Each passing day, I'm more convinced that Paul Haynes is the right person to lead the Kent State football program. Ever since he was hired, I have always liked Coach Haynes but now more than ever have come to appreciate him for what he is doing for our young players. Christian, husband, father, mentor, building men, and head football coach is the order of priorities on his Twitter account. And as a Christian with biblical wisdom, Haynes has more than secular, intellectual insight; he has a spiritual perspective that far exceeds the secular outlook.
During last week's post-game press conference, Haynes talked about giving April Goss the opportunity to play in a game after a reporter asked him about her getting a chance to play.
"Before this year's out, she'll get out there. I promise you that," Haynes said following his team's loss at Illinois.
"She works her tail off. She's the first one out there in practice and the last one off the field," he said. "Every time someone gets up and talks, one of our players gets up and talks, they always talk about they've got brothers, and a sister."
Recognizing Goss as "a 4-point student" and a "great woman of faith," Haynes understands the role that she has on the team and the importance of rewarding her for all her hard work.
And last night against Delaware State, Haynes gave Goss her “Rudy” moment when after four years on the team, she finally got the chance to kick an extra point.
By making the kick, Goss became just the second woman to score in a major college football game. Katie Hnida, of the University of New Mexico, was the the first woman in the record books when she converted two extra points in 2003. And just like in the movie, Rudy, Goss' teammates celebrated by carrying her off the field.
I respect Coach Haynes for giving Goss the opportunity to kick an extra point in last night's game. Of course not everyone agrees with me. One person commenting on the Cleveland.com article, "Kent State's April Goss kicks extra point in historic feat for female player," said, "She is there NOT because she is good, which she isn't, but b/c it is now very PC to let her play." This person clearly misses the point. Haynes didn't give Goss the chance to kick to be politically correct but he did it to reward her with a brief moment of glory for her years of effort.
I'm just glad that Coach Haynes "gets it" when apparently others don't. As a former walk on himself, he understands the amount of time and dedication it takes for most walk-ons just to be on the team, let alone put themselves in a position to contribute. Giving Goss that chance last night shows his ability to relate to every player on the team and that understanding is precisely why he will ultimately succeed at Kent State.
During last week's post-game press conference, Haynes talked about giving April Goss the opportunity to play in a game after a reporter asked him about her getting a chance to play.
"Before this year's out, she'll get out there. I promise you that," Haynes said following his team's loss at Illinois.
"She works her tail off. She's the first one out there in practice and the last one off the field," he said. "Every time someone gets up and talks, one of our players gets up and talks, they always talk about they've got brothers, and a sister."
Recognizing Goss as "a 4-point student" and a "great woman of faith," Haynes understands the role that she has on the team and the importance of rewarding her for all her hard work.
And last night against Delaware State, Haynes gave Goss her “Rudy” moment when after four years on the team, she finally got the chance to kick an extra point.
By making the kick, Goss became just the second woman to score in a major college football game. Katie Hnida, of the University of New Mexico, was the the first woman in the record books when she converted two extra points in 2003. And just like in the movie, Rudy, Goss' teammates celebrated by carrying her off the field.
I respect Coach Haynes for giving Goss the opportunity to kick an extra point in last night's game. Of course not everyone agrees with me. One person commenting on the Cleveland.com article, "Kent State's April Goss kicks extra point in historic feat for female player," said, "She is there NOT because she is good, which she isn't, but b/c it is now very PC to let her play." This person clearly misses the point. Haynes didn't give Goss the chance to kick to be politically correct but he did it to reward her with a brief moment of glory for her years of effort.
I'm just glad that Coach Haynes "gets it" when apparently others don't. As a former walk on himself, he understands the amount of time and dedication it takes for most walk-ons just to be on the team, let alone put themselves in a position to contribute. Giving Goss that chance last night shows his ability to relate to every player on the team and that understanding is precisely why he will ultimately succeed at Kent State.
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