It’s perfectly reasonable for coaches to push their athletes as hard as they do. 

I don’t love waking up at 5:00 am to go and jump in a freezing cold pool and swim 3-4 thousand yards. 

I don’t necessarily enjoy almost falling asleep in math due to the physical and mental exhaustion I feel during swim season. 

But I am addicted to the feeling of touching the wall at state and looking over at my teammates cheering because I won my heat.

Coach Bien pushes the girl’s team hard. He pushes us harder than most high schools push their boy’s teams. 

Although for the whole season we hate him for pushing us, in the end, we are so thankful that he makes us practice 10 times a week. State wouldn’t be a sweet without the blood sweat and tears that have been poured into the season.

The work put into sports teaches student-athletes about how hard work pays off. It also teaches students what sports in college will be like. 

Tough demands teaches student-athletes responsibility, and makes them take games more seriously. 

If I never tried in practice and never cared or even showed up to practice, there is nothing motivating me to try at a meet. 

Sure, the hours spent practicing are frustrating and redundant at times, but the frustration is turned into motivation that makes everything all the more worth it when it comes game time. 

Maybe our coaches shouldn’t act like drill sergeants, but if they were not as tough on us as they are would sports here at Blue Valley be as successful? 

I know that there is a popular belief that coaches need to lighten up. But at a 6-A high school level, with so many talented athletes, putting in the work makes a world of a difference.