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I have tried to keep my silence but now that the “lashings” are directed towards the players and parents – it is time for me to say something. Yes, I am a JL Mann girls soccer parent. Yes, our girls are having a great season and yes they have run up the score pretty high in several games. This is the game of soccer and the intent is to get as many shots in the net as possible. I am not saying that I agree with running up the score, but to say that the players and parents have “No Class” is a bit ridiculous. Have you seen a JL Mann game lately? There aren’t many players that reach their hand out to another player from another team that just fell to the ground to help them get up (not in High School soccer anyway). I think I have seen that many times again and again this year with the JL Mann girls soccer team. I am pretty sure that the parents keep the cheering, clapping and whooping and hollering to a bare minimum once the score hits about 5-0. These girls have worked too hard this year to get “beat down” because they are playing the game of soccer and doing a pretty good job at it. You ask any of these players and they will tell you that they have never trained or worked as hard as they have this year. They are doing nothing more than playing the game of soccer and following direction by their coach. As a parent – I have learned long ago that you don’t tell a coach how to do their job just like a coach doesn’t tell a parent how to do theirs. I may not agree with the coach’s methods or decisions – but it is not my place to tell a coach how to do their job (unless it is physically or mentally hurting my child). If the school administration feels it necessary to address then so be it. I think the questioning needs to start with why in the world you would split Regions out so unfairly. I think all of your complaints need to be directed to those that make those crazy decisions. If the roles were reversed and my child’s team was getting the score run up on them – I would be telling my child “looks like you need to work a bit harder if you don’t’ want that to continue”. I certainly am not going to put blame on the other team for doing what it is they are out there to do – which is score goals and win games. Since when is that such a crime. In support of our new coach – he came into a very difficult position this year in having to take over a team that has been through a lot over the past few years and was at the point of giving up and “throwing in the towel” to high school soccer at the end of last year. This team has had a lot of talent over the years and due to reasons out of their control were not able to utilize that talent to its fullest potential. This coach’s leadership, guidance and direction has brought the passion back to this team and has instilled a high level of work ethic, integrity and respect for themselves, their team mates, their coach, their parents and for their school. You don’t beat teams like TL Hanna, Mauldin or Christ Church by accident. These wins have come because we have a great coach who is taking a talented team and showing them that with hard work and team unity – they can do great things. My hope is that this team continues to stay focused on the one GOAL that have for this year and that is to be in Columbia playing for the state title on May 17th.


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