The athletic directors at Dalton High and Dalton Middle will begin working to better coordinate and develop the city’s athletic programs.
In conjunction with the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department, Dalton High’s Ron Ward and Dalton Middle’s Missie McKinney will meet in the coming days, the first step toward developing a more defined structure to city athletics. The topic was discussed during Monday’s work session for the Dalton Board of Education.
“This is basically something long overdue with some vertical teaming and structure from the high school on down,” Ward said after the work session. “From a low level in our recreation department on up, we are developing Catamounts. We need to have a philosophy with shared values and determine what is our philosophy and structure to build our athletic programs and make them stronger.”
Just as educational foundations are built on curriculum integration, which builds on knowledge as the student moves from grade to grade, Board Chairman Danny Crutchfield said building a structure from the lower grades to the high school in athletics is equally important.
“To me, it is about making sure we are committed to a certain philosophy so the middle and high school are on the same page,” Crutchfield said.
Ward said he has had discussions with his varsity coaches at the high school level, and they believe that integration of the same structure and philosophies that the high school uses would be more beneficial if middle school coaches were on the same page.
“In conversations I have had with all of our coaches at the high school, they would all like to see some sort of vertical structure from the high school coach on down through the elementary level,” Ward said. “It would align the students athletically the same way we have aligned our curriculum. We want to try to improve that structure all the way through.”
An issue raised by board member Rick Fromm is whether or not a single philosophy can address concerns about participation and success.
“Middle school people develop at different rates, and you hate to see someone drop out of a sport (because of an emphasis on success) when they could develop more,” Fromm said.
Crutchfield told Ward and McKinney to work with their coaches, then come back together to develop their strategy.
“What is our philosophy going to be?” he asked. “I don’t think it is our job to tell you what it should be. It is you who needs to tell us what it needs to be.”
Superintendent Jim Hawkins agreed.
“Don’t complicate it,” he said. “We need everything to go through this funnel. Start from scratch — our beliefs about athletics, our vision and mission. Something we can point to.
“In conversations I have had with all of our coaches at the high school, they would all like to see some sort of vertical structure from the high school coach on down through the elementary level,” Ward said. “It would align the students athletically the same way we have aligned our curriculum. We want to try to improve that structure all the way through.”
An issue raised by board member Rick Fromm is whether or not a single philosophy can address concerns about participation and success.
“Middle school people develop at different rates, and you hate to see someone drop out of a sport (because of an emphasis on success) when they could develop more,” Fromm said.
Crutchfield told Ward and McKinney to work with their coaches, then come back together to develop their strategy.
“What is our philosophy going to be?” he asked. “I don’t think it is our job to tell you what it should be. It is you who needs to tell us what it needs to be.”
Superintendent Jim Hawkins agreed.
“Don’t complicate it,” he said. “We need everything to go through this funnel. Start from scratch — our beliefs about athletics, our vision and mission. Something we can point to.”
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