[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...c6871673036.txt

A howl to action

By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Monday, June 6, 2011 11:26 PM CDT


Fifty.

That is the number of team sectional championships won by Michigan City High School since the consolidation of Elston and Rogers High Schools in 1995.

I mentioned in my column that a good chunk of those titles have been won by the tennis programs of Norm Bruemmer, the latest of which came a few weeks ago when the Wolves girls’ won their 15th sectional title in 16 tries.

Click here to find out more!
Adding the six titles won by the boys tennis team with Bruemmer at the helm, he has directed 21 of City’s 50 titles.

Tim Bumber, head coach of the Wolves’ girls cross country and track teams since consolidation, has the next highest total by a coach with six cross country titles and four track titles – a total of ten.

Bumber’s most recent title came in the fall of 2005 when his cross country team captured the New Prairie Sectional title.

The remaining 19 sectional titles are spread out among the following sports – volleyball with seven, boys golf with four, girls basketball with three, boys track with two and one each from boys soccer, baseball, and softball.

Nine sports have never won a sectional championship during the past 16 years – football, boys basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, girls soccer, girls golf, boys cross country, and boys and girls swimming.

That is not to say City hasn’t had success in any of these programs. There have been individual sectional champions – not to mention state champions — and teams that advanced to regionals and beyond without winning a sectional, but for one reason or another, none of those programs have been able to get their hands on the wooden trophy shaped like the state of Indiana.

Of the sectionals that have been won, 25 came during the first six years of the Wolves’ existence. The remaining 25 have taken 10 years to compile.

This season marked the second year in a row that City claimed only one title – both years being bailed out by Bruemmer’s girls teams in the zero hour.

The reason I have focused on team sectional titles is that it is one of the only quantifiable ways to illustrate the success, or lack thereof, of athletics at Michigan City High School.

Thinking back to when consolidation was first being discussed, one of the biggest pros of combining the Red Devils and Raiders was the thought of just how good the teams could be if you took the best of Elston and combined them with the best of Rogers.

If you would have told me then that Michigan City would still be searching for a single sectional title in either boys basketball or football 16 years later, I would’ve questioned your sanity.

The Wolves’ 50 sectional championships since the 1995-96 school year represent the lowest total by any Duneland Conference school. The next lowest is Portage with 58. La Porte has 67, Merrillville has 76, Chesterton has 87, Crown Point has 97, while Valparaiso and Lake Central are tied with a staggering 151 apiece.

I recognize that there are larger populations and differing socioeconomic factors in Valparaiso and the St. John-Schererville area compared to Michigan City, but I’m not buying any argument that tells me that Valparaiso or Lake Central has three times the talent or three times the potential that Michigan City has.

I am proud to be part of the first class to have graduated from Michigan City High School and that has a lot to do with why I am setting out on a mission this summer to examine what we as a community can do to help our Wolves.

For the first step, I am asking for your input.

I have had a lot of people take the time to share their criticisms and compliments regarding our sports coverage and my columns. Sometimes it is an e-mail, sometimes a phone call, other times it is stopping me when you see me out and about.

However you’re comfortable sharing your thoughts, I am encouraging you to do so.

I’m going to be making my own phone calls as well.

I am encouraged by the work that has been done by Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins. She has stressed community involvement and it is time to get everyone involved.

It is time to prove that the strength of Michigan City athletics is in the pack.

q

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Grammy515]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...c6871673036.txt

I THINK OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS WILL BE SERVED GREATLY IF MCAS WILL HIRE COACHES TO COACH AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER THAT COACH IS A TEACHER. TOO MANY COACHES HAVE BEEN HIRED TO FOR A SPECIFIC SPORT BUT AS A CONSOLATION -- THEY HAVE TO BE A TEACHER.
I ALWAYS USE THIS ANALOGY--say Phil Jackson, former coach of LA Lakers decides to plant himself in MC. There happens to be a vacant coaching job at MCHS for boys basketball and he applies. Well, sorry Mr. Jackson, you're not a licensed teacher so we cant hire you to coach our boys BBall team. SOUNDS CRAZY RIGHT? WELL THAT'S HOW IT GOES AT MC.
WE SHOULD HIRE TEACHERS TO TEACH AND COACHES TO COACH.......SIMPLE....

[Ang]

Unfortunately the teacher's union controls all of that and they say that coaches have to be teachers or administrators.

