On the final show of the season, listeners got a taste of everything. From the  list of provincial champs - only two schools in Toronto (St. Michael’s in football and Eastern Commerce in girls’ basketball) to the others in the Greater Toronto Region. In total, a handful won provincial gold medals of the more than 40 Ontario team finals.

The guests were great.

Joe Brisbois, the Principal at St. Michael’s College, spoke about the success of sports at the all boys’ private school. But academics were a priority, then sports. And for those who thought it was mandatory for every student at the private school level to play sports, not so.

Jim Barclay coached the Pickering High boys’ basketball team, which won more games than the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Some people still can’t figure out how a high school team can put together a 70-2 record in a few months. Barclay, by the way, won’t be back to coach after explaining his concerns with the administration at his school. Yes, some controversy.

Lauren Daly, having just finished her Grade 11 year at York Mills Collegiate, told it the way it is - but not happy with the Toronto District School Board deciding to close swimming pools. She won gold medals at the citywide level, then the Ontario level. And what an inspiration, born with cerebral palsy, no excuses from her. She wanted to be like most teenagers - not letting a disability stand in the way. What a great role model.

And Martin Ritsma, the new president of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations, gave a clear impression that he cares about school sports - and intends to make things happen. Previous OFSAA Presidents should listen and learn.

So, a great year it was. There were many issues. There were many problems. There continues to be issues and problems.

I think it’s about time the Boards of Education realize that people give many hours of personal time to coach students. It’s not a day care service. Give these coaches some credit - especially since they’re not asking for compensation.

But coaches, and Principals, also need to get serious about putting academics ahead of sports. Do well in school and earn a chance to play. Not getting a green light to play because you’re an elite athlete - and failing.

See you in a month or so.

For many, it’s so long high school.

Good times - and not so good times. Great memories. Friendship. Missed classes and the odd so-so grades. But, for those who wanted to participate in sports, there were ample opportunities.

And an end to the school year means, in most schools, a recognition of awards and the popular “athlete of the year”.

On Sunday, June 22, the HIGH SCHOOL SHOW devotes an entire hour starting at 9am to the boys and girls, men and women - you pick it - chosen as the top athlete in their schol this year.

I’m sure there’ll be some interesting stories.

What goes in to selecting the top athlete?

I spoke to a variety of school staff - and even asked for viewpoints from some students.

Funny thing, no clear cut guidelines. All schools have their own rules. Some choose an athlete for playing the most sports. Others select a person who has a combination of good grades and did well in sports. Some choose athletes who are - great athletes, but shall we see having serious difficulty with passing. I can’t figure that one out.

Other schools, as large as they might be, select the same student….year after year. And, of course, there are athletes chosen because they’ve been a favorite of certain teachers and coaches. Does a school Principal have a say?

The majority of the cases, no.

How do the students feel about being chosen? Was there someone else who deserved it? Can they be straightforward, at least for those chosen and days away from graduating?

And what about the schools who didn’t select an athlete. Yikes!

Well, we have that same description for coaches of high school sports in the Greater Toronto Area.

The good: Lots of it with many great coaching efforts. While Boards of Education take it for granted that coaches will suddenly appear every year to babysit students for after-school activities, these over-paid senior bureaucrats - and even some Principals - just don’t get it.

Coaches give their free time. Sometimes, they even take money from their pockets to help kids. They travel to tournaments. They’re responsible for behaviour, liability and more. That’s heavy duty stuff - for free.

It’s not always winning, as some students tell me, coaches are there because they have a passion to help, love sports and many pretend to be in the NFL, C FL, NBA, NHL or whatever.

Kudos to the majority. Even to the odd Principal, and they know who they are, who also coach or attend games. Students also know who is out to support them.

The bad: some coaches mean well but don’t understand rules, are not certified and very bad at dealing with disciplinary issues. They also play great athletes, who are students in trouble academically. What’s first? Ah hum, this is school sports and not sports, then schools.

The ugly: how can you select athletes of the year and MVPs for school sports teams when students are failing grades. Here’s another scenario, top athlete goes to the student who is buddies with the coaches. Hmm, maybe they go out for a few pops together too.

