Will Mavericks rise from the depths?

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     The district records for C.C. Winn sports teams for the 2008-2009 school year were abysmal. The one glimmering light remains the softball girls (7-7) who reached the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, but who had to defeat Del Rio in a tie-breaker to slip into the fourth-place spot.
     Of the other teams, the volleyball girls – with a less-than-impressive 4-10 record – came in with the second best finish. Nobody else won more than two district games, with everyone except the football team given 14 tries.
     Maverick athletes had shown improvement last year over the school’s first year of competition. Then, the district got a little tougher this year as Del Rio and Southwest replaced Laredo Nixon and Laredo Cigarroa. Some of our Mav teams folded, some choked and some just didn’t have the athletes to compete.
     Is this what the future holds? Virtually every team finishing last or next-to-last in district every season? If nothing changes, I’m afraid so.
     Some have asked why would ANYONE want the Winn head football coaching position that was recently filled when the road to winning at the campus holds so many obstacles. I tend to agree with that sentiment because to turn the Mav football program around would require a total workaholic coaching genius. Who wants to work that hard, when even with inhuman effort, the results might not be all that impressive?
     I think it’s the very rare and gifted coach or teacher who can inspire a group of young people to succeed far above everyone’s expectations. Think of Jaime Escalante (Stand and Deliver) or Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers). They make movies about these people because they’re such a rare breed. We can’t count on a whole army of coaches of such caliber coming to Eagle Pass C.C. Winn to turn the Mavs into champions in every sport.
     We can possibly count on something else.
     Who has the power more than anyone else to reverse C.C. Winn’s disheartening sports results? Coaches? No. The principal/school staff? No. The school board or superintendent? Way off. The athletic director? Wrong again.
     The answer lies with the parents and the kids. Do parents want their kids to play on teams that regularly finish as cellar dwellers? Do the youngsters beginning to play sports at the elementary schools see themselves as future Mavericks on teams that lose 90 percent of the time?
     Every future Maverick athlete and each of their parents need to act on their concerns about these sports programs. What the parents and athletes need to do is make sure C.C. Winn has more than just a handful of good athletes in future years. Additionally, the handful of good athletes, with prodding and support from their parents, must work to develop into great athletes.
     A couple of great athletes in each sport would make Winn competitive because great athletes make the players around them better. Some kids on the south side need to become determined that good isn’t good enough. They need to work toward greatness and develop their leadership skills and their teams would become better through their inspiration.
     Nobody should make excuses like we “can’t afford club ball,” or “we can’t afford private coaches,” or “I’m always working and can’t take Juan to practice.” Much of becoming a great athlete is simply fitness. Being in shape doesn’t require money nor does it require a coach on your back 24/7/365. It’s something you can do on your own.
     As far as rides and time commitments from parents, I know it’s often hard, but I think where there’s a will there’s a way. A little one-on-one practice on a parent’s day off means a lot and helps a lot even if the parent doesn’t know the sport well. Rides might be just a matter of parents helping each other out, taking turns with carpooling, etc.
     I really don’t want this just to be a big lecture. I just want the kids and the parents on the Maverick side to know that the success of their sports programs is up to them. It’s not under the control of the coaches, the school system, the school board or anyone else. If and when the Maverick teams succeed, the south side community can take all the credit and have pride in everyone’s efforts.
     I know it can happen. I hope it does happen. As they say Maverick kids, Maverick parents, future Mavericks and future Maverick parents, “The ball is in your court.”