What’s the chance the high school you graduated from 30 years ago and the high school your children attend three hours from where you grew up would be competing in the state football championships in separate games, but on the same day? In most cases, the chances would be astronomical. In my particular situation, the chances are substantially better than most because of where I come from and where my children go to school. In this particular year, lightning struck, and that very thing happened. Last week, I spent all day at War Memorial Stadium watching Bentonville and Pulaski Academy win State Championships in their respective divisions.
When I was in high school in Bentonville, our football team made it to the playoffs only one time. We had less than 200 people in my class when I graduated. Thirty years later, Bentonville is the largest high school in the state of Arkansas, with somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 students. They are truly the current kings of prep sports in Arkansas. Not to take anything away from the talent of the team, but more students means more athletes, which usually equates to better teams with the right coaching staff. In my lifetime, the biggest schools tend to win the most championships. Eventually, Bentonville will split their high school, and with half of the athletes to choose from, their teams will likely fall again to mere mortal status.
Pulaski Academy is really a whole different story. PA has a student body with about 100 students per class. Because Pulaski Academy is a private school, the determination of what division they are in is made by plugging the number of their students into a multiplier. This causes PA to be in a classification substantially higher than they would be in if they were a public school with the same number of students. This is done in order to make up for the concerns about recruiting on the part of private schools.
No one pretends that the high quality of the education and the athletic program available at PA is not a magnet for some athletes. What is important to note is that a large majority of the players for PA have been at PA for most, if not all, of their academic careers. Most of them have been together since they were three and four years old in the preschool classes at PA. In many ways, attending PA is the same as going to a small town school, like those found all over the state of Arkansas.
The true secret to PA football is Coach Kevin Kelley and the coaching staff he’s put together. Coach Kelley has created a program where the boys know and recognize the simple maxim that there is no “I” in TEAM. The team knows that no one succeeds without the help of their teammates. They go out on the field expecting to win, not just because they’ve worked hard all year to get to that point and have given their all, but also because they know they owe it to their teammates, their team, their school, and themselves to do their very best.
PA is fun to watch when they play. You don’t have to know anything about the team to enjoy the spectacle of the machinery in action. However, the more you know, the more you enjoy and appreciate what goes into getting the Bruins to their championship form. Nothing about that takes away from Bentonville’s title. It was all good for me.
My son Trevor is a sophomore on the PA team. My oldest, William, came home from college to cheer for his brother and his alma matter. After the game, William and Trevor took a picture each wearing one of William’s state title rings from his time at PA. I asked Trevor what he was going to do now that he’s getting his own ring. He looked at me and, without skipping a beat, said “William got two rings. I want three.” He certainly has high expectations, and as long as Coach Kelley is around, they’re not unrealistic.
The truth is, Trevor has some final exams to get ready for, and football has to take a backseat to education. As important as sports might be, school comes first, and he knows that to be true. However, as important as school is, there’s no denying that it’s hard to match the excitement of watching these two teams win their titles. It was a great way to spend my Saturday, even if I didn’t get any work done.
To say that I did not get anything done is selling my day short. I was part of and formed a memory that, all things being equal, might not be repeated in my lifetime. At least, not on the same day. Recognizing the value of your experiences is the first step toward truly enjoying your life. That’s true for everybody, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a criminal Defense Attorney and co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville, Ark. His favorite pie is coconut cream. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com.