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S2 E6 - The Big Game - Getting Ready for Homecoming · Inside the OSD

• 0:07
  SPEAKER1: The fall athletic season is in full swing and we have student athletes participating in a wide variety of sports in the OSD.
• 0:17
  We view all athletics as an extension of the classroom and another environment for our students to build important lifelong skills.
• 0:25
  With the homecoming football game on the horizon, we're here at Panther Stadium with our athletic director, our head football coach, and some of our football
• 0:34
  team captains to hear about their experiences in our athletic program, the skills they're learning, and what fans can do to make all athletic events
• 0:43
  safe and enjoyable for all.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:52
  Here is your host.
• 0:53
  Lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
• 0:56
  Leslie Bergstrom.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER1: I'd like to kick off our discussion with you, Brittany.
• 1:04
  Could you start by introducing yourself to our listeners and your role in the OSD?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER3: Well, my name is Brittany Spencer Grant or BSG, and I serve as the director of athletics here for the Oregon School District.
• 1:16
  A majority of my work is here at the high school.
• 1:18
  However, I do work in collaboration a little bit at the middle school with Dan Howard, who is the athletic director down there.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER1: And you've been an athletic director for quite some time because in addition to your work here, you were an athletic director in New Glarus for a long time,
• 1:32
  too, right? That's correct.
• 1:34
  So given your experience, what is the number one thing you hope for our student athletes to take away with them after they're a part of our program?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER3: It's a really great question.
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  You know, one of the things I really hope is that our students take away positive relationships both with their peers and with the adults and coaches who
• 1:53
  they're with for several weeks and months out of the year.
• 1:57
  You know, within athletics, there's so many life lessons that can be learned.
• 2:00
  And so the participation kind of helps them learn some of those things and hopefully take them with them after high school, whether that's into college,
• 2:09
  the trades, the military, the workforce, you know, you name it, there's a lot of lessons that can be gleaned.
• 2:16
  And then, you know, the other thing I'll mention is kind of the purpose of sports.
• 2:19
  And I think that's something that everybody kind of needs to reflect on, and especially at the high school level, like what is the purpose of high school
• 2:26
  sports? And I think if we asked a lot of different people, we'd get a lot of different responses.
• 2:31
  You know, how we define success as a team or as an individual.
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  You know, some people think it's the wins and losses.
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  I'd like to argue there's more to it than just wins and losses.
• 2:42
  But yeah, it's just something that I think people need to grapple with and try to come to terms with what it actually means.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. So what are the key things that create a successful athletic event in general?
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  Because I'm thinking about homecoming coming up.
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  There'll be a lot of students that a lot of events for an athletic event.
• 3:00
  What makes it successful?
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  SPEAKER3: You know, anybody who knows me kind of knows I'm big on sportsmanship.
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  So I'm going to lead off with with an expectation of sportsmanship.
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  And that's that's an area where we can all do our part.
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  You know, whether it's the kids on the field, the coaches on the sidelines, the students in the stands, you know, the parents and spectators.
• 3:19
  You know, we all have a role to play.
• 3:21
  You know, we're always trying to cheer for our team and we want to do that in a positive manner.
• 3:25
  We don't ever want to cheer negatively against an opponent or direct something at an official.
• 3:30
  You know, experiences like that are less than enjoyable, not only for those around you, but, you know, for any event staff who then have to get involved and
• 3:38
  have that uncomfortable conversation.
• 3:41
  I say all the time, you know, we've got to be loud, be proud and be positive.
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  That's one of my parting lines in a lot of emails that I send.
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  You know, we love it when families attend our sporting events together.
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  You know, kids sitting in the stands with mom or dad or grandma or grandpa, you know, whoever it is.
• 3:59
  And just kind of talking about the experience of our sporting events is always really positive.
• 4:03
  And I remember some of those experiences as a kid myself.
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  You know, a big thing that's helpful is if we can either be standing somewhere watching the game or sitting in the bleachers and being mindful of others who
• 4:17
  are around us so that we're hopefully not obstructing views.
• 4:21
  And then, you know, just a couple minor logistical items would be to leave like footballs and other objects at home, whether that's, you know, skateboards,
• 4:28
  backpacks, things like that.
• 4:30
  Anything that's not actually needed for the game.
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  Our preference would be to leave those items at home.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. And then I know that the homecoming game in particular will draw a huge crowd.
• 4:41
  Students, fans, you already spoke about some things that will make that night successful.
• 4:48
  Is there anything you want to add to that?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER3: Yes. I mean, everything I just mentioned, please be mindful of.
• 4:53
  In terms of getting into the stadium, if you're able to purchase a digital ticket in advance, that helps our ticket line move a little quicker.
