Catholic teams win through hard work

Catholic high school football teams were well-represented at the recent state playoffs. Along with their successes come the naysayers and their conspiracy theories. These folks can't envision that hard work and dedication by the coaches and their players could possibly lead to all of that winning. If they hear a rumor enough, then it must be true. They sit back and speculate about successful seasons without any knowledge or understanding of how these teams have worked for their wins.

Their most popular theory is the recruitment theory. How this one goes is that Catholic schools recruit the better players to come to their schools. I am familiar with the Catholic high school program my son was on. I can't speak of any other program, Catholic or otherwise, because I would be merely speculating and be wrong.

My son was a player on two state championship teams. After the team's state title win during his senior year, the recruitment rumors were flying about, even back then. It was pointed out that of the 26 seniors on the team, 23 of them had been together as a class since kindergarten. The others had come to the school as a result of their family moves. Is this the naysayers' idea of recruitment? Well, now they've got all winter to stew about it and come up with new theories.

Paula Goetzinger

Iowa City