Coast Union boys earn CIF academic honors
A dozen years ago, in his first year coaching Coast Union’s boys varsity basketball team, Tim May knew his players were very solid academically, so he entered the team’s scholastic statistics to the CIF Southern Section’s academic awards competition.
Coast Union won that coveted award, and the banner is proudly hanging in the gymnasium.
Fast-forward 12 years to the 2015-16 basketball season, and once again May was aware that his players were highly successful in their classroom work, so he submitted their grades to the CIF again.
And last week, the members of May’s team — who boast a combined grade-point average of 3.86 — learned they had been named “Academic Champion” by the 2015-2016 CIF Southern Section Ford Academic Awards committee.
The team is invited to attend a Los Angeles Angels game in Anaheim on April 26 to receive the award during pregame ceremonies.
“The players were sincerely ecstatic over the award,” May explained in an email. “The fact that a banner will be hung for years to come” was another positive for the seven players on May’s team.
May, an English literature teacher at Coast Union, said he “could not be happier for them” because they are “a special group of student-athletes that understand what high school athletics are all about.”
However, May was quick to mention that “we should give honor and praise to the parents as well.” Effective parental involvement, May continued, “is the number one indicator for academic success.”
The fact that the parents of May’s team members “value education” and hold the boys “accountable to balance education and sports” is very much appreciated, the coach said.
Also appreciated by May, the players, their families and the community, is the 10-0 record the Broncos compiled in winning the Coast Valley League title this school year, and the thrilling 45-42 win during the opening round of the CIF Division 5A playoffs against AGBU.
Special to The Cambrian.
This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Coast Union boys earn CIF academic honors."