By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
The 2023-24 school year marks Travis Harden’s 6th year as the Stranahan High Dragon head football coach, one of the longest tenures in recent History. As an administrator there, I observed his commitment, tenacity and dedication as a student/athlete and dominant defensive terror under head coach Vince Schivo. He also spent 8 years as an assistant for his alma mater, a 2001 graduate. Coach Harden earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in sociology with an emphasis on criminal justice from Dubuque University in Iowa.
A personal mantra that guides his life and coaching philosophy emanates from the following statement: Don’t let a lack of discipline define your character.
An inquiry about family beliefs led to a fluid, almost glowing response. Coach Travis stated, “Family is very important to me. I’m honored to be a husband to my beautiful wife Leslie, who an amazing woman and mother to our children: Travis Harden II (13yrs old) and Tyler Harden (6yrs old). My family gives me so much joy and strength, especially and most importantly when I gazed upon their smiling faces, which affirms that I am doing something right.
Growing up, I observed my mom and dad display many traits that stuck with me, and I emulated examples of how to be a great husband and father. The most influential family member and teacher was my late grandmother, Cora Lee Cobb. She had a caring heart who treated everyone with respect, kindness and love.
Coach Travis has employed much of his personal philosophy in selecting his staff, two of whom just happen to be Omega men as is he: offensive line coach David Walker and running backs coach Arelouis Burns. Jeronnie and Jhakari Harrison are offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and passing game coordinator respectively. Completing the offensive staff are wide receiver coach Justin Bentley and assistant offensive line coach Juan Caetano.
The defensive staff is led by coordinator/linebacker coach Tronodd Hill, while Woodly Sully coaches the de-fensive line and Worshly Lima and Jacques Armstrong share responsibilities as coaches of the secondary.
The Westside Gazette sat with Coach Travis to ascertain the team’s progress over the summer and preparedness for the looming season. The team practiced in the morning, Monday-Thursday during summer to get players bigger, faster and stronger by lifting weights, performing agility and quickness drills and executing the offensive and defensive schemes. Simultaneously, they were preparing them psychologically for any adverse situations that might arise and the challenges of the regular season combined with the opening of school and its academic and social expectations. A normal week entailed four days of organized practice including field and classroom activities. When asked about the impact of the oppressive heat, he said that all schools had to adhere to specific requirements. Because of the heat index, teams were prohibited from practicing between the hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nor could they practice if the temperature rose above 92 or 93 degrees, which demanded myriad early morning practices to mitigate the heat’s impact on player safety. On the day that I observed practice, they were given frequent water breaks and recover time.
Coach Travis presently has about 75 athletes in his program, most of whom are homegrown meaning they reside in Stranahan’s district or boundary. That led to questioning the state’s philosophical change regarding where student/athletes can attend school as students are not only allowed to transfer from one school or district to another, students are also moving freely and openly from cities in and out of state which perhaps mitigates partially the overt advantage that private, catholic and charter schools have enjoyed over public schools. It appears that perhaps the greatest challenge facing so-called Metro schools like Stranahan, Blanche Ely, Dillard, Piper, Boyd Anderson, Deerfield, Coconut Creek et al, is keeping their athletes from transferring elsewhere.
So how exactly does the transfer process work? According to Coach Harden, it’s called school choice. If a school has an available seat based on enrollment capacity, then a student(s) is eligible or permitted to do so within that particular district; however, if a student lives outside of the district but the school has not exceeded enrollment capacity,the student may attend the school he wants to play football for, but transportation is the student’s responsibility.
Several players key to the team’s success include wide receiver Nicholas Smith, a rising senior and FIU comit; sophomore WR/QB Tyler Jackson, versatile TE/slot receiver Chris Thornton, who stands 6’5” and weighs 215; and twin sophomore offensive linemen Dametrius and Kametrius Hixson. Defensive standouts include cornerbacks Myles Mathis and Tavares Miller, linebacker Eric Morris and defensive end James Lewis. When asked if he had lost any players to rival schools, Coach Travis stated that that they had not, although he did assist an athlete in finding another school because situations don’t always fit so he always does what is in the best interest of the athlete even it results in losing a quality athlete.
Regarding the recruiting process, Coach Travis has been instrumental in placing over 60 student/athletes in college based on their ratings and academic qualifications, an achievement that he is a should be extremely proud of. The 3, 4 & 5 star students usually are early comits as sophomores and juniors; however, many rising seniors only receive firm offers after the conclusion of their senior season. So not only has Coach Travis had comits sign with FBS schools like FSU, Virginia and FIU, many others have found homes at HBCUs like Albany State, Florida Memorial and other Division II & III schools throughout the country. This is a testament to his commitment to his athletes and their futures.
As a former coach familiar with the alphabet state classification based on districts and school student enrollment, I wanted Coach Travis’ opinion on the sudden, drastic change to the Rural, Suburban and Metro system which was implemented to give more schools the opportunity to compete for state championships. In the past several years private schools like St. Thomas, American Heritage, IMG, Cardinal Gibbons, Chaminade and inner city schools like Miami Central, Booker T. Washington, et al, have been dominant. The result is that many inner city schools cancel each other out, reducing the opportunity to advance. Only the strongest, most skilled teams who have mastered the recruiting AKA school choice game consistently succeed. There are so many outstanding ethical coaches that may never win a state championship, but they understand why they’re in the profession and will never place winning over principle. Unethical recruitment of student athletes has created an unfair advantage for some, diminishing the spirit and intent of amateur athletic competition.
Anyone affiliated presently or in the past should be extremely encouraged and proud of Coach Travis Harden and others like him.
I also addressed one other concern with Coach Travis. Any head football coach who isn’t on that campus or doesn’t interact with the school generally and student/athletes specifically is at a decided, critical disadvantage. I implore all Broward School officials from the Board to school principals to examine, investigate and rectify this egregious circumstance. The Head Football Coach in all major sports should be on campus, especially public schools. Our children are worth it.
Thanks to you Coach Travis Harden, HEAD DRAGON and all the dedicated educators and coaches who sacrifice so much to ensure our children’s academic, social, moral and athletic success.
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