August 6, 2003 5:59 AM

Misplaced priorities? I'll say.

Architect of Westlake football dynasty quits: Schroeder cites lack of district support, health concerns

Texas is one of the few places where the resignation of a high school football coach is front page news. Though I've lived here for six years, it is still difficult for me to understand the position that high school football occupies in this state's cultural landscape. Frankly, I think football (much as I love the game) is WAY overvalued. Then again, I'm a Yankee, so what do I know, right??

The coach who built Westlake High School into a Texas football powerhouse abruptly resigned Monday, the first day of practice for his team.

Ron Schroeder, who coached the Chaparrals for 16 seasons and five state championship games, said there is no one reason for his departure and added that "there are a lot of straws that broke the camel's back." Among them, he said, were his own chronic back problems and what he perceived as a lack of support from his bosses and others in the Eanes school district, which has been dealing with tight finances for a year.

"Every time there's a school board meeting, there is no sensitivity for a lot of people in the athletic program," the 56-year-old Schroeder said. "There are always people taking shots at sports. I feel we're the most positive aspect of the community, but no one was defending us."....

Under Schroeder, Westlake football has thrived, becoming the dominant high school team in Central Texas. Sold-out crowds of 10,352 regularly fill the stadium west of Austin on Friday nights to see the red, silver and blue Chaparrals win -- as they usually do.

Schroeder amassed a record of 187-27-3 over 16 years and won a national record 67 consecutive district games. His teams won 12 straight district titles and one state championship, losing in the state finals four times.

He's sent dozens of graduates on to play college football and a couple to the NFL, including current San Diego Chargers starting quarterback Drew Brees.

As the rosters changed every year, the program continued to grow. The school spent $6.6 million on stadium improvements last year, including $400,000 for a state-of-the-art scoreboard. That money came from a $67 million bond issue approved in 2001.

Sounds like an appalling lack of support to me. A $400,000 scoreboard and $6.6 million in stadium improvements? And how does that NOT qualify as support?

I find it amazing that school districts are struggling to pay teachers, buy textbooks, and fund curriculums, and yet somehow there always seems to be enough money to fund the football team.

Last year, the Clear Creek Independent School District tried to convince voters to pass a bond measure for a new football stadium. CCISD is, of course, the same district that laid off teachers at the end of last school year and is cutting funding to some activities. Thankfully, the voters in the district were smart enough to recognize that someone at CCISD's headquarters had their priorities screwed on backwards, and the bond measure was defeated. This is notable only because a measure like that would probably have passed in most districts.

I'm not anti-football- far from it. Football, like any extracurricular activity, can be a valuable tool in the educational arsenal. Still, in the final analysis it IS only a game. I do not understand how a school district can justify spending yet more money on a football program when they supposedly cannot afford to keep teachers or purchase textbooks. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't high school supposed to be about educating children? When did it become about football??

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on August 6, 2003 5:59 AM.

Am I going to have to worry about this sort of thing when I'm rich and famous? was the previous entry in this blog.

Just keep them away from water, and don't feed them after midnight is the next entry in this blog.

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