By Kim J. Harmon

Y

ou know, I always thought it would take an act of Congress to get some people to shut up – like those loud mouths at football games who can see, from a hundred yards away, that of course the receiver had both feet inbounds for crying out loud – but I guess all it took was an act of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association.

For the benefit of those who have never been (and as a warning for those who soon will be), the sidelines at youth soccer games can be, well, a little boisterous at times. It could be a coach shouting out too many instructions or a parent reminding the referee that he sure was missing a good game and asking, oh by the way, what time IS that optometrist appointment?

Several years ago, a youth soccer game in Watertown had to be suspended when parents got out of control, threatening the teenage referees because they (of all people) perceived that the game was getting out of hand. The game was resumed some time later, but rope barriers had to be extended well off the field and no one was allowed inside those barriers.

Suffice it to say, the barriers were far enough back that even the heartiest voice would have had to yell pretty loud to be heard on the field.

Last weekend, youth soccer games - with the blessing of the CJSA - observed Silent Sidelines. No one was allowed to talk or even shout out encouragement.

Now, maybe the experiment served as a way to get the players to learn how to better communicate amongst themselves on the field - without the aid of coaches or apoplectic parent who just CAN’T believe their ref missed that blatant foul on their kid - but any experiment that ends up shushing the people on the sidelines is alright by me.

+ + +

I am certainly NOT surprised that Dave Strong of Masuk High School is going to be inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame – I just wonder why it took so long to do it.

I mean, the guy was a veritable legend when I showed up in Newtown seven years ago (seven years ago come November, actually) and all I saw him do since 1993 was lead his girls’ basketball team to one championships after another and one victory after another over Newtown.

I remember the game back in 1994 when Melissa Eigen made a steal with just seconds left in regulation and went untouched down the court for a layup that would have won the game. Would have - if she had made it.

I will always remember that game, like I will always remember the night that Newtown beat Masuk for the first time in a decade. I wasn’t even there, I was up in Boston receiving an award, and I remember making the ride up on a Friday and feeling in my bones that that was going to be the night it would happen.

Mr Strong has taught math and coached basketball for 31 years (boys for seven years and girls for the last 24 years). Masuk has won 16 league championships and qualified for the CIAC state tournament for 24 straight seasons.

Masuk - with some of the best players the Western Connecticut and South-West Conferences have ever known - won state championships in 1990, 1991, and 1995.

A CHSCA Coach of the year in 1982 and NHSCA District I Coach of the Year in 1984, 1988, 1996 and 1998, Mr Strong has a career record of 517-75, making him the winningest girls’ basketball coach in the history of this state. He guided his team through a 50-game winning streak and a 93-game regular season winning streak and in 1990 and 1995 his team was ranked No. 1 in the state and in New England.

And, jeez, he is still not done. When the 2000-2001 season rolls around in December, there he will be, shuffling along the sidelines in his knit sweater figuring out ways to beat a path to another league championship.