Everybody wants to win.

That’s an inherent quality in all of us.

The question is, how important is winning when it comes to high school athletics?

This subject has been broached before and comes to the surface again with the apparent dismissal of Knoch varsity girls basketball coach Dave Peters.

In only two seasons on the job, Peters put together a won-loss record of 11-33, losing 21 of 26 section games. He had not reversed a trend in the program that saw Knoch lose 68 of 89 games over the four-year span before his arrival.

While wins and losses may not be the determining factor in this coaching change, those numbers certainly didn’t help.

But here is what’s different about Peters.

Despite the team’s record on the court, he was well-liked by parents and players. A number of parents attended the recent South Butler School District board meeting to question his dismissal.

Now, granted, high school sports are no longer Little League. Every kid doesn’t get to play so much time or so many innings in every game.

No one is guaranteed a varsity letter. Playing time is based on ability.

And, yes, they do keep score.

All of these facts seem to indicate that winning is indeed important at that level.

Knoch used to win in girls basketball. In six years under Curt Vasas, from 2003 through 2009. the Knights were 75-68 with four WPIAL playoff appearances.

Vasas left the district to accept an administrative position elsewhere after his team finished at 15-9 in 2008-09. The program’s success has since disappeared.

Since Vasas’ departure, Knoch has had three head coaches, has not won 10 games in a season, has only made the WPIAL playoffs twice and has lost 114 of 153 games.

But should a coach’s popularity with the players and parents weigh heavier than performance on the court?

If the players are gaining positive experiences from being in the program, learning life lessons while realizing the value of teamwork, despite not winning on the scoreboard ... Is that enough?

Reality says it’s not.

You simply do not see high school coaches who fail to produce a winning season shortly after they arrive stick around for very long.

One can make the argument that it takes time to build a winner. According to some parents, Peters was investing some of his time in the district’s youth girls basketball program, trying to lay a foundation.

Obviously, the fruits of that labor cannot be harvested until a few years later.

Peters will not be around if and when that happens.

Winning and losing continues to be the biggest determining factor in a coach’s staying power at the high school level.

But how many quality, dedicated coaches have we lost as a result?

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle