Page 2 July 30, 2015 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Herald in Japan Mattie Giglio, a graduate of ESHS 2014, holds up the Herald in Japan on July 17th, where he is touring as an attendee of the Young Americans School of Performing Arts. Photo courtesy of Lee Ann Giglio. • Police Reports “ Meet dancers, musicians and captivating locals. Witness world-class cigar making. Enjoy classic American cars. Explore Havana’s hidden markets with a chef.” Tour Dates: November 1st - 8th, 2015 Price: $3795 per person, based on double occupancy* *Price excludes Cuban visa ($100 per person.) and intra tour air (Miami-Havana, roundtrip ($495 per person). Group Contact: ana@terraversed.com or 310-321-8355 OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE WINE&DINE WORK&PLAY ALONG THE ROSECRANS CORRIDOR IN EL SEGUNDO/MANHATTAN BEACH • Amenity Rich Location • Convenient Access to Metro Rail System, 405 & 105 Freeways • 10 minutes to LAX • Professional Property Management on Site • It’s Not Just a Location; It’s a Lifestyle! CONTINENTAL PARK A project of C O N T I N E N TA L D E V E L O P M E N T C O R P O R AT I O N 2041 Rosecrans Av e . , E l S e g u n d o , C A 9 0 2 4 5 www. c o n t i n e n t a l d e v e l o p m e n t . c o m For Leasing Information, call 310.640.1520 Op-Ed Statement from ESHS Athletic Department Club Sports Don’t Make Better Players See Op-Ed, page 14 1405 hours from Vista Del Mar and Grand Avenue, vehicle versus vehicle Forgery report was taken at 1339 hours from the 2100 block of East Rosecrans Avenue. The suspect gave the restaurant two counterfeit $100.00 bills to pay for his meal Burglary (vehicle) report was taken at 1917 hours from the 300 block of Bungalow Drive. Unknown suspect(s) steal third row seat and other property Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Traffic accident (with injuries) occurred at 0647 hours at the intersection of Lairport Avenue and East Mariposa Avenue, vehicle versus vehicle Grand theft report was taken at 0710 hours from the 2100 block of East Grand Avenue. Unknown suspect(s) stole a Laptop from an office • Monday, July 20, 2015 One female adult was detained at 0757 hours from the 2500 block of East El Segundo Boulevard and transported to Harbor General Hospital for a 72 hours psychiatric evaluation Mail theft report was taken at 1031 hours from the 1200 block of East Imperial Avenue. Suspect pries open mailbox and steals mail Online misdemeanor hit and run was reported at 0900 hours on 7/19/15 from the 300 block of Center Street. The driver hit the victim’s vehicle and failed to provide information Traffic accident (no injuries) occurred at 1251 hours from Mariposa Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, vehicle versus fire hydrant An elder abuse report was taken at 1317 hours from the 700 block of Bayonne Street. The suspect hit the victim with a flashlight Traffic accident (no injuries) occurred at By Rick Sabosky, Retired Teacher and Coach at El Segundo High, LMU, and Bishop Montgomery As a high school basketball coach of 37 years, it was with sadness and some disgust that I read the op-ed in the Herald last week about the “Unreasonable demands on gifted players in high school sports today.” The author blames the coaches who are trying to build their high school and community teams for denying these gifted players the chance to play for their club and travel teams. The author’s facetious remarks about the changing times and it’s not the fun leagues of the 60s anymore, the dilution of high school and community leagues, watered down high school programs, and basically inept coaching at the high school gives you some idea of his bias. No program in the CIF has had the excellence in coaching in the sport of baseball at the high school level that El Segundo High School has had. John Stevenson is a legend, Craig Cousins and the many who coach here are college and pro players with years of experience and great fundamental knowledge and skill. They share their talents and give countless hours with their students for nominal salaries because they love the game, the school they represent, and the town that has produced so many great players. If anything can hurt high school and community sports it would have to be these club programs that the author praises for all of supposed great things they do for today’s athletes. We all know of players’ dreams to make the pros and of the great expense of going to college but is this really the job of a high school sports team or is it about sportsmanship, teamwork, responsibility and many other core values that turn young athletes into quality young men. As El Segundo High School has proven in the past with hundreds of success stories, if a player is good enough he will get a scholarship and he will have an opportunity to play in the pros. Does the author actually believe that a great high school player will somehow be missed by all the scouts if he doesn’t play club ball. The concept of building a team, camaraderie and unselfishness on the field, and responsibility to be at your team’s games and practices has given way in some situations to: “what’s the best thing for me” and “forget about the team”. Young players have been told by their club coaches and yes, even some of their parents that the high school team can’t afford you the same opportunities that the club team can get you. New sponsored uniforms, trips all over the country, and the promise of college scholarships are very attractive to young impressionable players and some parents. Club sports can be responsible for diluting and even damaging high school and community sports if they raid the best athletes and then demand that they keep their spots on the high school and community teams even though they don’t go to practices or the games that every other player is expected to attend. How is that fair? How can a high school coach put together a team in the summer or preseason when some of his best players are not going to attend practices or games because their club trips are so much more important and prestigious, at least according to their coaches and parents? Most of the athletes are in the sport for the love of the game, being with their friends, and competing as hard as they can. Representing their community and their high school had always been enough but now the sometimes superior competition at club tournaments and the college and pro scouts being able to see more quality athletes at one venue has added a new dilemma. Obviously not all club coaches and programs are as bad as some described above. Some go By Steve Shevlin ESHS Athletic Department Athletic DepartmentThe Athletic Department at El Segundo feels compelled to respond to the recent article, “Making Unreasonable Demands of Gifted Players”. The article discusses the virtues of travel ball. While travel ball can be a valuable resource when used in conjunction with high school programs, and can be used to enhance a player’s ability, it is certainly not a guarantee of future success. The El Segundo High School Athletic program is built on a completely different foundation. As players for a high school team, athletes are taught principles that will live with them for the rest of their lives, i.e. hard work, punctuality, accountability, commitment, sacrifice, leadership, teamwork, representing your school and community, and loyalty to your teammates, school and community. These are virtues that as parents we all want to see our kids emulate as they move into adulthood. We often discuss with our athletes that there is no greater moment at this point in their young lives than playing in front of their community and representing their school. This is an important step in the growth and maturity of every athlete that helps teach them humility, respect, and to strive for something greater than themselves. The article claims that high school athletics are “watered down” due to budget cuts and lack of resources, and that many coaches are only there because of their availability and not their expertise. In the case of the El Segundo High SchooI Baseball program, I would vehemently disagree with that claim and instead promote that our staff includes a wealth of coaches with Division I, Division III, and professional experience. I would also suggest that 13 CIF championship appearances, 7 CIF Championships and 34 League Championships speak for the process we have in place as a high school program. Lastly, the article “Making Unreasonable Demands on the Gifted Athlete” mentions several times the bullying of athletes by coaches who try to “leverage” and force exclusive commitment from these athletes and force them to play nowhere else but with them. Once again, I must disagree with this claim in the case of the El Segundo High School Athletic Program. At the beginning of any ESHS Athletic program, players and their parents are given clear expectations regarding their level of commitment. They are also provided clear instructions with respect to scheduling conflicts. If a player and his/her parents do not wish to follow these instructions and cannot abide by what the coaches are asking of all their team members, they do not have to play. High School athletics is a privilege, not a right. If an athlete chooses not to follow the rules of a given program then they can also choose not to play for that program. If players choose to skip games, travel to other tournaments while their high school teammates are playing, or are late to games and practices, they are held accountable. Just as we are held accountable if we, as adults, skip work, are late, or work for others when we are supposed to be with our employer. These are life lessons and aside from preparing our children to be the best athletes they can be, high school athletics prepares them for what the adult world will someday be like as well. In the end, Travel Ball can be beneficial to a player who wishes to pursue that for himself. But this pursuit should be coordinated with the high school program, not at the expense of it. This can only be done when all parties work together and not against one another. To dismiss high school and community leagues, is divisive and corrupts the core values the town of El Segundo, and its athletic program has been built on. •
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