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How big is your circle of knowledge?

For a working definition of "circle of knowledge," let's say your circle encompasses everything you know and everything you know you don't know.

An educated adult may likely have a big circle of knowledge, filled with life experiences, hard knocks, old lessons, maybe even algebra.

Say this adult has an inquisitive streak - he or she likes to read, enjoys documentaries and appreciates new things. They tinker, they explore - be it in books, old Chevy's or foreign cuisine.

This adult's circle of knowledge would have a gap in the perimeter to leave room for more stuff.

As a football coach explained to a group of kids once: teenagers have tiny, closed-off circles of knowledge. Thus, they know very little and are often convinced they know very much. Their circles of knowledge are closed off, less a revolutionary thought sneaks in there.

Not only does the average teenager know very little, they have no idea there are other worlds out there yet to be experienced. They don't know that they don't know.

"Usually by high school, kids have established who they are in a lot of ways and what they're going to do," Central Valley tennis coach Brad Nemchick said. "This is some way where kids can kind of define themselves."

Hence the mission of prep coaches like Nemchick.

In a time of trends, fads and irrational group think - displayed by child and adult alike - coaches contribute to society when they keep its young minds open. Coaches have to, if they want to win.

Like it or not kids get left behind in public and private school classrooms every day.

It's a little different on a field or in a gym, where an immediate, tangible need exists for everyone to do better.

Prep sports offer us the unique opportunity to challenge kids and open them up before they're let loose upon the world - before they start to drive by themselves, before they apply for credit or, heaven help us, vote.

It's prep coaches who allow society to teach kids that if they want to be successful at something there isn't much more to it than trying. Try, show up, put in the effort and the other resources you need will fall into place.

Most of life revolves around choices.

And while success in anything is rarely automatic, it usually comes to those who to push their comfort level. It usually comes to people who are open to new ideas and it usually comes to the folks who show up.

"I always say if I can get a racquet into their hand and get them to one of my practices they'll love it," Nemchick said. "Once a kid feels a good forehand or does something right, it gets in their head and sticks with them."

Nemchick said when he first got into coaching tennis he thought he'd work on complex strategy and technique.

"But really, for most of the kids, I'm teaching them how to hold a racquet the first day of practice," he said.

But three or four years down the road they're starters. Such was the case with West Valley's No. 1 singles player Cassie DeBonis.

"She was my No. 8 or 9 her freshman-sophomore year," Eagles tennis coach Tom Wyrick said. "And just by luck of the draw she sort of picked up the game.

"They (the younger players) may not realize it, but three or four years from now they could be a starter."

And it all starts with expanding your circumference, so-to-speak.

John Ryan's prep notebook runs Fridays. He can be reached at 225-8263 or at jryan@redding.com.