Chronicle Editorial

CAL sharing agreement tough, but correct
     The CAL Board of Education made a difficult decision last week when it voted to share football with Clarion-Goldfield-Dows this fall. Though the ruling may have sparked some resentment within the community, the board’s decision ensures the safety and wellbeing of Cadet football players this year and in the future.
     The plight of the CAL football program has been well documented over the past few years. Low participation numbers have strained the roster, in turn leading to a lack of success in the win column. This issue was compounded by injuries over the past three years. CAL always started the fall with around 15 players, but those numbers typically dwindled to 10 as the season wore on and injuries piled up.
     This year promised to be more of the same if the board hadn’t voted to join with C-G-D. Very few upper classmen pledged to play this year, which would have led to a team loaded with inexperienced freshmen. Of the eight frosh that expressed interest in playing, seven had never stepped foot on the gridiron. That’s a safety concern and raises a whole slough of red flags. You can’t expect freshmen to succeed at the varsity level when they’re facing opponents with experience and significant size advantages.
     The board’s decision was difficult, but it still affords athletes an opportunity to play and gain experience. CAL’s program might be down, but it’s not entirely out. It will take a significant investment from both athletes and parents to bring the program back from the bottom. That means getting kids started at a young age to build fundamentals before they reach high school. Whether it’s peewee football or junior high, more experience will translate to success if Cadet athletes choose to invest in the program.
     Despite the board’s sound reasoning, this decision still stings. You never want to see a program get shuttered and move to a neighboring district. At the June 13 board meeting, both citizens and school administrators questioned aloud whether this would lead to a slippery slope with other CAL sports programs. Those concerns are indeed warranted. A community’s pride revolves around its school and sports teams, and it’s hard to maintain an identity when you have to travel outside your district’s border to compete.
     In the end, the board was left with little choice than to shutter the program this year and reevaluate the district’s options. You simply can’t field a competitive varsity team with such inexperienced players. This decision was made to protect athletes’ safety, and it was the right call for the time being.
     For now, at least.
 
Protecting our protectors
      Gov. Terry Branstad made an official request to National Guard officials Monday urging them to review security policy at Iowa’s military facilities. The plea came in response to a shooting last week that left five dead at a Tennessee military base and recruitment center.
      Branstad’s request isn’t bold or earth shattering, but it is long overdue. As evidenced by last week’s tragedy, these sites of presumed fortitude are indeed vulnerable to the most senseless of acts. It is extremely vital the federal government and other officials strengthen protections at our military outposts to protect America’s servicemen and women from lunatics bent on fulfilling depraved acts of violence. Doing nothing jeopardizes safety and more lives.
      This isn’t the first shooting at military base, but hopefully it’s the last. Our soldiers deserve better protection against mindless attacks like last week’s rampage. After all, they’re the ones protecting our country from outside threats. Shouldn’t our government do everything it can to protect them against threats from within?