The System, One Year Later
I am now almost two years removed from my last game as a hockey dad. But, on Wednesday night, I went back to the Greenhouse to watch OYS's school play in a playoff semi-final.
Pretty much everything I wrote here pertains to Wednesday's game as well. The Good Guys won 3-1. The System worked and THE GOALTENDER WAS GREAT!
But I have to admit. I miss watching OYS play. There was simply no one on either side who played with his panache. I always knew he was a special player but I am getting a better sense of it as the years pass by.
Finally, it was great to see the coaches who played a such an important role in OYS's high school experience. And Mazal Tov to MD.
(Speaking of MD, highlight of the night: With about 4 minutes remaining and the Good Guys protecting a one-goal lead, MD gathered the players and warned them that the other team would be sending their third and fourth men deep. He told them if you lose your man you won't play again "and, I don't mean tonight..I mean EVER!". But he said it with love.
I am now almost two years removed from my last game as a hockey dad. But, on Wednesday night, I went back to the Greenhouse to watch OYS's school play in a playoff semi-final.
Pretty much everything I wrote here pertains to Wednesday's game as well. The Good Guys won 3-1. The System worked and THE GOALTENDER WAS GREAT!
But I have to admit. I miss watching OYS play. There was simply no one on either side who played with his panache. I always knew he was a special player but I am getting a better sense of it as the years pass by.
Finally, it was great to see the coaches who played a such an important role in OYS's high school experience. And Mazal Tov to MD.
(Speaking of MD, highlight of the night: With about 4 minutes remaining and the Good Guys protecting a one-goal lead, MD gathered the players and warned them that the other team would be sending their third and fourth men deep. He told them if you lose your man you won't play again "and, I don't mean tonight..I mean EVER!". But he said it with love.
posted by MoChassid @ 12:14 PM
9 Comments:
At 1:01 PM,
Anonymous said…
same system, different names on the jerseys.
At 4:09 PM,
Anonymous said…
What system?
It's all about the administration who've placed the more importance to gaining sneaker hockey victories than achieving high SAT scores.
At 8:24 AM,
Anonymous said…
thanks moc for the shoutout
i hope that you will be able to make at least one more game,
we got semis this week
wed night jv vs SAR
and varsity thurs night @ tabc
- MD
At 9:07 AM,
MoChassid said…
what happened to haftr?
At 9:08 AM,
MoChassid said…
anon 4:09
WADR, Your comment is one of the dumbest I've gotten in 5 years but I will respond to it in a full post when I get the chance.
At 10:48 AM,
Anonymous said…
There is no need to respond in a full post yet because you probably took offense to a comment that was not fully developed.
Success at sneaker hockey, forging relationships with unjaded rebbeim and developing creative Jewish dance moves are all certainly top priorities of the administration. Each of these priorities addresses the needs of different segments within the school and that's a good thing. Making sure that every boy attends a post high school program in Israel is the ultimate administrative priority. Nearly 100% of the parents support this. Unfortunately though, high SAT scores, proficiency in the english language and acceptance at elite American universities aren't top priorities. There exists a parental audience in the school for these fine secular educational goals as well. One can certainly raise valid reasons as to why secular education should take a backseat to forging relationships with rebbeim and instilling a sense of Jewish ruach. But when preparation for a sneaker hockey playoff game achieves more attention from the administration than preparation for the SAT's , when needs to wonder.
At 2:18 PM,
MoChassid said…
anon 10:48
Thanks for your thoughful clarification. I believe that an increasingly small proportion of the parent body is interested in sending its sons to elite secular universities. Whether this is a good thing or bad thing is debatable. So, the question is, is the administration in concert with the parent body by focusing on what they are doing. I believe that it is. But, to address your question, is there any reason not to be doing both?
Related questions: if you are a parent with a son who is particularly bright and are interested in having him attend an elite secular university, (i) are you not supporting his efforts to get a big SAT score on your own, and (ii) (and I don't mean this to be snarky) are you in the right school?
At 3:51 PM,
Anonymous said…
I believe the percentage of parents who remain in favor of their qualified sons attending an elite university with an active frum community like U of P, Columbia or Harvard is larger than you imagine.
The school definitely promotes the few students who are successful in gaining acceptance to an elite university. My sense of it though, correct me if I'm wrong, is these students are self motivated and achieve secular academic stardom despite, not because, of the school. In essence, when it comes to the secular arena, the school talks the talk but largely fails to walk the walk.
Why shouldn't this school be the proper fit for parents interested in secular academic excellence. If the school professes to revere RYBS, and RYBS sent his son to Harvard, why isn't Harvard acceptable to the school's current administration.
At 5:59 PM,
MoChassid said…
You may be correct about how many parents would prefer a different focus; it is hard for me to say since getting OYS into an elite university was never our goal. We (and he) were very happy with his high school experience. He was able to have fun, learn a little, learn to be a mensch, and form very close ties with very good mentors. True, he didn't come out mastering the classics, but he came out very normal, which, in this day and age is no small thing.
As far as why the administration might not want to promote atendance at out of town elite universities, that is a topic for a whole other thread.
Post a Comment
<< Home