• 5:00
  The other piece, if you are paying cash that's helpful is to have exact change.
• 5:04
  All of our tickets are $5, so hopefully increments of five are very helpful to get that line moving.
• 5:11
  You know, I mentioned finding a spot to watch the game from.
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  You know, one of the things we want to emphasize for the homecoming game is we want to try and keep that walkway within the bleachers obstruction free.
• 5:21
  The one minor exception here is going to be our OHS student section.
• 5:25
  But outside of that area, we'd like to to keep the walkway free.
• 5:29
  And so please don't stand along the railing on the bleachers.
• 5:34
  You know, I want to remind everybody that our competitors, their children and young adults, you know, they try their hardest.
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  We don't intentionally make mistakes.
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  And a lot of times if a mistake is made in a game, they know, you know, we don't need however many people yelling from the stands about it.
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  And just remember, you know, they do put in a lot of hours, you know, to try and perfect their craft.
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  But mistakes will be made and we learn and grow from them.
• 6:02
  And then the last thing I'll share is our Oregon Youth Sports Consortium.
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  We came up with a saying and that saying is "athletes compete, coaches coach, and spectators support." So I'll ask everybody to please help fulfill your role
• 6:16
  while cheering on our Panthers in that positive manner.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. And honestly, if an athletic director is going to be known for anything being known for a promoter of sportsmanship, I think that's something
• 6:30
  we can all feel really proud of.
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  So thank you.
• 6:33
  And now I'd like to turn to you, Coach Kissling.
• 6:35
  Can you begin by introducing yourself and your multiple roles in the school district?
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  SPEAKER4: All right. I'm Dan Kissling.
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  I'm an eighth grade math teacher, football coach, track coach.
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  I've been here for 24 years.
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  In the last 14 years, I've been the head coach for our football team.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. So talk to us about what it means for athletics to be an extension of the classroom.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER4: I think the -- it's very important for sports.
• 7:02
  It is actually an extension, and I think it's great that I feel that.
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  And I think studies have shown that there's kids who go out for sports and do that, learn a lot of life skills.
• 7:13
  I think they have better attendance in schools and I actually think their grades are much better when they're actually in a group or a team.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you. Because I was going to ask you, why is this so important?
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  But I think you covered that.
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  It's important for a multitude of reasons in a young person's life.
• 7:28
  Absolutely.
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  SPEAKER4: I mean, you know, just the the skills that, you know, being disciplined on a team, you know, being part of the team, the teamwork and so forth, having a
• 7:36
  little adversity and having a little resiliency, I think is all key exponents of being a strong student athlete.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER1: So what are the key skills you're hoping our student athletes acquire?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER4: I think discipline is one of them.
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  I think when you're out there practicing against each other, I think, you know, just the discipline of being a student athlete I think is a key
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  component. Some of the adversity we've had this year, I think is also good for our kids to kind of learn from and and bounce back.
• 8:07
  That's, you know, sometimes it's not always about winning, but it's about coming back the next day and and fighting and, and, you know, showing your
• 8:14
  teammates that you're still there to help them out.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER1: Because that's a lesson that transfers to anything else you do in life.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER4: Exactly. It's a life skill.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. So what are you most proud of with respect to this team?
• 8:25
  SPEAKER4: Again, we've lost a couple of games by a couple of points and our kids have come back and I think they're the -- from what the for the adversity they're coming
• 8:35
  back and each week they are not giving up.
• 8:38
  They are trying hard and they're coming back to practice and improving each week.
• 8:43
  And that's just, you know, as our coaching staff has said, we want you to compete and we just want you to get better from week to week.
• 8:49
  And and I think we are doing that now.
• 8:51
  I think there was a little lull there.
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  We weren't, but now it's again, they're coming back and they're enjoying the game again.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER1: That's terrific.
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  So what messages do you have for our players, our fans, our students, our spectators as they get ready for the homecoming game?
• 9:05
  SPEAKER4: I think you're going to see, you know, two teams that are pretty good.
• 9:09
  I think at that time. I think we're going to be hopefully healthy and we're going to you know, we want everybody to be really loud and proud and and cheer.
• 9:17
  Like you said, there's gonna be a lot of people at this game.
• 9:19
  And like I said, our kids are are competing each time and they're going to come out there.
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  They're going to give you a great show that night.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER1: Be loud, be proud and be positive.
• 9:28
  Is that right? That's right.
• 9:29
  All right. I'm going to -- maybe I need a t shirt.
• 9:32
  That's pretty good.
• 9:33
  So now we're going to talk to our student athletes.
• 9:35
  So thank you both for being here.
• 9:37
  If you wouldn't mind, each of you introducing yourself, your grade in school, and then any information about other sports you play?
