09/18/2024
10 years ago today I was getting ready for my first Copper Ketlle (Globe-Miami) as the Miami Vandal head coach. Today, we are 2 days away this years game and we will be back in white helmets.
I will start with this, as a player, assistant coach and as a head coach I have participated as an integral part of this game for almost 30 years now. And no matter what role I play or what colors I am wearing I play this game not to lose. I have been fortunate that in those 30 years I have only been on the losing side 4 times. That’s four huge holes in my soul that will never be repaired. Losing this game is just simply not acceptable.
This game has been a huge part of my life. I never lost it as a player. I was the starting QB at Globe in those 2 wins. I was calling the plays when my oldest son won this game for Globe as the starting quarterback. And I was the head coach and calling plays in both years my youngest son was the starting quarterback and got the wins for Miami. My dad was one of our assistant coaches at Globe most of those years. He has been one of my statisticians since I took over at Miami. I have a lot of uncles and cousins that went to school and played for both schools. This week I usually hear from all of them. Some hoping the Tigers win and some wanting the Vandals to win but all of them rooting for me. Every year this week is full of excitement, nervousness sleepless nights and on edge nerves. Hoping not to get that late night call that my players have done something stupid.
With that being said, and how great this game has been and how big a part of my life and my families life it has been. It’s now over 100 years old. And it’s time this game becomes a part of history. I know consolidation of the 2 schools may never come to realization until the state decides to force it. But even if the two schools stay separated and the rest of the sports stay separated. It’s past time that the football teams be united.
There is way too much to go into in a FB post and there will be a few negatives that will be brought up. There are really only two big ones. No more Copper Kettle game and no play-offs. AIA will restrict any team that is consolidated by two or more schools from participating in the playoffs.
When I first thought of this idea 8 years ago and went to the AIA to see if it would be allowed the no playoff was a deal breaker for me. Now 8 years later it’s a small negative that is highly over shadowed by the many positives.
I would like to see the two communities to think about this and if the majority agree, push for this to happen. We put our football players in a negative situation every year at these two schools. We both play in the 2A division that is packed full of private and charter schools. We each have from 8-15 kids each year out of the 30-40 who come out that are actually performing at the varsity level. The rest need to be developed at the lower levels. But all 30-40 kids are forced into practicing together and lower level games are scarce. So the younger kids get close to zero experience and reps all season long. It’s a very unproductive 1-2 years for most kids and the same 11-15 players never leave the field for either team. We take the 10-15 kids on each team to make one varsity team and the rest to be a separate lower level team and now you have two fully functional and adequate levels that allow optimal experience for the varsity team and a very productive and manageable experience for the lower level team that better prepares them for their step to the varsity level.
I know, I know this will cause much backlash and trash talk. Not why I’m posting it. I’m posting because I’ve been on the front line of both programs for a lot of years and it saddens me that we sacrifice a better football experience for our kids of the community because we are stuck on how awesome it was when we were kids or when our parents were kids.
Put the kettle in a glass case on display, put the egos to the side. And give these kids a chance to compete at a respectable level. I was told 23 years ago that Globe and Miami Little Leagues will never be one. Well, some of you don’t know anything different than the Pinal Mountain Little League. It wouldn’t exist and neither would the other two if a group of us didn’t decide to go against the status quo and make it happen.
Regardless if you agree with me or not right off the bat. If you have a kid playing in either program just sit back and ask yourself. Would my child have a better experience if he had twice as many kids to push him to be better. Would he be better off if he didn’t have to play the entire game on offense, defense and special teams. Would he be safer. If your some is an under class man. Are your really excited that he has to go play against 17,18 and some times 19 year olds? And if you don’t have a kid in either program ask yourself if you think it’s a horrible idea because of your own ego and pride from 20,30,40 years or more ago.
Just something to think about but not until after Friday night. Because while this is still a game, it’s more than just a game. I said earlier in this post I play this game not to lose. Because winning this game is a great feeling. But I hate the feeling of losing it more than I like the feeling of winning it.
VC-M
