Bearden Volleyball

[PhillyAl]

BigBlue....Read all your post but never take the time to respond. I'm writing this to let you know that you are not the only one with a coach and an alterior agenda.

 

Our volleyball coach at Bearden is the same way. The girls had their end of the year banquet last Friday. He was 30 minutes late to his own banquet. Now we knew the date of this event since July. He chose to have a major thing going on at his "new club" (kva). He couldn't even show up to his teams end of the year banquet on time due to his new club. When he got to the banquet he gave out some awards and had the asst coaches hand out goody bags and thats it. The AD spoke longer and kinder than he did. Now I've gone to many different school banquets and at ALL of them the coach recognized his seniors and talked about each of them individually. Not our coach. He didn't take the time to do any of that. He had 4 seniors on that team. One of which played JV the whole year, the other had had a tough time with back surgery, another who is signing with University of Louisville and another who played great all year. Never did he say anything about any of them. Not "this girl was a senior and never complained once about playing JV'. Not "this girl has stuck it out for 4 years even though she's had MAJOR back issues". Not "this one has played for Bearden since she was a freshman, played for the USA team and will sign with Louisville". Not "the last senior is a girl that always gave everything and played for 4 years and has truly gotten alot better". None of that was done for these girls. But i can promise you one thing. It will be different at next years banquet (i may or may not attend) because his daughter will be a senior. He hides behind "all in the glory of God" when he needs to. He started this new club behind the the disquise of "i'm doing it for the girls". We all know why he is doing it. It's a shame he isn't able to step back and look at what he is doing. Blinded by something. He has one agenda, the advancement of someone to prove to others something. Only he knows.

 

Now that your coach (Bigblue) is gone looks like I will have to deal with this for a little while. I may be calling you for soome advice. Glad to see your's has left. I'm sure you are too!!

[bigbluevolley]

Philly

I really hate to hear that. It's coaches like yours and ours that make people just want to play club. It's too bad he did that. Yea when I go to sports banquets all they do is talk about the seniors. That's what it's supposed to be. A farewell to the seniors and thanks for all the hard work you put in. Those seniors will all look back at that 20 years from now (while they are more successful than others) and laugh at how he treated them.

A lot of people hide behind that motto. It's terrible. Maybe he will change.Hang in there.

[bratman]

This really saddens me. I played ball my entire life, and both of my girls played multiple sports in high school and were scholarship athletes, one at a Big Ten school. There is no way that a high school coach should be allowed to operate a for profit club team.

 

First, they send the message to the girls that they have to play for that club. Second, they do what is best for the club, not the high school team.

 

Also, don't give up on high school. At Anderson County our banquets lasted for ours. The coaches would show videoes, and Coach Cantrell would spend at least 5 minutes talking about EVERY player and how she contributed. He would also send thank you letters to the players and parents for their hard work.

 

He and the other coaches never pushed us towards club. We played club, and asked him about it before we committed. He told us that it would help improve our skill level because we would be in the gym. He told us to be careful about money, and to make sure we had a good coach. He never tried to force us to play.

 

I know alot of negative stuff gets said on here. Karns and Bearden are right to expect their coach to put the school first. If you want to coach club, or own a club, do it, but don't use your coaching position to make money.

 

I will defend the AC coaches, and coach Jones at Catholic and coach Smith at Oak Ridge. They were great. I wish more people would brag about the good coaches, or there won't be many left.

[PhillyAl]

Bratman....You are TOTALLY correct. That is how all the other banquets I have been to were. They really honor the team and the coach just does a great job. Unfortunatley that's not what we have at Bearden. Our coach was late and then he went as quick as he could. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Like I said, it will not happen that way next year. Next year will be a huge banquet. If you didn't know the girls you would have no idea who the seniors were. If you are going to coach don't do it just so you can help your daughter and your "new" club get what you think she and it deserves. Please do it for the love of the game and the love of the girls. This stuff with club is going too far.   

