Turn, Turn, Turn : ALONG...

If only the world could be perfect, which is to say, if only I could make the rules.

You want to know what I would do? Fewer cliches.

It’s the sportswriter’s nightmare. I’m not allowed to write them and athletes (and theircoaches, especially) shouldn’t be allowed to say to say them.

Show me a kid who says, “I swear on a reporter’s grave,” and I’ll show you an immediate friend of the family.

Show me a coach who says, “We take each game like we eat our food--one bite at a time,” and I’ll show you somebody whom I’ll always respect.

No more “one game at a time” quotes. Puhleeeze!

I know you can’t play two games at a time!

Oh, and those Trabuco Hills football uniforms? Trash them. I can’t tell what the numbers are while I’m trying to keep my precious statistics. Did 36 carry the ball, or was it 38, 88, 86, 96 or 98?

If I could change anything--or everything--about high school sports in 1995, the wonders I could work.

I would change the acoustics inside the Century gymnasium so I could hear myself think, and install air conditioning in the Orange gym so the guy next to me wouldn’t stink.

I would have all the parochial and private schools in the same league so the public schools wouldn’t whine anymore.

I would have a giant monitor in every gym and show replays of fans’ behavior, so they could see just how childish they sometimes act. And I would make every one of them officiate at least one game. And then I would make them write about it. And then I would make them pick the all-county team. And then I would make them field the phone calls from other angry parents upset over who made the all-county team.

I would demand that every child attend the school closest to his place of residence because I get tired of those Week 9 recruiting violation allegations against A.) Los Alamitos football, B.) Mater Dei boys’ basketball, C.) Woodbridge girls’ basketball. . . . and so on.

I would get the point across to football players that they’re not any more special than any other athlete on campus, and I would get the point across to baseball players that there’s enough arrogance at the professional level without you starting in high school.

I would outlaw hip-hop before, during and after basketball games.

I would make everyone who sings the national anthem sing it straight to avoid those embarrassing moments when I feel sorry for them.

I would change the Southern Section baseball championship to a best-of-three format so one player or umpire can’t decide a champion.

I would make swimmers wear numbers on their caps so anyone can keep track of who’s who.

I would lower the price of admission--it is, after all, just high school. And I would get the point across to some coaches that it is, after all, just high school.

I would make sure there was plenty of money to go around--to education and programs, not players.

I would make baseball coaches wear regular street clothes because A.) it might be funny and I live for my own amusement; B.) there are no such things as player-coaches in high school; C.) what’s next, John Barnes in shoulder pads or Gary McKnight in a tank top?

I would eliminate six-team leagues in favor of eight-team leagues because eight-team leagues have more credibility, especially in football.

I would get in the face of basketball referees and tell them not to assume every time a girl blocks the ball that it’s a foul, that too many defensive players get whistled for blocking when they have clearly planted both feet, and that tall people shouldn’t be whistled for a foul when other players invade their vertical space.

I would give seeded teams the option of hosting a first-round playoff game because that’s usually the one game in which they don’t need the home-field advantage--or I would give them the outright home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If you win, you should be rewarded.

I would eliminate the northern-most 100 miles of the Southern Section--San Luis Obispo isn’t south of anything except an eventual bottle of wine.

Of course, somebody else might have some other ideas.

In this installment of Prep Voices, The Times Orange County asks:

“What changes would you like to see in high school sports in 1995?”

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I would have a zero-tolerance rule on trash talking in basketball. If people have respect for their sport, then they should have respect for their opponents.

I would also eliminate all all-county, all-league teams and most valuable player-type awards--all individual awards and statistics--because sports is a team game, and if you’re worried about your statistics, you can’t be focused on what you need to do in other areas to accomplish the task.

Jennie Gadd

Troy senior

*

Roller hockey is pretty popular right now. There are a lot of kids involved, and that’s a sport that needs to be looked at pretty closely if we are to add new sports. But with all the Orange County fiscal problems, it’s going to be pretty tough to get money out of anyone for something new.

John Barnes,

Los Alamitos athletic director

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I think high school boys’ basketball may be the only level that does not have some kind of shot clock. It should, maybe 35 seconds like the colleges do. If you ask me why, I can’t give you a specific reason other than it’s odd the girls have it, college has it, the international game has it. . . . It wouldn’t change the game that much; the talent is more evenly spread out now.

Rich Prospero

Santa Ana Valley basketball coach

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I’d like to see them get the Catholic schools in their own league. I watched that Los Alamitos-Mater Dei game and it just didn’t seem fair. Los Al had all kids from their own neighborhood and Mater Dei had maybe three that lived in their area. Most states have a public school champion and a parochial school champion.

I’m happy for Mater Dei. I think it’s great for California that they’re doing so well. I just think that everybody would like to have that same opportunity.

Mitch Olson

Kennedy football coach

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I would like to see high school walk-on coaches (mostly lower level) aware of the high school rules. A lot of these coaches come from college and only know the college or professional rules. The head coaches and athletic directors need to make sure that all coaches are aware of all the rules.

