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The Value of Education-Based Athletics

Several years ago, I was asked to speak at a local fundraising banquet.  My high school football coach was in the audience.  At the end of my speech, I was able to thank my coach and discuss the way he influenced my life.  This was an opportunity I thought I would never have.  Most of the time, the impact a coach or teacher makes on young lives goes unnoticed.  Yet, these influential relationships are quite common—not only in my particular case, but in high schools throughout the state of Ohio.

Many have argued that club sports and AAU programs have diminished the importance of high school athletics.  Now that colleges recruit from select teams, there seems to be no reason to participate in the school-based alternatives.  I strongly disagree.  High school athletics are uniquely able to promote the relationships discussed above and their connection to the educational process makes them more likely to produce athletes who are well-rounded and complete individuals.

My daughter’s experience with high school athletics mirrors my own, despite the fact that she was a strong athlete who participated in premier club programs offered outside the school setting. The relationships she developed with her high school coaches were much stronger and longer lasting than those she developed with coaches of teams that met only three times a week and traveled to events separately.  Given these relationships, she loved her high school teams and always looked forward to “playing for her school.”  In fact, she invited her high school coach to her wedding.  She has not had any interaction with her premier coach.

While the goal of all teams is to be successful, high school sports programs offer much more.  Most of the coaches in the education-based setting have been trained to teach adolescents.  As a result, the high school athletic program is often an extension of the classroom.  Many of the values associated with academic discipline are transferred to the athletic field and vice versa.  This integration helps to develop a well rounded individual that will become a successful adult in our society.

I have worked in the field of education for thirty five years, twenty six of those as an  athletic director.  As an athletic director and coach in this great state, I have had the opportunity to build the same relationships with athletes that my own coach built with me.  Moreover, I have watched many young women and men grow into complete individuals by integrating academic and athletic discipline.  Though club sports provide certain advantages, they cannot compete with education-based athletics on these levels.  It is truly the best game in town!

Jim Barre

CHL/SID

In twenty years, it won't matter if they were the best on the team, if they were the fastest on the field, or if they had the most impressive stats.

It won't matter if they were recognized for their accomplishments or if they ever received the title of "MVP".

It won't matter if their travel team was the best in the league, or if other coaches ever pointed them out and said, "Keep an eye on that kid."

It won't matter if they started every game or scored the game-winning run.

Don't get me wrong, I'm my kids' biggest fan.

I LOVE watching them in all of their activities. I'm proud and honored to get to do so. And yes, we're a family who likes to win (and I think that's okay!)

But sometimes, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that so much of this sports-parent season is temporary. We get caught up in the competitiveness of wanting our kid to be the best, when really it's kind of insignificant in the bigger picture of their lives.

In twenty years, the things that WILL matter are the other skills our kids are learning during their time playing youth sports.

The skills they'll only learn if we put our parent egos aside and have fewer conversations about stats and more conversations about things like—

Kindness.
Humility.
Hard work.
Being a team player.
Supporting their peers.
Being a good sport even when things don't go their way.

Right now, sports are such a big part of our world.

From the outside it seems like our kids are working on things like proper technique and fundamentals of the game—and that's part of it, sure.

But really, this is an even bigger chance for them to learn lessons about life.

And when they've hung up their cleats for the very last time, I hope to walk into the next season of life knowing we haven't just raised accomplished athletes, we've raised incredible humans.

Credit goes to respective owner.

The CHL saw two teams win State Championships this year.  There was also a Tennis Doubles State Championship and a Swimming Relay State Title.  Many school records were broken and super individual efforts and honors were won in all 25 sports offered by the league schools.

Madeira Girls Soccer team won the Ohio State Championship in the Fall.  The finished the season 18-4-1 and finished third in the CHL standings.  That shows how tough the CHL is in Soccer.

Wyoming Boys Basketball also won the State Title.  They finished the season 27-2, losing only to St. Xavier and Elder, much bigger schools.  They breezed through the tournament without any opponent coming close to defeating them.