[Southsider2k12]

I honestly believe the biggest thing holding up athletics in this town is the complete lack of community support for the kids here. There is no pride civicly (if that is even a word) for being a Michigan City Wolf. It was a big deal to be a Red Devil or Raider. It needs to be that big of a deal to be a member of the Wolves. Until we start believing we are special as a community, no one else has any reason to treat us any differently. I honestly feel that is a big factor in so many coaches using Michigan City as a gateway to the next job.

Be proud of your town, and of the kids in it.

[taxthedeer]

I honestly believe the biggest thing holding up athletics in this town is the complete lack of community support for the kids here. There is no pride civicly (if that is even a word) for being a Michigan City Wolf. It was a big deal to be a Red Devil or Raider. It needs to be that big of a deal to be a member of the Wolves. Until we start believing we are special as a community, no one else has any reason to treat us any differently. I honestly feel that is a big factor in so many coaches using Michigan City as a gateway to the next job.

Be proud of your town, and of the kids in it.

I would like to know what the enrollment at Rogers and Elston would be today if the schools had not consolidated?

[Southsider2k12]

I would like to know what the enrollment at Rogers and Elton would be today if the schools had not consolidated?

I'm sure it would still be pretty close to half at one school and half at the other. How many kids are at MCHS? Then again with the Elston building in the shape it is in, there might be more out at the Rogers campus. We definitely would have dropped down classes in sports though.

[taxthedeer]

I'm sure it would still be pretty close to half at one school and half at the other. How many kids are at MCHS? Then again with the Elston building in the shape it is in, there might be more out at the Rogers campus. We definitely would have dropped down classes in sports though.

1909 at MCHS divide by 2 then give +100 to Rogers and - 100 to Elston

Rogers 1055
Elston 854

Rogers would be a low tiered 4A school for football and a top tiered 3A school for all other sports
Elston would be a top tiered 3A school for football and mid-tiered 3A school in all other sports

Rogers certainly would not be in the Duneland conference any longer. Probably with Rogers in the Northwest Crossroads Conference and Elston in the Greater South Shore Conference. The two high schools would have open enrollment, most your talent would go to Rogers.

[bandaid19]

1909 at MCHS divide by 2 then give +100 to Rogers and - 100 to Elston

Rogers 1055
Elston 854

Rogers would be a low tiered 4A school for football and a top tiered 3A school for all other sports
Elston would be a top tiered 3A school for football and mid-tiered 3A school in all other sports

Rogers certainly would not be in the Duneland conference any longer. Probably with Rogers in the Northwest Crossroads Conference and Elston in the Greater South Shore Conference. The two high schools would have open enrollment, most your talent would go to Rogers.

Just so you know, for many of the head high school coaching positions, coaches neither have to be teachers, nor do they have to follow seniority rules exactly... for example, if there's a HS US History job, and a coach from out of town that they're interested in, they can place that coach in the History job, and not make it available to teachers via normal seniority or internal job postings. I think most of the head boys' coaches fall under that rule in the teacher contract, along with a few other positions.

The teachers' union doesn't control these jobs at all.. they've often operated outside of the framework.

Now, on the other topic, I grew up playing Rogers and Elston and remembering them to be very strong in most areas... what's the main factor to people not coming out for teams?

I know you guys love the Pop Warner program, but I know for cheerleading, there are many girls who do PW and DON'T participate in the school cheerleading programs, because PW is more prestigious. I think this happens a bit with football as well.

Also, on the sports front, if you haven't read, they've approved middle school sports for next year to pick up gaps...there will now be middle school softball, baseball, swimming, soccer and tennis... hopefully these will help build better players and more interest in MCHS sports, and help improve student life overall.

[Southsider2k12]

Just so you know, for many of the head high school coaching positions, coaches neither have to be teachers, nor do they have to follow seniority rules exactly... for example, if there's a HS US History job, and a coach from out of town that they're interested in, they can place that coach in the History job, and not make it available to teachers via normal seniority or internal job postings. I think most of the head boys' coaches fall under that rule in the teacher contract, along with a few other positions.

The teachers' union doesn't control these jobs at all.. they've often operated outside of the framework.

Now, on the other topic, I grew up playing Rogers and Elston and remembering them to be very strong in most areas... what's the main factor to people not coming out for teams?

I know you guys love the Pop Warner program, but I know for cheerleading, there are many girls who do PW and DON'T participate in the school cheerleading programs, because PW is more prestigious. I think this happens a bit with football as well.

Also, on the sports front, if you haven't read, they've approved middle school sports for next year to pick up gaps...there will now be middle school softball, baseball, swimming, soccer and tennis... hopefully these will help build better players and more interest in MCHS sports, and help improve student life overall.

