Musings on 'Mediocrity'

A recent wordy statement from the high school boys head basketball coach at Dawson County High School (DCHS) in Glendive has raised some eyebrows. ('Culture of Mediocracy Getting in the Way of Athletic Success at DCHS,' Glendive Ranger Review, 01-21-17).

According to the editor of the GRR, the statement was in response to questions posed to the head boys’ basketball coach, Wade Murphy, by the newspaper’s sports editor regarding DCHS athletics. Murphy, who is also the principal at the high school in Glendive, penned a response and asked that if it were to be published, that it be published in its entirety.

In a nutshell, Murphy opined that the sports culture in the community of Glendive allows athletes to perform with mediocrity.

The thought-provoking statement has generated mixed reactions on social media and at least one response from a columnist in Butte.

A fairly scathing response, written by Bill Foley on ButteSports.com (Coach Turns His Players Into Orphans of Defeat, 01-31-17), accused Murphy of throwing his players under the bus, dragging them through the mud, and undressing them through the media. Foley also chided Murphy for “going to the paper.”

To be fair, Murphy didn’t go to the paper. They approached him. The GRR editor said so himself. Also, although Murphy pointed out how the culture in Glendive is failing their student athletes, he makes a concerted effort not to direct his comments in their direction.

Foley, and others on social media, wasted no time in accusing Murphy of making excuses for his own failures and ineptness, which he denied. My question to that is: If he is so inept at coaching, why does he still hold the position? He’s either not as incapable as people would want us to believe, or he’s the only one that wants the job. I suppose that would be a question for the school board at DCHS.

In addition, Murphy’s critics compared him to other class A coaches and suggested that the boys basketball program would have more success with someone else leading the team.

Specifically, in Foley’s column, he presented former Montana Tech football coach Bob Green as an example of how to be a great coach. Full disclosure: I have no idea who Coach Green is. I’m sure he was a great coach. Foley indicated that during Green’s stint as coach he took full responsibility for every loss suffered by his team and deflected the credit for every win back onto this players. Well, that was a very noble thing to do, but was it fair to the players? I think it’s actually healthy for athletes to own their roles in the outcome of a game, good or bad.

Statements on social media further suggest that a different, higher caliber coach would likely bring more wins to the boys’ basketball program. Could it be that the overall culture in Glendive limits the appeal to those higher caliber coaches? Does the school board provide adequate resources to build a winning program? Does the salary for the position reflect the community’s expectations? Does the community fully support the coach’s decisions and portray the program in a positive light? I’m convinced that the answer to some of these questions is apparent: None of the higher-caliber coaches would want to work in Glendive.

While several people on social media supported Murphy’s statement, an equal number of people openly expressed their derision of his opinions, some resorting to name-calling.

As I read through some of the comments made in opposition to Murphy’s thoughts, it struck me that some of what they were saying actually solidified his point. Kids often aren’t held accountable for their own successes or failures in sports. Excuses are made more often than sacrifice or effort.

I think what people are missing in the whole discussion is: it’s not the kids’ fault. They are a product of their environment and learn by example. The culture of a community sets the tone and if athletes can achieve mediocre success with little effort, why put in extra time? I imagine it would be very difficult for any coach or educator to overcome such a culture.

Although I don’t agree with everything coach Murphy said, I think he deserves respect for voicing his obviously controversial opinion. He had to know it wouldn’t be popular with everybody.

In addition, athletes that stand up and voice their opinions deserve recognition, because that’s not an easy thing for anybody to do when faced with possible retribution.

I would like to close with a little perspective. I have personally witnessed outstanding acts of sportsmanship displayed by the very athletes that have been placed under the microscope.

More and more high school sports programs all over Montana and the nation not only accept and embrace the inclusion of athletes with special needs, they lift up those same athletes and set them up for success, literally.

It’s happened in Lame Deer, Glasgow, Harlem, and Lewistown: opposing teams have come together with incredible displays of sportsmanship, pulling these athletes off the bench and putting them on the court for the opportunity to experience the thrill of success in the game – even at the expense of a win. The result is magical, humbling and life-changing. If all of our student athletes played with as much heart as those with special needs and appreciated the opportunities presented to them with the same enthusiasm, they would all be champions of one kind or another.

Let’s focus on what really matters.