom Henson.