Jack Brisacher

Football and track official

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I would like to see high school volleyball players be able to continue to play beach volleyball during the high school season. Right now, practice starts in late August and there are still beach tournaments going on, but we can’t play in them because of the rules.

Misty May

Newport Harbor senior

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I would like to see CIF take a look at revising divisions. The way it’s set up now definitely needs to be looked at and maybe switched to an enrollment basis. Also, the way free-lance schools get into the playoffs and what division they are placed in needs to be revised.

I would also like to see more women in the teaching and coaching roles.

Nancy Paul

Orange Lutheran girls’

athletic director

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I would like to see them (sports) all continued and not cut due to the current budget problems. I feel that high school athletics help teen-agers feel better about themselves. They, along with other extracurricular activities, help keep kids out of trouble.

Derek Haas

Cypress

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I would increase the amount of funds given to sports other than football. It’s important because the more different sports a school has--such as surfing, roller hockey, badminton--the kids have more chances to broaden their horizons. A lot of girls’ programs get overlooked, too.

Yool Kim

Costa Mesa High, Class of ’93

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I would let the Southern Section enforce its rules--every time the section wants to enforce something, someone wants to enforce legal action against them.

There are coaches out there blatantly doing things wrong, and they’re looking at other coaches saying, ‘Look at me and what I’m getting away with,’ and it’s a slap in the face of the coaches who run clean programs.

The CIF has rules that protect athletes from burnout and from being with their club coaches incessantly, and they’re great rules, but the CIF’s overlooking them because someone always wants to take them to court. The Southern Section has its hands tied trying to enforce its rules.

The other thing I would do is change the fly-by-night coach who comes in, breaks the rules in a hurry and leaves and doesn’t suffer any of the repercussions.

Cary Crouch

Laguna Hills softball coach

*

I would like to see a stadium built somewhere on a neutral site that is run by the schools so when there’s a big game, the schools get the money from the gate and the concessions. The way it is now, whenever there is a big game, the schools end up losing out on some money. I’d like to see a stadium built that holds about 25,000 people, so no one gets turned away, and see the schools get all the money from parking and concessions.

Ken Larson

Yorba Linda

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The one thing I’d change is having more kids participate in sports just because they enjoy the sport. We used to have more of that. Now, there’s too much what’s-in-it-for-me. I want to see kids playing the game because they enjoy being part of it.

Mike Marrujo

Valencia football coach

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I’d like to see the club soccer season end at the same time the first day of high school soccer practice begins. As of now, club players are allowed to play with club teams up until the high school’s first contest. The reason being is it puts high school coaches in a tough position whenever they need a kid for practice and they’re off playing in a club tournament. Also, you risk losing a player to injury before the season even begins.

Tino Younger

Cypress College assistant

women’s soccer coach

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I believe that it is unfair that private schools should compete with public schools.

Mater Dei has the No. 1 basketball team in the county, by far, but how many of those players live near its campus in Santa Ana? . . . Mater Dei can select its students and athletes from throughout Orange County, while public schools have set boundaries. . . . Perhaps private schools could have their own league, like the Angelus League, that had schools such as Mater Dei, Servite/Rosary and Bishop Amat.

Another thing that I want to comment about is the way county leagues are set up. The leagues should consider being more geographically oriented in order to be more cost efficient (transportation) and promote more rivalry and competition. How about a Santa Ana League, since the four Santa Ana high schools have never been in the same league, this would seem sensible. Phil Bacerra

Garden Grove

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If there was one thing I would like to see changed in high school athletics it would be better officials. The officials need to know what’s going on and let us play a little more. They call way too many fouls and they need to be more educated as far as officiating--not all of them, but some of them.

Marie Philman

Edison junior

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I could probably list over a dozen things I would like to see change in high school sports in ’95.

The two big ones would be private schools separated from public schools because they have an unfair advantage.

The other is that I would like to see more parent support. In the Garden Grove League, it’s real bad. I wish for the kids’ sake that parents would be able to support them more.

Tony Tubbs

La Quinta girls’ basketball coach

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I’d like to see Rollerblade hockey as a CIF-sanctioned sport in the next year or two, at worst. More people are playing roller hockey now than ever.

James Butler

Huntington Beach

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I’d appreciate it very much if the No. 1 team in Orange County, whether it be Mater Dei or Los Alamitos, would play one of the top-ranked teams in the nation in football to decide once and for all who’s No. 1. This year, Mater Dei should play the team from (Miami, Fla.) Southridge to decide who really is No. 1. I think that can be arranged by extending the season one week. That would be good for the fans and would bring in a lot of revenue for the parties involved.

Marcel LaCroix

Cypress

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There are several things, starting with those things that are trickling down from the pros and college, and should not be part of high school. Specifically, trash talking and taunting. We should get back to why we have high school sports. It’s not a training ground for college; a scholarship should be way down the list. The state of affairs is out of whack.

The transferring of kids--open enrollment--should be tightened. Too many uninformed people are making bad decisions, going by wins and losses and not what’s good for the kids. Parents should have to pass a test to justify why they want the transfer.

And it would be good if newspapers eliminated the stats. Sometimes players, parents and even coaches get caught up in them too much. I’m not sure that’s why we do it.