Indian Hill's Neelan Gandhi and  Gareth Kurowski captured the State Doubles Title this spring.  They led an Indian Hill team that made it to the final four in the State Team Tournament.

Mariemont's Boys 200 Medley Relay also won a State Title this winter.  The team, made up of Desmond Noone, Corbin Heis, Maddox Moon and Quinn Heis became the first boys swim relay team from Mariemont to win a State Title.

Indian Hill won the most league titles, therefore the All Sports Trophy.  The Braves captured eight (8) CHL Championships.  Madeira was next with 6 league titles.  Wyoming and Taylor each won 3 CHL Banners while Mariemont and Reading both took one CHL Championship.

Fall Season:  CHL Titles

Football:  Indian Hill

Girls Volleyball:  Taylor

Boys Soccer:  Wyoming

Girls Soccer:  Indian Hill

Boys Cross Country:  Indian Hill

Girls Cross Country:  Madeira

Boys Golf:  Indian Hill

Girls Golf:  Madeira

Girls Tennis:  Indian Hill

Winter Season:  CHL Titles

Boys Basketball:  Wyoming

Girls Basketball:  Madeira

Girls Swimming:  Indian Hill

Boys Swimming:  Madeira

Boys Wrestling:  Reading

Boys Bowling:  Mariemont

Girls Bowling:  Taylor

Spring Season:  CHL Titles

Baseball:  Indian Hill

Softball:  Taylor

Boys Track:  Madeira

Girls Track:  Madeira

Boys Tennis:  Indian Hill

Boys Volleyball:  Wyoming

This Sports Information Director (SID) is starting a new tradition with the CHL. At the end of every year, I will pick the most outstanding athletes from each of the eight schools in the league. I have picked a boy and girl from each season, Fall, Winter, and Spring for this school year. The list is 48 of the top athletes in the CHL for this year. It is, by far, not all of the great athletes in the CHL and sometimes the decision was very difficult to make. This list represents twenty (20) different sports from throughout the 25-26 school year.  Many on this list are multiple sport athletes that excelled in two and sometimes three sports. Congratulations to all that made the list and to all of the CHL athletes of 2025-2026.

Deer Park:

Sela Sackey, Football

Abi Pettyjohn, Volleyball

Antonio White, Basketball

Rachel Walker, Basketball

Titus Sayers, Track

Camille Lewis, Track

Finneytown:

Zhyr Youngblood, Football

Kara George, Soccer

Brady Volz, Wrestling

My'Shawanna Tinsley, Wrestling

Jack Haalamert, Volleyball

Jayla Kittles, Track

Indian Hill:

Devlan Daniel, Football

Sophia Thompson, Tennis

Jack Huwel, Basketball

Gabby Henz, Swimming

James O'Driscoll IV, Track

Zoey Glenn, Softball

Madeira:

Ben Wetzel, Cross Country

Ellie Hartung, Golf

Max Welty, Swimming

Whitney Dixon, Basketball

Eli Beck, Baseball

Lucy Folger, Track

Mariemont:

Jack Simpson, Football

Addy Zawaly, Soccer

Quinn Heis, Swimming

Miller Spreen, Basketball

Bo Deeter, Baseball

Jane Muller, Lacrosse

Reading:

Marc Smith, Football

Addison Koebbe, Soccer

Malachi Jackson, Wrestling

Brooke Androne, Basketball

Jackson Brubaker, Track

Lillie Riedmiller, Softball

Taylor:

Easton Schrimpf, Football

Kylie Stutzman, Volleyball

Noah Wentz, Basketball

Alex McDonald, Bowling

Caleb Brinkmoeller, Track

Ellie Stafford, Softball

Wyoming:

Rocco Fischer, Soccer

Katie Mouch, Volleyball

Kellen Wiley, Basketball

Ansley Neff, Swimming

David Dupee, Baseball

Ginny Theobald, Softball

All Sports Trophy

                 2025-26