This and having a City-wide AD in control of hiring all coaches are huge steps forward for us. Granted they are about 20 years late, but in the next 10 years they will pay huge dividends. Hopefully these things start to give more incentive for coaches to stick around and build these programs.

[taxthedeer]

Just so you know, for many of the head high school coaching positions, coaches neither have to be teachers, nor do they have to follow seniority rules exactly... for example, if there's a HS US History job, and a coach from out of town that they're interested in, they can place that coach in the History job, and not make it available to teachers via normal seniority or internal job postings. I think most of the head boys' coaches fall under that rule in the teacher contract, along with a few other positions.

The teachers' union doesn't control these jobs at all.. they've often operated outside of the framework.

Now, on the other topic, I grew up playing Rogers and Elston and remembering them to be very strong in most areas... what's the main factor to people not coming out for teams?

I know you guys love the Pop Warner program, but I know for cheerleading, there are many girls who do PW and DON'T participate in the school cheerleading programs, because PW is more prestigious. I think this happens a bit with football as well.

Also, on the sports front, if you haven't read, they've approved middle school sports for next year to pick up gaps...there will now be middle school softball, baseball, swimming, soccer and tennis... hopefully these will help build better players and more interest in MCHS sports, and help improve student life overall.

The jobs are posted under non-certified positions nothing says that you have to be a licensed teacher or administrator:

http://www.mcas.k12.in.us/admin.asp?page=hr#14

Head Football Coach

Site: High School
Post Num: #11
Position: Head Football Coach
Qualifications: Football Coaching Experience
Apply to: Interested persons, send a letter of application to:

Mr. Robert Falls, City Wide Athletic Director
Michigan City High School
8466 W. Pahs Road
Michigan City, IN 46360
219-873-2043
Deadline: 6/13/2011

Varsity Conditioning Coach

Site: High School
Post Num: #13
Position: Varsity Conditioning Coach
Qualifications: Valid Indiana Teaching License recommended but not required
Conditioning Experience
Apply to: Interested persons, send a letter of application to:

Mr. Robert Falls, City Wide Athletic Director
Michigan City High School
8466 W. Pahs Road
Michigan City, IN 46360
219-873-2043
Deadline: 6/13/2011

Head Boys

Site: High School
Post Num: #14
Position: Head Boys' Track Coach
Qualifications: Track Coaching Experience
Apply to: Interested persons, send a letter of application to:

Mr. Robert Falls, City Wide Athletic Director
Michigan City High School
8466 W. Pahs Road
Michigan City, IN 46360
219-873-2043
Deadline: 6/13/2011

[bandaid19]

The jobs are posted under non-certified positions nothing says that you have to be a licensed teacher or administrator:

http://www.mcas.k12.in.us/admin.asp?page=hr#14

And well, just like any job... if you can "kill two birds with one stone" to fill a position.. get a great coach that also happens to be a great teacher, why not do it? I don't think there's any intent to snub anyone from the community that's not a teacher.

[Southsider2k12]

And well, just like any job... if you can "kill two birds with one stone" to fill a position.. get a great coach that also happens to be a great teacher, why not do it? I don't think there's any intent to snub anyone from the community that's not a teacher.

Plus with what coaching jobs pay, you almost have to have a teaching job to survive. I'm pretty sure that is why they created those administrative assistant/assistant principal jobs for head basketball and football coaches... That way they get to offer the jobs out with big salaries, instead of with the relatively low teachers salaries that our system has.

[MSFOOTBALL]

I honestly believe the biggest thing holding up athletics in this town is the complete lack of community support for the kids here. There is no pride civicly (if that is even a word) for being a Michigan City Wolf. It was a big deal to be a Red Devil or Raider. It needs to be that big of a deal to be a member of the Wolves. Until we start believing we are special as a community, no one else has any reason to treat us any differently. I honestly feel that is a big factor in so many coaches using Michigan City as a gateway to the next job.

Be proud of your town, and of the kids in it.

I think you are right on the money with your comments. I have seen student participation at sports increase in the last couple of years. It does take the community to buy into the program. My school no longer exists and I am now a wolf---I live in Michigan City and there for I am a wolf. I wish everyone else would do the same. We could have a great sports program and academics if we could all ban together.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...55498537473.txt

One valid theory

By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Monday, June 20, 2011 8:47 AM CDT




A few weeks ago, I began to introduce some figures involving the struggles that Michigan City High School has endured in the years following consolidation.

I have had readers e-mail thoughts and opinions and have heard feedback through other mediums, but what I haven’t had is anyone presenting me with facts or figures supporting their claims.

*
In my original column, I focused on the topic of IHSAA sectional titles won by the Wolves in relation to titles won by other schools within the Duneland Athletic Conference.

