Pioneer football team makes diversity a strength; Chelsea finds strength in numbers
Ann Arbor is a multicultural town, and the roster of the Pioneer High School football team reflects that diversity.
First-year Pioneer football coach Paul Test is hoping to make that diversity a strength rather than a divisive force among his team, which is a large part of the reason he is having his team spend the first three days of practice at Spring Arbor University.
While at Spring Arbor, Test is in charge of room assignments and is pairing black players with white, rich kids with those less fortunate, kids from the north side of town with the south, and so on.
Football practice begins
Check out AnnArbor.com's extensive coverage of the official beginning of high school football season:
“These kids are from so many different backgrounds, religions, neighborhoods and financial situations. If we stayed on campus (at Pioneer) there are probably certain kids who would never even talk to each other,” Test said.
Test believes the players coming together as a team, on and off the field, is essential to success. And he doesn’t let players just go through the motions. Everyone is charged with giving a report on their roommate while at camp.
“Our goal at camp is to become a team, develop a camaraderie,” Test said. “Some teams don’t have to worry about this sort of thing, but we do. Rather than letting it be a weakness, we want to embrace it and make it a strength.”
Numbers game
High participation has long been a strength of the Chelsea High School football team, despite the fact that -- with an enrollment of 890 -- Chelsea is the smallest high school in the Southeastern Conference.
Head coach Brad Bush tweeted yesterday “First day of practice for CHS. 148 strong! Good work and attitude. 18 days till Novi!.”
To put that in perspective, Chelsea’s week one opponent, Novi, would need 332 players to have shown up to yesterday’s practice to have participation proportional to Chelsea’s. Ann Arbor’s three SEC schools (Huron, Pioneer and Skyline) would need to have 899 players combined.
With nearly 17 percent of the student population out for the football team, it’s no surprise that Chelsea has the longest active playoff streak in the SEC with 12-consecutive playoff berths. Adrian is second with six straight.
Contact Pete Cunningham at petercunningham@annarbor.com or by phone at 734-623-2561. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.
Comments
Mark Quigley
Fri, Aug 12, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.
Bob, All three comprehensive football programs get limited funding from AAPS. This is all public information and contained in each HS's budget page. AAPS pays for: >Some coaches salaries. A significant amount of coaches earn nothing. >Game Officials >Trainer Salaries ( during the season) In 2011, this will be outsourced. >Limited equipment. On an as needed basis. The Pioneer Football Booster Club raised 100% of the monies for the team camp at Spring Arbor. Kids sold Spaghetti Dinner tickets in May. Every May... forever!! The current Pioneer Football Varsity only uniforms( 2008- present) were purchased with 100% donated funds from the community. The vendor was 'slow walked 'for almost 18 months to help us pay for them. That is a lot of spagehetti! Our bigger concern as a community needs to be restitution of the 2010( and earlier) $766,000 Theft of monies from the General Fund as a result of 200 ineligible health care dependents. Fraud and theft is cutting out our sports programs. Please contact me if you wish to help and are 'Outraged' by our BOE and AAPS Adminsitration's jamboree of dishonesty. Mark Quigley PFBC VP, Parent, and Taxpayer M.C.Quigley@Comcast.net
Anonymous
Thu, Aug 11, 2011 : 2:01 a.m.
Anyone wonder how a school with a big budget crisis can afford to send a whole football program to a private University for a week of practice?? Money better spent on equipment and uniforms etc.
Stuart
Thu, Aug 11, 2011 : 1:25 p.m.
For most schools it's fundraising efforts of a "Touchdown Club" (or something similar) and parents paying for their kids, not the school.
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 8:01 p.m.
"is pairing black players with white" "Everyone is charged with giving a report on their roommate while at camp." Remember the Titans much?
EightySeven
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 11:03 a.m.
It is truly amazing the number of kids who go out for football in Chelsea. These type of numbers go back quite a few years. Congrats to Coach Bush and all his staff for making these kids part of very successful program. I know the level of participation is also quite high even before these young men reach high school. Absolutely stunning numbers to go along with one of the very BEST programs in the Michigan!