ohiobuck94
Buckeye Beach Bum
Clarrett's accountalbility
Clarett, accountability and today's students
Education Today
Stephen Winslow
Tom Friend, a respected writer for ESPN The Magazine, recently wrote a column entitled "What really happened to Clarett?" in which he laments about the unfair treatment of former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett during recent NFL combines held in Indianapolis.
The short of it is that Clarett ran a poor 40-yard dash time, felt embarrassed, and then quit the combine. Friend attempts to suggest that Clarett's poor time was due to overtraining combined with the high pressure that he was under in his latest attempt to rewrite his reputation. Mr. Friend creates every possible excuse for Clarett, and even calls for the media to "get off his (Clarett's) back."
The problem with Friend's take on the proceedings is that it paints a picture for young people that suggest quitting is acceptable and accountability is unfair. Unfortunately, today's high-school students may be taking that message to heart. I have witnessed many high-school students that seem stunned when they find themselves forced to accept responsibility for their actions. This lack of accountability contributes greatly to the lack of success they face both in and out of the classroom.
I feel Clarett's story should be provided to every high-school student in the nation. He is a shining example of a person that found a way to waste tremendous talent while making choices that hurt him, his university and his chances to excel at the things he loves. Life is a series of tests, and Clarett provides examples of poor choices that lead a person to failure.
It is also important to point out that a person can recover from mistakes. There are two ways to overcome poor choices and their consequences. Either one can learn from the mistakes of the past, take corrective action, and move on, or they can respond as Clarett has by pointing fingers of blame at others and/or quitting when things are not working out as he would wish them to.
I have witnessed high-school students quit. They quit on tests. They quit on stage. They quit during classroom activities. They quit on the athletic field. Soon, they will begin to quit in their adult life as well. It is the easy thing to do, and with people like Tom Friend excusing such behavior, it becomes harder to teach young people how detrimental this behavior is.
Clarett provides examples of a man that refuses to take responsibility for the choices he made as a student-athlete, then quits as soon as the going gets rough, and as a result, he will go from a potential first-round NFL draft pick to being lucky to be drafted at all. He has been labeled as a quitter, a poor sport, a person with a bad attitude, untrustworthy, and his actions on and off the field have done much to support these assertions.
Our students need to learn, as early as possible, that we want them to succeed. We want them to grow and excel so that they can pursue their dreams. Accountability is a part of that process. Quitting will lead to failure. Blaming others, while refusing to accept responsibility for our actions, is a recipe for labels that describe you as less then trustworthy.
A call to parents
The issue of character and integrity is at the root of this conversation, and they are embedded in the makeup of a person. Parents are the most important teachers that children can associate with. Parents have the ability to discuss character issues much more effectively than teachers or coaches.
Children of today are desperate for parental leadership in a plethora of issues, none of which are more important then character, attitude and accountability. Parents should make a point to address these issues by describing acceptable behavior and ramifications for poor behavior. Parents should provide examples of each with specific discussions about what their children see each day. Unfortunately, if parents aren't there to refute the negative actions of others, then their children will consider the unchecked behavior as acceptable, and in worst-case scenarios, even admirable.
Stephen Winslow is a regular contributor to The Augusta Free Press.
The views expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect those of management of The Augusta Free Press.
Clarett, accountability and today's students
Education Today
Stephen Winslow
Tom Friend, a respected writer for ESPN The Magazine, recently wrote a column entitled "What really happened to Clarett?" in which he laments about the unfair treatment of former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett during recent NFL combines held in Indianapolis.
The short of it is that Clarett ran a poor 40-yard dash time, felt embarrassed, and then quit the combine. Friend attempts to suggest that Clarett's poor time was due to overtraining combined with the high pressure that he was under in his latest attempt to rewrite his reputation. Mr. Friend creates every possible excuse for Clarett, and even calls for the media to "get off his (Clarett's) back."
The problem with Friend's take on the proceedings is that it paints a picture for young people that suggest quitting is acceptable and accountability is unfair. Unfortunately, today's high-school students may be taking that message to heart. I have witnessed many high-school students that seem stunned when they find themselves forced to accept responsibility for their actions. This lack of accountability contributes greatly to the lack of success they face both in and out of the classroom.
I feel Clarett's story should be provided to every high-school student in the nation. He is a shining example of a person that found a way to waste tremendous talent while making choices that hurt him, his university and his chances to excel at the things he loves. Life is a series of tests, and Clarett provides examples of poor choices that lead a person to failure.
It is also important to point out that a person can recover from mistakes. There are two ways to overcome poor choices and their consequences. Either one can learn from the mistakes of the past, take corrective action, and move on, or they can respond as Clarett has by pointing fingers of blame at others and/or quitting when things are not working out as he would wish them to.
I have witnessed high-school students quit. They quit on tests. They quit on stage. They quit during classroom activities. They quit on the athletic field. Soon, they will begin to quit in their adult life as well. It is the easy thing to do, and with people like Tom Friend excusing such behavior, it becomes harder to teach young people how detrimental this behavior is.
Clarett provides examples of a man that refuses to take responsibility for the choices he made as a student-athlete, then quits as soon as the going gets rough, and as a result, he will go from a potential first-round NFL draft pick to being lucky to be drafted at all. He has been labeled as a quitter, a poor sport, a person with a bad attitude, untrustworthy, and his actions on and off the field have done much to support these assertions.
Our students need to learn, as early as possible, that we want them to succeed. We want them to grow and excel so that they can pursue their dreams. Accountability is a part of that process. Quitting will lead to failure. Blaming others, while refusing to accept responsibility for our actions, is a recipe for labels that describe you as less then trustworthy.
A call to parents
The issue of character and integrity is at the root of this conversation, and they are embedded in the makeup of a person. Parents are the most important teachers that children can associate with. Parents have the ability to discuss character issues much more effectively than teachers or coaches.
Children of today are desperate for parental leadership in a plethora of issues, none of which are more important then character, attitude and accountability. Parents should make a point to address these issues by describing acceptable behavior and ramifications for poor behavior. Parents should provide examples of each with specific discussions about what their children see each day. Unfortunately, if parents aren't there to refute the negative actions of others, then their children will consider the unchecked behavior as acceptable, and in worst-case scenarios, even admirable.
Stephen Winslow is a regular contributor to The Augusta Free Press.
The views expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect those of management of The Augusta Free Press.
