A topic of conversation recently came up surrounding whether the proposed $1.2 million to turf the football field at Riverside Park was worth the effort.
I won’t name the parties, because I detest the idea my column would be fodder for silencing anyone, but the topic was why turf a field for a high school football program? Why not, instead, use those funds to enhance academic efforts, which one could argue would make an immediate impact on the community?
To boil it down, the speaker argued those funds would yield greater results if spent on academic programs, but a turfed field may not result in a better football team. The speaker had a point. And one I had never heard before.
A high school football team, by definition, is a government program. More precisely, it’s a local government program. If a government program shows year after year mediocrity or failure, then eventually representatives stop funding it or dump more money into solving why the program failed.
I wouldn’t call the Iola High School football team a failed government program. IHS had multiple players named All-Pioneer League and even all-state. IHS football players also have community and academic successes, which may not be on the gridiron but are certainly in association to the gridiron. There are numerous studies on academic retention indicating students more engaged in student life, student activities, are more likely to have higher grades and not drop out.
As for success on the gridiron, it’s been more than a decade since they had a winning season. Why reward failure? Maybe it’s not just about field turf. Maybe it’s a jumping off point. It’s not just the IHS football team using the field. The Iola Middle School Mustangs will use the field. The Iola little league teams will use the field. With access to fields, regardless of weather conditions, turf may improve all area football programs.
The Allen Community College men’s and women’s soccer teams also would use the fields so they can finally rehab their wonderful Bermuda grass, which has taken a pounding over the past few years. I’ve long said it’s a shame Allen Community College games do not get much attention because it’s the only time Iolans will see international athletes compete. Bring soccer to Riverside Park.
Make it more accessible to the public and let citizens see what good soccer looks like. It may create enthusiasm for local soccer, which provides an avenue for athletes more suited for soccer than football.
Those last two paragraphs included a lot of ifs, mays and maybes. Even if all those ifs, mays and maybes came to fruition, would they supersede the impact those dollars would make if invested into academic programs — the whole purpose for public education? I’m not pointing one way or another.
But it’s an interesting topic, or at least a thought exercise.
