ShareThisBy LISA RIDDLE
Three teenagers sat among the adults here at Lawnwood Stadium's press box last week during the Martin County vs. Fort Pierce Central football game.
Reporters, officials, clock keepers and a game announcer all journeyed through their paid assignments while a trio of Central seniors feverishly tallied offensive and defensive statistics to earn class credits.
The three students _ Patrick Hilburn, Nick Yoder and Brandy Crawford _ participate in Central's Sports Information Director program. For them, game-time is far from social time as this dedicated student crew focuses on the field action as they compile statistics through a new computer program.
Martin Bowie, a former athletic director for eight years in Missouri, teaches the SID course at Central. It is a one-period course that 11 students enrolled in this school year.
Central began offering the course three years ago, but this is the first year the computer stat-keeping program is being used by the class. Bowie said other schools in the area have not contacted him about starting a similar program and as of yet, no program graduate is involved in a college SID programs.
Bowie hopes that will change with this year's graduating class.
"SID (student aides) are definitely needed in college. Our hope is that when recruiters come in to see players and see these kids doing this, they will help get them in touch with their schools' athletic programs," Bowie said. "We hope it will help pay a kid's way through college if they can work in their schools' SID department."
The trio here learned stat keeping from Central athletic director Jay Stewart, who created the program to help students learn about sports outside the playing fields.
"Trying to stay focused on the stats instead of getting involved in the game can be really tough sometimes," Crawford said.
The program they use is geared for college games, but these three students are quickly adapting at the high school level. They've spent hours improving on their debut _ the preseason Kickoff Classic between Fort Pierce Central and Jensen Beach back in August. The crew recorded 65 percent of the plays in that game, but last week for Martin County _ their third game _ they nailed 98 percent of the plays.
In addition to computing football statistics, the students also produce the school's sports programs and help run concessions and ticket sales at games.
Hilburn, who enters the stats into the laptop at games and directs the show on game nights, hopes to work in the SID department at the University of Florida next year. He wants to be a lawyer, but would like to work in the Gators' sports department while he's completing his undergraduate degree.
"Our (computer stats) program is a program most colleges will eventually have. The University of Florida just got the program. If I'm already one step ahead of the game, I'd like to go ahead and do it at college," Hilburn said. "There is no telling how far we could actually go with it."
Yoder plans to be a fireman. He sees the SID program less as a career move than as a chance to stay active helping in sports.
"I love sports. I love being associated with all sports. I'll sell tickets, work the concessions, and help with whatever they need," Yoder said.
Crawford wants to become a swimming coach but enjoys the writing involved in the program. The students are tasked with turning in write-ups featuring individual players for Senior Night.
Some top athletes, like Central defensive leader Derrick Hallman, are students in the program. Crawford finds it hard not to root for him during games while crunching the numbers.
"Interception by SID Derrick Hallman. Yesss," Crawford exclaimed before dutifully reporting the yard line of the play to Hilburn.
(Lisa Riddle is a sportswriter for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal. E-mail riddle.lisa(at)scripps.com.)