• 9:45
  SPEAKER5: I'm Cole Krueger. I'm a senior here at OHS.
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  And as of right now, I only play football.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER1: All right.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER5: I'm Andrew Jicha. I'm a senior also, and I also play hockey here at Oregon.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. So tell us about what is involved in being a team captain and what responsibilities come with it.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER5: I think there are different types of captains, so I think there's like a vocal and non-vocal leader.
• 10:08
  Okay. For me personally, I like to think myself as a vocal leader.
• 10:11
  And one of the main roles for me is like keeping everyone kind of positive and up, especially when times are rough, and especially since it's a longer season
• 10:19
  in some sports, then just having the guys positive and motivated throughout the whole year is pretty important.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER1: Thank you.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER5: One of the big responsibilities for me is just setting a good example for the younger kids.
• 10:30
  And like Andrew said, he's a vocal leader.
• 10:33
  I like to think of myself as a kind of a non vocal leader, just kind of checking in with everybody and just making sure everybody's on the right page.
• 10:40
  Right.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER1: Thanks. So what does it mean to each of you to be selected as a leader of the team?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER5: It really means a lot to me.
• 10:49
  I was honored to be named captain by our other athletes.
• 10:55
  I mean, it's not just the senior class, but the younger kids too.
• 10:58
  Just knowing that they look up to me and they think of me as a leader, it really meant a lot to me.
• 11:03
  Yeah, I agree. Obviously, it's an honor to be voted by your peers on the team, but I think that everybody can be a leader, whether you have that captaincy
• 11:12
  title or not.
• 11:13
  I just hope that the younger classmen kind of understand that, that they can be role models and leaders too.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER1: I really appreciate that because you don't need the title to be a leader.
• 11:22
  No, you do not. So what's so special about this team?
• 11:26
  SPEAKER5: I think the guys itself, we have a lot of different personalities on the team, which makes coming after school every day is like a blast.
• 11:33
  And like with Coach Kissling says, there's a lot of adversity that we've been through, but it shows that hard work and determination a week by week is
• 11:40
  starting to pay off. That's awesome.
• 11:42
  I couldn't agree more with what Andrew just said.
• 11:45
  I mean, I've grown so much as a leader throughout this year and just building relationships I never thought I would have, like with sophomores and juniors,
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  underclassmen, I mean, I have some of my best friends have.
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  Come like from this year.
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  And they're not like the kids my age.
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  There are kids that are younger than me.
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  I'm so appreciative for it.
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  SPEAKER1: That is so special.
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  And honestly, it'll go far beyond this experience, right?
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  The connections you've been able to make.
• 12:11
  So thinking about that, are there any specific skills from your experience that you'll take into the future?
• 12:18
  SPEAKER5: Yeah, I think obviously teamwork is a big one in any team sport or group setting, but especially in football thinking outside the box, there's not really
• 12:27
  a right answer in football.
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  So I play defense.
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  There's obviously a right coverage, but how that will factor the game, you don't really know prior to the play.
• 12:36
  Also, I think the word integrity.
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  Just do the right thing as a student athlete doing the right thing, whether it's on the field, in the rink, and especially in the classroom, it can go a long
• 12:45
  way.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER5: Yeah, I agree. The leadership role that I can take on from for the future and yeah, I think Andrew summed it up pretty well.
• 12:55
  Yeah.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER1: Both of you are excellent at expressing your thoughts on this subject.
• 13:00
  And so here's, here's your last opportunity for, for that, for this particular podcast.
• 13:05
  What message do you have for younger students and student athletes who have their eyes on you and will be here for the homecoming game?
• 13:13
  SPEAKER5: I say just enjoy it.
• 13:15
  Take it all in, because you don't have a lot more homecomings left.
• 13:20
  A lot of only a couple more opportunities left.
• 13:22
  I mean, this is our last homecoming.
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  So let's take it in cheer loud, cheer hard, and just have a good time.
• 13:29
  Yeah, well, Cole summed it up pretty well.
• 13:32
  Obviously, it's kind of cliche to say that the high school experience goes by fast, but it really does.
• 13:36
  It does. Three games left of our Oregon career, so just enjoy every moment you have the guys.
• 13:43
  Thank you, you guys.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER1: The homecoming game kicks off at 7 p.m.
• 13:49
  on Friday, October 13th against Sun Prairie West.
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  You can find everything you need from tickets to game expectations on our website at
• 13:59
  OregonSD.Org/PantherAthletics. Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside the OSD
• 14:09
  and submit topic ideas on our website at OregonSD.Org/Podcast.
• 14:16
  You can find this podcast anywhere you can find podcasts.
• 14:20
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 14:26
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.