And people wonder why I love girls basketball...

Football was, still is, my first love. But that doesn't mean there aren't some things about it that suck.

Star-Bulletin: Aiea, Campbell to forfeit game

Yes, I mean suck. When you think about it, all the hours and sacrifice (family time, rest, etc.) that coaches give to our football programs statewide is remarkable. In Texas, there are some schools that pay their coaches major salaries — six figures — simply for coaching. That's what weekly crowds in excess of 10,000, even 20,000 can do.

But here, coaches do it for the love. They average a few pennies for each hour of their labor. Labor of love.

And how do they get paid in the currency of football? Their players go off near the end of a game and commit flagrant acts against the other team. They incite a near-riot. They bring shame and ridicule to their schools, their communities. All in a matter of seconds.

The coaches don't teach this. And it's not entire teams that go bonkers. It just takes a few rotten apples.

That's the emotional reaction by a football fan, some who played sports, officiated sports and coached kids. And that's where things get more interesting. These are teenagers, raging with hormones and trying to keep some semblance of balance in their busy lives. I remember those days. Getting up at 7 a.m. wasn't easy. Not having any spending money wasn't fun. Keeping up with schoolwork wasn't simple. But it was a great time because of the coaches and administrators at my school (Kaimuki) who did their best for us whether it was school or fundraising or anything else.

I think back to Pat Foster, who came up with money so those of us who were short on money could travel to the Far East for a basketball trip. He passed away long ago, long before I knew what he had done for someone like me. I never got to thank the man. I wish I could right now. I'd give the big man a big hug and just say, "Thank you, coach."

When Charlie Miyashiro passed away last year, I was stunned. I had seen him a few months before he passed. He was at a flag football game, watching his grandson play. I thanked him, and he smiled. He was one of the most joyful coaches and athletic directors I've ever met. The guy loved coaching so much, he used to coach at Kaimuki and Pac-Five at one time.

But when I see players get out of line and carry on, it almost breaks my heart. I know they'll regret it later. I know they'll recognize that one foolish moment of reaction wasn't worth the price. As Coach Wendell Say told me, it's a lesson worth learning in the long run. Kids have to find out at some point that an extreme emotional reaction is NOT what is best, regardless of the situation and cause.

That's the only silver lining out of this situation. It's a painful lesson, a public lesson, but one that can be heartfelt and never forgotten for every player at Aiea, Campbell, the OIA, and the rest of the state. And as Coach Say said, better that this happened early in the season than late.

I love football, but trust me, sportsmanship prevails best in girls athletics. It's not perfect there, either, but the players have a lot more maturity and self-control on the whole. I can live without another testosterone-laden incident as long as I live.

The best way to say "thank you" to your coaches is to play the way they taught you. They put their heart and soul into teaching you about the game, about life. So thank them now, while you still can, and thank them in every way on and off the field.