Since then, my focus has been on standings within the conference.

One theory I had been presented with earlier this spring involved the pecking order within the Duneland and a correlation to systemwide-eligibility for free and reduced lunch and textbook programs. The theory does have an uncanny validity.

Each year, the Duneland Conference declares an all-sports champion which is determined by awarding points based on the order of finish of each individual sport within an athletic department.

Having been able to obtain the past six years of standings, four teams have always finished in the top four spots of the all-sports standings — Chesterton, Crown Point, Lake Central and Valparaiso.

The remaining four teams — La Porte, Merrillville, Michigan City, and Portage — have always finished in the bottom four spots of the all-sports standings.

The top four and the bottom four may move up and down within their respective half of the standings, but the teams have been constant for the past six years.

If you look at the percentages of students within the eight Duneland Conference school systems, you’ll find that Lake Central (17 percent), Crown Point (22 percent), Chesterton (27 percent), and Valparaiso (27 percent) have the lowest amount of students eligible for free or reduced lunch and textbooks. The figures in parenthesis were based on the 2009-10 school year according to the Indiana Department of Education.

La Porte (49 percent), Portage (52 percent), Merrillville (57 percent), and Michigan City (72 percent) have the four highest percentages of students eligible for aid.

The Wolves, coming from the system with the highest need for aid, have now finished last in the Duneland Conference all-sports standings for five straight years.

It is clear that a lot of families in our community struggle to make ends meet as nearly three out of every four kids in the Michigan City Area Schools appear to be eligible for some type of aid.

To be clear, our community is not full of deadbeats. Just because a family seeks and receives assistance doesn’t mean they aren’t doing what they need to do to provide for their children. The programs are there for a reason and they are utilizing them.

I can’t pretend to know what it was like to grow up in a low-income household. I fortunately never had to worry about things such as food in my stomach or a roof over my head.

Those are legitimate concerns for many youths in our own community.

The free and reduced lunch and textbook programs are in place to help see that kids worry less about the expenses involved with school and more about focusing on their education.

It is sometimes easy to overlook how athletics can play an important role in the educational system.

Beyond learning the skills and strategy of sport, participating in high school athletics allows kids a chance to learn teamwork and commitment — two lessons that kids coming from struggling homes could probably stand to benefit from.

In addition, a combination of hard work and determination on the playing field and in the classroom can ultimately lead to college scholarships, which in turn might see to it that the next generation will be less likely to rely on the financial support they are currently relying on.

The ultimate correlation between free and reduced lunch and textbooks and athletic success may have more to do with the lack of participation by kids who choose to enter the workforce while in school rather than participate in sports.

Especially in homes with limited incomes, it isn’t unheard of that the high school student’s part time job is the lone source of income. It is sad, but I’ve documented it before.

At other times, material possessions just seem more important than committing to four months of practice and games.

In those situations, it is important to realize that high school is four years that a kid will never get back. You have the rest of your life to work.

Who knows? If we can start to convince more kids to get involved at the high school — in sports, the arts, and other extracurriculars — maybe we can start to improve our position within the DAC all-sports standings.

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...3e586833670.txt

Reader concerned for athletic success

Published: Monday, June 27, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
I want to thank Drew White for his article, “One Valid Theory” (ND 6/20/2011). His research found a statistical correlation between low-income programs and athletic successes or failures in the Duneland Athletic Conference. Seventy-two percent of Michigan City’s public school students are eligible for low-income programs, which is the highest percentage within the conference. Over the years, research shows Michigan City has ranked in the bottom half of the conference. Also supporting this finding is that, every year, we seem to be very able to defeat Gary Roosevelt.

Over the years, we’ve had our share of coaches. Many have felt it was poor coaching that caused our somewhat fruitless record. With Drew’s findings, I’d say our only constant here has been the athlete. I find it hard to believe all these coaches were poor leaders of men. Coaches find themselves in many situations where they tell their players, “if you really want to win this game, you’re going to have to dig deep, and then some!” If victory is won, these young athletes become men and women. This is the power of sport.

Many from low-income situations have not been raised in a manner that would support such coaching. The fact is that digging deep really isn’t in their makeup.

At this time, I want to say that it takes good solid support at home to produce a productive athlete. Coaches don’t have enough time to completely develop a high school athlete. Mental set is important but formed at home and refined by coaches.

*
Being stuck with so many kids from low-income situations and not producing successful seasons becomes very frustrating to these coaches. They run off to greener pastures.