The summary: we need more coaches, many of them young teachers who benefitted from sports when they were in school, who now claim they’re too busy. Yea, right.

Many young people need sports to help them get through school. But there is a middle point - and that’s where teachers, willing to coach and get certified or learn about sports, get my vote. They’re the ones who deserve the bonus bucks - the thousands of dollars wasted in inflated bureaucratic expense claims, management get-togethers and out-of-town forums in five star resorts.

Good coaches.

Funding to support good programs and good coaches.

And, administrative backing for good coaches and good programs.

Now, we’re talking.

Father’s Day. Thought about doing a show - and having teenage athletes tell some stories about their dads.

Then, I changed my mind - but not for long. When the mother of a baseball player at the Rogers Centre told me “you had one for Mother’s Day, you owe it to the fathers”.

OK. When I started to ask high school athletes if they’d like to talk about sports, school and life with dad…seven of the first eight either gave me strange looks, flatly declined or said they were busy. Bit odd, I kept digging like a reporter and was very curious about the hesitations and getting turned down.

Now, I know the reasons.

Three athletes told me they didn’t know their father. Two more said their father just picked up and left, one told me he was beaten and his father was in a correctional institution.

Yup, I eventually did hit home. I do have some guests talking about their dad this Sunday morning from 9am to 10am on THE HIGH SCHOOL SHOW.

But these are the warm and cudly stories.

I really do believe that listeners really want to know about the positive impact fathers have had on their children. Same for grandfathers, uncles, stepfathers, Big Brothers - and just guys who have been that fatherly figure for many young people growing up with just a mother.

I really do get irked seeing teenage girls crying, jealous about their friends whose dads took them all out for an ice cream, a trip somewhere or even a ride to a game.

Happy Father’s Day - to the guys who care.

As for the others………

We’ve been receiving a fair number of e-mails and voice mail messages, even got pulled aside three times at a track meet, and asked by people: why aren’t you covering the OFSAA soccer playoffs…why aren’t you covering the OFSAA rugby playoffs…why aren’t you covering the OFSAA track and field final and on and on.

Poeple asking the questions are teachers, coaches, athletes, parents, alumni, etc.

And, for the majority who have heard back from me, here’s what I’ve told them.

First, the provincial organization that oversees a number of Ontario high school championships either doesn’t understand how to communicate to media or is not interested in having members of the broadcast and print media attend their events. OFSAA is certainly showing a lack of interest in promoting student athletes.

Over the next two weeks, 17 provincial school finals will take place - many clash on the same dates with upcoming exams being one reason - and other than an e-mail sent out the other day by OFSAA’s new PR person (telling members of the media to contact local organizers for information) the folks at OFSAA have wiped their hands.

Sad state for an organization that relies on tax-payer dollars. Disappointing as well for a provincial government that dishes out money to organizations like OFSAA and should insist on accountability and a bigger bang for the buck.

The FAN 590 and the Toronto Star appear to be the only major media in Toronto who consistently cover, and thus care about, high school sports.

Yes, we will be at the track and field finals in Hamilton. Yes, we will be covering the baseball final at the Rogers Centre. As for more, well, we’ll see depending on what doesn’t conflict. Can’t go to multiple places at the same time, right?

So, if OFSAA was wise, they’d be pro-active and look for ways to get results to the media who care. And that does require work and getting away from behind a desk.

Doug Gellatly, OFSAA’s executive director, should be the focus of attention. He’s in charge of the largest high school athletic association Canada and, I would wager, one that has let its pants drop when it gets down to seeking media attention to promote student athletes. Former executive directors Pete Beach, Andy Gibson and Colin Hood wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.

Instead, from what I have been told by OFSAA insiders, Gellatly figures the problem is isolated. Only the FAN 590 and Toronto Star have raised issues. And, Mr. Gellatly, that’s two darn good reasons for dealing with a problem in your office. Newspapers in Ottawa, Kingston, North Bay and on and on have given up on OFSAA. Radio and TV stations in other cities have told me that they can’t be bothered chasing down OFSAA. They’re too busy covering sports and dealing with others who get information to them - on time.

Looks as if people complaining have a point. Looks like OFSAA’s Executive and Board have some work ahead - especially in the quiet summer months.

