Coaches raise concern over loss of activity period

    HARLAN – An administrative decision to eliminate an end-of-instructional-day activity period has been met with resistance from a number of coaches who say the move could lower participation in extra-curricular activities, change what makes Harlan Community successful and unique, reduce quality family time, and put added stress on students involved in activities in the Harlan Community Schools.
    Five current and/or former coaches addressed the HCS Board of Education Monday, April 12, offering their thoughts on a recent decision by administration to permanently remove the activity period and replace it with regular instructional time like the rest of the school day.
    HCS Superintendent of Schools Lynn Johnson confirmed Monday that administration has decided to do away with the activity period, which has been in place approximately 50 years up until this current year.
    By doing so, sports practices that have traditionally met the final period of the school day in addition to after school likely will get pushed to fully after school, much like most school districts in Iowa.
    Johnson said she would provide further details and information about the decision to eliminate the activity period by next week. (see accompanying statement)

Dates back decades
    For the coaches however, many who have been with the district for years as well as those who are relatively new, they say it’s a poor move.  The activity period decision dates back to the days when Harlan Community was formed with seven of the surrounding communities joining Harlan to make the district what it is today.
    “I think we all understand here that academics are number one,” said long-time teacher and coach John Murtaugh.  “More important than any activity.  Hands down.”
    Yet students from the surrounding communities have drive time, and when involved in multiple activities it’s not fair to the kids to keep them late every day.  As example, Murtaugh outlined the typical day of one football player who lives in Earling – at the school for weightlifting by 6:30 a.m., academics during the day, practice, a late supper, homework, bed and repeat.
    Elimination of the activity period at the school day’s end pushes the schedule back further, he said.
    “We’re expecting a lot out of these kids when they have to drive,” he said.  Has the activity period hindered in any way the education of students here, he asked?  No way.  From ACT scores to mock trial, championship jazz bands and sports titles, Harlan Community is known for its excellence.
    “Did it ever hold us back?,” he asked.  “It did not.   If it’s not broken why try to fix it?  A lot of people say well no other school has it.  Well, no other school is Harlan.”
    Angie Spangenberg called the decision a very big deal, and criticized the process that went ahead without input from the coaches.  Harlan Community is a special place, and the teachers, staff and coaches have worked hard to keep a culture of excellence in place.
    The activity period does make Harlan Community unique, she admits, but in a good way.  “I came from a district that did not have an activity period,” she said.  “I can tell you they would have benefitted greatly from it.”
    The people most directly involved were not included in the process, she said, nor were the students or community either.
    “I hope this is not a done deal,” she said.  “I hope that we value the culture in our building enough to say we need to have more discussions on this.”

Bladt, Hastert, James
    Brian James, whose resignation as middle school girls track coach was accepted by the HCS Board of Education Monday, said staff strongly supports keeping the activity period.  
    A staff engagement meeting from a year ago reinforces that, he said.
    “The one thing that was overwhelmingly voted more than others in that meeting was keeping the activity period,” James said.  “The second highest vote getter had to do with keeping participation rates high in extracurriculars, and continuing to offer as many extracurriculars as possible, which goes hand in hand with our activity period.”
    James also questioned the process of making this decision, and criticized the lack of transparency.
    Jeff Hastert was a student athlete at Harlan Community and came back to teach and coach at HCS.  He says the latest decision to eliminate the activity period will be detrimental to the long-term health of the school.
    “Why are we jeopardizing a culture, built over 50 years, of excellence?,” he questioned.  “Students and coaches have changed over time, but one piece of our culture has always remained; the activity period.”
    He said elimination of the activity period will affect not only sports, but fine arts and academics.  Youth practices utilizing the facilities will be pushed back.  Open enrollees who travel longer distances to take part in HCS activities will be affected.
    “In education we always ask, ‘What is best for kids?’,” Hastert said.
    “I believe that Harlan has found a unique balance that other schools incessantly search for to allow kids to be successful in a variety of ways, most importantly in class.”
    Hastert also said he worries that participation in activities will suffer, especially at the middle school, an important age for decision-making and development.
    Todd Bladt also is a former HCS student athlete now turned instructor and coach.  He has seen the benefits of the activity period and agrees with his fellow coaches’ assessments.
    The activity period actually was developed decades ago with the consolidation of the district, he said.  The colony communities were told that the school district would not keep the students past 6 p.m.
    “Yes, this was a promise made many years ago, but still a promise to those living on the outskirts of our district that we understand the importance of family time,” Bladt said.
    The district needs to give students the time they need to compete at their best, said Bladt.  “That is the difference at Harlan Community,” he said – understanding the importance of activities within the school that teach young people leadership, discipline, rigor, humility, competitiveness and punctuality.
    With the elimination of the activity period, “that time and opportunity for our young people to develop their skill sets for whatever activity they pursue is going to be cut down,” Bladt said.
    We need to show the students that we value their time and dedication to all activities, he said.

 

 
 

 

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