Large HS With 23% Participation Looking To Increase Numbers

Sometimes, though, students get caught going through the motions and just participate in going to class and doing their homework. In truth, though, the school can offer so much more.

There are some kids who may just want to use their school for just an academic outlook, which is fine. But if they want to take part in one of the sports or clubs offered by their school then there should be no reason to prevent them.

That is the core belief of a new directive started by the administration of Stamford High School — to get more participation from its students in the 40-plus clubs and 27 sports offered to its student body.

The programs range from the world of sports to clubs based around curriculum — like science, math and language clubs to drama and debate. There is a club called BuildOn where two students went to Nicaragua to hope build homes. There is also an ultimate Frisbee club.

Dr. Donna Valentine, principal of Stamford High School, proudly spoke about her programs and the hopes she has to see them progress.

“The bottom line is that all the studies show that kids who participate in after-school activities became more connected,” said Valentine. “Each activity or sport is supervised by an adult from the schools administration and it gives them a chance to see each other in a different light, outside the classroom. Hopefully, because they club or sport is something both the student and teacher have passion for, it will build their relationships with each other. The students in sports have to maintain a certain GPA to participate so it’s a win-win.”

Athletic Director Jim Moriarty has taken the initiative to work with Valentine in hopes of raising the participation in sports from its current level of 23 percent.

In a student body of 2,000, Moriarty recognizes there is a lot of talent mulling in the hallways who could be sprinting down the sidelines or pouring a few points into hoops or nets.

He does realize that all kids cannot play due to a variety of reasons, but there are very few things that can unite a community like high school sports.

These traditions have been lionized in books and movies about how it can bring people of all different backgrounds together with a common goal of seeing their children play on an afternoon or an evening.

Moriarty is somebody who can speak first-hand about what participation in athletics can give to a young person. He was a three-sport star at Stamford Catholic before becoming a successful college player and high school coach. Since taking over last spring as the athletic director, Moriarty has made improving the number of students participating in junior variety and varsity sports a goal.

There is no mistaking his passion about the subject.

The numbers do not lie. In a large school like Stamford High School, to have only 23 percent of the students taking advantage of their various programs is disturbing to say the least, according to Moriarty.

According to a U.S. World and News Report in 2011, citing a report from the National Federation of High Schools, the national high school average was 55 percent.

Connecticut was ranked 23rd out of 51 (including the District of Columbia) in total number of athletes competing in at least one sport.

Moriarty understands in a city like Stamford there are kids who have responsibilities, which means they might have to work a job in their spare time rather commit to a high school sport.

In the more affluent towns throughout the FCIAC, there is more of an opportunity for the students to play sports and their rosters are swollen compared to the Black Knights.

Stamford has always had some players who are committed to playing two, or even three, sports, but those athletes are becoming fewer as the makeup of the school becomes more eclectic and he said it is unfair some of those kids lose part of their high school experience because of circumstances beyond their control.

Moriarty was not just talking about sports because he included drama and band among other after school programs which are available for the student body.

“We’ve know this: That the numbers of participation in sports has been poor,” said Moriarty. “There are a lot of contributing factors. First, we have kids that choose to work so they lose the experience of playing high school sports and it’s very difficult to combat economic circumstances or situations that families find themselves in, but we would like to see increased participation.”

Moriarty is also concerned about losing talented athletes to other programs in private schools.

He pointed out that in terms of sending its student-athletes to premium colleges, Stamford High has had students who have gone on to study at Vanderbilt and Yale.

He also talked about Garry Cobb, a Stamford product who went on to star at USC and the NFL.

Right now, SHS product Vladimir Ducasse is on the New York Jets’ roster; Khairi Fortt will be playing football at the University of California next fall after sitting out 2012 with an injury; and Chris Evans is on the roster at Sacred Heart University, a Division 1 program in Fairfield.

There are many other scholar athletes who are currently playing in college, as well, so Moriarty wants people to understand that the Black Knights can help kids pursue their goals of playing at the next level.

Moriarty currently is looking for new football and boys lacrosse coaches and ideally he would like to fill those positions from within the school — hopefully a teacher. He feels there is a disconnect if the coach is not part of the school on a full-time basis. The coach loses some perspective on the academic responsibilities of the students plus invaluable time to forge relationships with the athlete outside of practice or game-time scenarios. It also allows a coach time to find kids who would not normally go out for the team.

There are a few long-time coaches that do not teach at the high school but teach in other Stamford schools.

“To have a dynamic coach is important and our boys and girls basketball coaches are here which is good but our football coach wasn’t,” said Moriarty. “It gives coaches a chances to recruit kids in the halls and talk up their programs and, at your fingertips, you have all the kids in the high school. If (the coaches) are not in the high school that’s a problem. Having been a teacher and coach for 30 years, the situation is entirely different. You have teachers who have been around for years who have never seen their students in a different atmosphere outside the classroom; where it’s not just 48 minutes in a classroom but they are there by choice and competing, working as a team and they are motivated when playing.

“It’s one thing I (learned) as a coach,” he added. “They want to play in front of people, they want to be noticed and they want to get their picture in the paper. There are kids that will never get that chance and if we can we want to fix that.”

Another phase of the plan is for Dr. Valentine and Moriarty to visit local middle schools and make them aware of all the extra programs available.

They have a video being put together by the school’s media department which shows all the sports and it introduces other programs as well.

It is about getting the kids involved beyond chalkboards and notebooks, to being a bigger part of the Black Knight family.

“I had a student come into my office the other day and I asked her about her life and what she liked to do. She said, ’I used to play softball,’” said Valentine. “I asked her if she ever thought about going put for our team and she answered, ’Well, maybe I’ll try out.’ Those are the conversations I want all my staff to have.”

Enough of those conversations could help Stamford turn the tide and start to raise participation rates at the school.