That’s if these people care about raising the visibility of their schools, amateur sports and students. Don’t hold your breath.

High school baseball interest is expanding. More players. More teams. Barely a one month season because of politics by municipal parks people, who won’t let schools on facilities funded by taxpayers, like you and me, until the bureaucrats give their blessings. 

Forget a split season starting in the Fall. Football coaches will have nothing of it.

Oh yes, still no baseball diamonds on school properties in Toronto - with the exception of the attractive ”Field of Dreams” site located at Upper Canada College. I know, it’s a private or independent school with financial support. But UCC knows how to care for its students - first class.

Just think, we could have had a few diamonds on Catholic school sites in Toronto if school trustees weren’t as greedy with our tax dollars. Some of that money, spent on lavish meals, Caribbean trips and more,  could have gone to help students.

Now, enter the folks from the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association, a so-called provincial sports body that, in the minds of many, does very little but show up at events to hand out awards, make some speeches, look important and collect money - a share of the gate and more.

Many coaches tell me that high school baseball was going very well until OFSAA stepped in. Kudos to the Toronto Blue Jays, who have supported the growth of high school baseball from the start. Now, OFSAA - who established a sports advisory committee for baseball but really doesn’t listen to them, now has introduced its format for playoffs. Hmm. Two pools, total of 16 teams.  Eight play in Sarna. Eight more in Whitby or Oshawa or Pickering. Final Four play in Toronto on June 11 - and a site still hasn’t been determined. Then, gold and bronze medal games on June 12 at the Rogers Centre.

One other thing. In addition to a tournament entry fee of $350. per team - and there are 16 teams entered so get the calculator out - OFSAA has added another tax. OFSAA is charging a $2.00 participation fee for each player.

Wonder where all the money is going?

The sprinter from Yorkdale High, a school that no longer exists, brought headlines for Canada around the world - but for the wrong reason.  Johnson, who went on to compete for Canada at the Olympics, tested positive for using performance enhancing drugs.

Fast forward and Toronto high schoolers have done fairly well at the Ontario level - and without steroids. Some, have done even better - after the annual provincial high school finals. Many only use the high school sport for their bigger plans and more serious commitment to track clubs.

The question, though, what about the future of this sport in Toronto schools?

Participation numbers are down for Toronto Public schools. Some say as much as 15 per cent this year over the previous one. Could it be because of interest in other sports? Maybe academics has taken over as a top priority? Are students fed up with the sport, just had enough? What about coaching - is it as good as it was in past?

I can’t understand why the new crop of high school teachers are not coaching in the numbers they did in previous years? Hmm, I do believe many of them did participate in school sports - even track and field - back then - and people did give up their time to coach them?

Something also needs to be said about student athletes devoting attention to practice - and not just showing up for a championship race.

Let’s see what happens this year - the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association track and field finals set for June 5 to 7 at Mohawk Park in Hamilton.

Ian Warner and Mohammed Dhaqane, both from Birchmount Park - the school with an exceptional athlete program - set Ontario records last year.

Will there be any this year?

I am sure both have graduated some fine young people. As a matter of fact, I know a fair number - because I wrote stories about them in the Toronto Star and interviewed others on THE HIGH SCHOOL SHOW heard Sunday mornings on THE FAN 590.

So, here’s the issue.

Both Havergal and De La Salle administrations have chosen to prevent their student athletes from receiving well-deserved media attention. I know, it sounds ridiculous.

Moms and dads, who spend thousands of dollars sending their kiddies to these schools, should know this.

Interesting at how some 40 other private, or independent, schools, welcome media sports attention. Not Havergal or De La Salle.  

Havergal, for instance, had an athlete win an event at the recent Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association track and field championships but went as far as to prevent the name from being announced or even published. Yet, people did have access to a list of all competing athletes. I have one of those lists.

Yes. Track and field statistics show No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, etc. — but, no No. 1.

I asked why and was told. Havergal wanted it that way.

Sounds bizarre.

Claiming privacy violations and other stuff, the real reason is that these two schools appear to be worried about their student names and pictures ending up on — strange websites or in the hands of predators.