Terry Henigan

Irvine football coach

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What I would like to see in the year to come, is for the State of California, Orange County and our school districts to show their full support to high school athletics and their educational value by making them a financial priority.

Bill White

Capistrano Valley

athletic director

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College recruiting rules need to be changed. It would be a lot better if colleges could contact you before you contact them, and the number of visits weren’t so limited. The rules are way too strict and need to be more lenient toward the recruit.

Olujimi Mann

Santa Ana Valley junior

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I would like to see the winner of the Southern Section Division I basketball playoffs play the winner of the Southern Section Division II playoffs at the end of the year. It would allow the two best teams in Southern California to play each other.

Mark Emard

Fullerton

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My big change would be to get the money to fund athletics without booster support. In some areas we rely 90% on boosters, while schools pay for the transportation and officials. But things such as uniforms, equipment and the extras you need to run a top program, to ask boosters to raise $5,000-$15,000 is not right.

We got a good deal at Estancia from Reebok for a discount on shoes, and that is realistic. I don’t mind doing some advertising; ideally you want no strings but in this day and age anyway to get it done without the parents is better.

To ask parents to raise funds puts coaches in an awkward situation, and you’re more beholden to them. But I’d feel the same way as the parents. If I give money, it’s hard for there to be no strings.

I don’t know where the money is coming from, especially now in Orange County, but there needs to be some change.

Tim Parsel

Estancia boys’ basketball coach

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I’d like to use football stadiums for soccer games more, so we can get this thing going. I’d also like to see more places to go for kids, such as community centers.

Eddie Carrillo

Orange soccer coach

*

We haven’t had a winner here since 1984. I don’t know how it could be done, but I think occasionally, more exposure should be given to the hard-working coach who teaches good fundamentals and more than the game.

There’s a lot more to life than winning. The general public needs to know that. These kids play hard, they’re just not as talented.

Vern Nelson

Bolsa Grande baseball coach

*

The biggest change needed is the way schools are put into CIF divisions. It should not be 1-A, 1-AA, etc. The way they do by pure numbers (school population) is wrong. That’s why you see a Santiago and a Century play in the highest divisions--with Mater Dei and Los Alamitos--and it’s not fair. Then someone like Corona del Mar with 700 students plays in the lowest. But if you compare the number of athletes they have to the ones at Santiago, Corona del Mar has more.

Mike Murphy

Sonora boys’ basketball coach

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I would like to see the kids clean up their act on the court. There are too many kids watching NBA and listening to trash talk. I’d like to see the game become a game of skill, and less a game of talk and celebration. I was very disappointed at the Tournament of Champions with some of the things I saw on the court.

You don’t want to take away from the game, but then again, what kind of game do we want? I’m all for any kind of way to bring about a cleaner game.

Bob Becker

Pacifica boys’ basketball coach

*

I would like to see more kids get involved in athletics in general. It’s a shame more don’t get involved; they’re really missing out on a great experience. It’s a great way to make friends and it teaches you good work ethics. They’ll learn from it and get a fun experience out of it, too.

Dave Smith

Loara track/cross-country coach

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I would change the backcourt rule in basketball, and there would be a lot less grabbing by defenses.

Nicole Wiora

Saddleback senior

*

The divisional playoffs got better this year, but football is one of the few sports that doesn’t deal with enrollment. If there is some system that they can incorporate similar to volleyball and basketball, where a 3,000 enrollment school is playing a 3,000 enrollment school, that would help. Then, year in and year out, you play people on the same level, drawing the same type of kid you are.

Jeff Brinkley

Newport Harbor football coach

*

I wish someone would cover soccer a little more. I know it’s not one of the biggest sports, but I think soccer is one of the sports that is trying to catch on and I think a little more publicity would be good to help it.

Mike Shumaker

Fullerton senior

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I would like to see more financial support from the district or wherever it needs to come from. One of the things I would like to see done with the financial support is the creation of a freshman level for girls’ basketball.

Carolyn Waltman

Dana Hills girls’ basketball coach

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I would like to see athletes improve on their sportsmanship. In the Empire League we have a sportsmanship conference on an annual basis and it seems to help in all sports. But while attending or coaching at other games, I still see bad sportsmanship by numerous athletes.

John Selbe

Cypress athletic director, football and girls’ basketball coach

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I wouldn’t mind getting a division more county-oriented. Sometimes when we get in our division (playoffs), the two teams are so spread out (distance-wise). It hurts the crowd and it just doesn’t mean much.

I would enjoy an Orange County section. It would make each game that much more meaningful.

(Also,) maybe the teams at the bottom of our league belong in an easier (league). That would be the equitable thing to do. There’s so much disparity in our league now. It’s top or bottom and there’s no in-between. I don’t see how we can change that, unless we break up the Garden Grove League.

Roger Takahashi

Los Amigos football coach

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One of the items that I would like to see changed in the year to come is more funding for high school athletics. High school athletics desperately need more funding, especially on the girls’ side. I also feel that the girls should be funded equally so they have the same number of teams in each sport.

Lynn Chaldu

Laguna Beach girls’ soccer coach