Maybe our coaches need to find two players for each position so they can be rested rather than finding themselves battle weary. Football and basketball are team sports which means, to win, everyone needs to do their jobs well. One let down can cost the team a game. You are playing hard for a TEAM victory.

Our city leaders recently have opened the city doors to an additional 300 low-income families. This, once complete, will raise our percentage and make it even that much harder to rectify our local educational and athletic programs. To correct this, our city leaders can see what must be done.

Our children are our future, and they deserve our best support. Let’s give it to them. We can’t support all the low-income people out there. If this is handled properly, our city will be rewarded with better education and athletic achievement, and we will find coaches who want to coach our kids.

Success breeds success. Again, thank you Drew for your research and article. You obviously care about Michigan City.

Harold Wolf

Michigan City, IN

[taxthedeer]

I don't buy into the whole Michigan City "little sisters of the poor" thing.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...41856948705.txt

Last coach standing

By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Monday, July 11, 2011 10:43 AM CDT


And then there was Tim.

With the retirement of Norm Bruemmer as head coach of the Michigan City High School girls tennis team, Tim Bumber remains the lone Wolves head coach remaining from the original 1995-96 coaching staff.

Bumber, coach of the girls cross country and track and field programs, has led City to 10 sectional titles since consolidation, the last coming in cross country in the fall of 2005. Under his tutelage, Victoria Bassett won an individual state title in the 800 meters in 2001 and he has led many other individual athletes to state competition.

*
Bruemmer’s success — 21 sectional titles between the City boys and girls tennis programs most notably — had a lot to do with the program he helped facilitate.

Stepping outside the continuity of the Bumber and Bruemmer programs, the coaching roster at Michigan City High School includes 67 other names in 17 sports. One of those names is Mike Tsugawa who took over the boys tennis program from Bruemmer in the fall of 2007 and remains in that position.

With 16 years now in the books, Wolves teams have entered new seasons facing a coaching change 64 times.

The program that has had the most coaches?

Surprisingly enough the program with the most turnover is one that has experienced quite a bit of success in recent years — the City girls basketball squad with seven coaches — John Jones, Tim Scott, Terry Strawbridge, Monica Claridge, Gary Collins, Terry Allen, and Mike Megyese.

Girls golf, baseball, and boys track and field have each had six coaches since 1995. Michael Karpinski, who will be the Wolves’ sixth football head coach this fall, will also be the boys track and field’s seventh head coach.

Twice, once in boys swimming and once in baseball, City had programs with new head coaches in four consecutive seasons.

Dan Jenkins, who has coached both the boys and girls swim teams for eight years now, is tied with boys soccer head coach Bruce Stahl as the longest tenured current head coaches at City besides Bumber. Softball coach Candy Feare is next with six.

Some have pointed at Schreiber’s one-and-done football head coaching career at Michigan City.

He’s not alone. 2010-11 volleyball head coach Kylee Caudle and boys golf head coach Jason Lenig excepted, 22 coaches have coached only one season before being replaced — some voluntarily, a few involuntarily.

Bumber and Bruemmer account for 31 of Michigan City’s 50 sectional titles.

Bennie Edwards brought home five sectional titles in his seven years as head coach of the Wolves volleyball program.

What does this all mean?

Without being able to compare numbers at other schools, we can’t know for sure whether the relative volatile nature of turnover in the programs not coached by Bumber and Bruemmer could have something to do with the limited amount of sectional championships at City, but it certainly can’t be helping.

Consistency is vital in developing a program and changing coaches every one, two, or three seasons means players learning about a new coach and a new coach learning about their players.

In the cases of Jenkins, Stahl, and Feare, longevity has paid dividends. Their programs are in better positions now than they were when they took over.

The thing that most illustrates the importance of longevity is knowing that the individual has the commitment and desire to be where they are.

In the case of volleyball, one of the most dominant programs over the first decade of consolidation, the program appeared to be on the rebound until Sarah Hendricks (formerly McFarland) found herself without a counseling position or a head coaching position last summer.

Of course she’s landed on her feet, inheriting a defending state champion at Penn. But if you ask her, I think she would tell you she’d just as soon have been at her alma mater last season.

Hendricks got away, but we might have gotten one back.

The word is that Karpinski, who is making a homecoming of sorts, is shopping for houses. People who buy houses in this economy aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I have to believe that kind of desire proves that Karpinski is prepared to become firmly entrenched in our community.

It is that type of dedication that we are going to need to replicate the longevity of Bruemmer and Bumber in every program at City. In turn, we might just see the same type of success.

We need to make it a point to see that coaches see Michigan City as a destination and not a rung on the ladder.