Speaker Misinterpreted Situation at School
To The Editor:
I read the board report in the newspaper yesterday, and the comment about Matt Kates seeming to “quiet down” a group of football players at a recent volleyball game caught my attention. I was at the game and standing by Coach Kates when he spoke to the boys at the end of the first set. What I saw, and heard him say, was not at all an act of dampening school spirit. In fact, school spirit has been noticeably high this year at the HS campus. So I wrote to Mr. Gonzalez, (who had complained to the school board) about what I had witnessed, and we agreed that I should write to the newspaper to share my experience too.
As I was walked by Coach Kates after the first set (I had grading to do!), he was talking to the boys from the bottom of the bleachers. I stopped to listen, and what he said was, in summary, it is great that you are cheering on the girls, but please keep your cheers to support for our side, and do not trash talk the opposition. He was making sure that we were supporting with class. After all, we are LG and they are not!
What I heard and saw was Coach Kates encouraging the boys to be supportive and sportsmanlike at the same time. He was definitely encouraging school spirit, not discouraging it, and was doing so in a responsible manner.
On the subject of school spirit, I feel that we have a huge amount of school spirit at the high school this year. (As the yearbook adviser, I notice these things as they make for excellent photo opportunities.) Thanks to Ms. Muil, Mrs. Dandignac, and the cheer squad, we have had extended pep rallies, with staff and students competing in dance-offs and limbo contests and even a mini Olympics. Our themed dress-up days on the Fridays we have home games have been very well supported by all the grades, and our homecoming week was particularly fun, with bulls and sharks roaming the campus. The stadium was packed for the homecoming game, and we won, which lifted school spirit even more.
Did you see the wonderful sign on the football practice field last weekend, to send off our band to district competition? They made all 1s and head to regionals next week! Ellee Sodolak won the district cross country meet in Giddings recently, and Cody Krupala came first for the La Grange boys. Both varsity teams are off to regionals Sunday, Oct. 24, with a send-off planned for them that afternoon. All these successes have been recognized and celebrated inside and outside school.
Even the teachers and staff have felt the community spirit, with businesses and parents, such as Julie and Mark Bundick, and Daricek Insurance, stocking the workroom with snacks and drinks. You have no idea how that lifts our spirits, believe me.
It’s been amazing, and a far cry for recent years where COVID really put a damper on things. I would hate to think the community thought we weren’t doing our best to make school engaging for all, inside and outside the classroom, because that simply isn’t the case.
Lucy Carr
Teacher, English II Yearbook Adviser, LGISD