I asked a senior member of the Toronto Police Service about this and the facial expression said it all. The word “paranoid” almost roled off the lips of the police officer.

Short of hiring security cops to chaperone their students, I wonder how the administrations at Havergal and De La Salle would feel knowing that dozens of people - including “strangers” - were also at York taking pictures. Who knows, maybe some were across the street with movie cameras and equipment taking photos?

And can you imagine what went on during the  CISAA swim championships - with people claiming to take pictures of their children. Does anyone really know who was taking photos?

Do they not understand that kids also do a fair amount of discussion and exchanging of pictures on a thing called FACEBOOK?

Fine. If Havergal and De La Salle choose to determine this as part of their school policy. I recall the comments of actor Yul Brynner in the movie, the Ten Commandments, when he said  ”So it shall be written, so it shall be done”.

But Havergal and De La Salle, remember. Your colleagues at other schools think you’re also spoiling for them when members of the media choose to stay away from CISAA events.

One more thing. Havergal, as well as De La Salle names, are appearing on websites such as the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association, also published in championship programs where teams are competing across the province and on and on….

I wonder how long it will take before parents insist on a change, Headmasters at other schools get involved or Havergal and De La Salle staff simply get in tune with reality and actually pick up the phone and start appealing for stories.

They’re coming from parents, many of them angry, as well as students, alumni, friends of families - and even students.

Here’s why?

People are ticked, and so am I, that coaches of school teams tend to only want to focus on their teams when they - win. Otherwise, shhhhh. Don’t tell anyone. Like, it’s a bad thing to lose a game - a high school game.

What irks me even more than teachers and coaches standing in the way of promoting the accomplishments of young people, is when they lie about a final score.

Teachers and coaches change it from 19-0 to 5-0 in a baseball game because the lopsided score looks bad when it appears in a paper or announced on radio.

 Here’s another one: adjust the score in a soccer game from 19-0, yes a soccer game, to 6-0. Or, like just the other day, a school in Peel Region defeated another school by more than 100 points in a girls’ rugby game. Even shut out the team too.

What’s going on?

People wonder why 99 per cent of the mainstream media in Toronto have little interest in high school school sports. A few reasons: inconsistent reporting of scores, false reporting of results and even failure to get the names right of those who score points.

Now, let’s not point the finger at all teachers and coaches. There are some who care - and even when they lose, call us with scores. They do an excellent job looking for opportunities to single out athletes and go out of their way to help them learn the sport, how to excel and get along with people.

But there aren’t enough. Like many other people, I can see why students pick and choose what schools they want to attend - and what coaches they want to learn from as part of their education in the school classroom. And, that means the school classroom on the field, the rink, the gym and the pool.

They still do have pools, right?

It has nothing to do with lack of interest, since there are teams, but more like how do you run a league that starts in May and ends four weeks later?

Something like exams get in the way and the annual Prentice Cup playoff supported by the Toronto Blue Jays, back at the Rogers Centre after a one year hiatus at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, needs to be played at a certain time because the pro team is making the field available.

By the way, kudos to the pro team for offering their facility to school playoffs. Hint to the Raptors, Maple Leafs, Argonauts, etc.

Whoops, forgot to mention that rain usually shortens a season as there is little time to make the game up. Students, also can’t miss too many classes - or so they say.

Same old problem of municipal parks authorities treating ball diamonds better than  some people care for kids. While many people mean well, the parks bureaucrats focus on summer rep leagues and don’t want the high school kiddies chewing up the fields - after a long winter that left the fields looking like a quagmire.

So, games go on, but when the parks boys give the green light.

Would be nice if the Toronto Board of Education - shutting down pools but still spending money on professional development excursions for senior staff - put one, or even two, ball diamonds, on school fields. That could help.

Upper Canada College has a diamond. I know, that’s a private school and can afford it.

Then again, a split season - starting in the Fall and finishing in the Spring makes sense. That, some say, is creative thinking. It does, but not to football coaches pr the students who want to play both sports.

However, most school sports leagues now limit students to one sport - whether that’s right or not is up for debate. So, student athletes would need to make a choice: school baseball or football?

Sit back and watch that discussion go nuts.