[Wowdog]

It is refreshing to see that everyone has an opionion of coaches here in Knoxville. I read this forum from time to time and have very seldom seen a coach get any credit for anything, but let them make some one mad and its open season. Coach Petrik at CAK goes to state every year, Mrs. Williams at Karns has been to state, and now the Bearden Coach. If my memory serves me correct Coach Allen, Bearden, was the brunt of this forum for talking on the phone when her mother was ill a few years back. Maybe some should try coaching instead of throwing rocks. Give credit when its due instead of throwing your personal feelings around. There are great coaches in Knoxville and its stated in the teams that make it to the state tournament each year. It is my understanding that this coach has players at all three clubs in this town, sounds like he has sure thrown down the law on his team. Great job Coach making it to sub-state this year, it takes a great group of kids and someone to pull them together to do that.

[bigbluevolley]

I don't think anyone said the bearden coach is telling his girls to go to his club. I haven't seen that on here or heard that. You might want to check the post on here before you jump to conclusions. What I have read so far is that he has an agenda, it's all about him and getting his agenda through.

[bigbluevolley]

Wowdog  here's a question for you. Philly has told what he/she thinks. what say you?

 

1. Why was the bearden coach 30 minutes late for HIS TEAMS banquet?

[PhillyAl]

BBV It's not only that. It's also the times, when practice was scheduled from 4-6 and he cut it short in order to go "somewhere". Some times it would be an hour short. There were girls waiting for rides from 5 o'clock until 6 (when their parents were supposed to get them).He never waited with the girls. He was always the first out. wonder where he had to go. My daughter told me she learned more from one of her teammates than she did from the head coach. Is that sad? Please let me know if you think this is sad? How could you leave your players by themselves while waiting for a ride? 

[Vblife99]

I had to respond to phillyA... Wow, were u at the same banquet as the rest of us? Maybe it wasn't apparent to you that many people were late to the banquet. It's probably because you were just looking for reasons to complain about the coach that this observation passed you by. Having an idea of who phillyA is it's not surprising that you are bringing up issues, again.

 

The coach not only said something about every senior, but he gave the Kelly Andrews award to a senior who was most deserving for battling through her physical limitations and unable to play volleyball her senior year yet was still dedicated to the coach and the team. Maybe you didn't realize what the award was for?

 

As far as practice, you are off on that too. Practice was 4-5:30. 4-5 on Wednesdays and days before big games. This might be the reason your child was sitting alone for so long after practice. Btw, these girls are high school students and don't need a babysitter from leaving school especially if they own a cell phone and can dial.

Coach did however stay late on banquet night for two team members who parents were not there on time to pick them up after everyone else left. Maybe you didn't know this.... or maybe you did?

 

If PhillyA is who I think, complaining is nothing new.

 

Our coach led our team to a second straight winning season while in the process of opening a new club while just in his 2nd year of coaching high school. Quite an accomplishment.

 

And Yes, a new club dedicated to the girls and parents who are fed up with the treatment from other clubs. The number of families that have put their trust in "bearden's" coach and his new club mission should be an eye opening for you.

 

But some people you just can't please.

[bigbluevolley]

VBlife..Your team only practiced for an hour and a half??? Thats incredible. Practicing for that little and still going as far as you did?

 

Leaving girls by themselves on school property is against the rules as a coach. You are responsible for EVERY player. No matter how old they are or how many cell phones they have. I wonder if the AD knows about that?

 

VB...Maybe you can answer why your coach was 30 minutes late for HIS Team's banquet. I don't care if the players were late. Why was your coach late?

 

This is what continually happened at Karns and the parents continued to make excuses for the coach. The reason they made excuses is becuase their daughters were playing for PR and they wanted to show loyalty. I hope thats not what you are doing VB. Are you?? The coach should be held accountable or it will end up like ours did. I give Philly a lot of credit for telling his/her story.

Edited November 14, 2013 by bigbluevolley

[orcat]

Look, this guy had never coached before, but he wanted to coach his daughter and the former coach was awful so no big deal. Bearden is loaded with athletes. No other team, other than CAK has as many athletes. He took this job to coach his daughter, which is extremely honorable, and to have a strong feeder program for his club, which is extremely smart. You cannot tell me that this is unexpected.

 

Same thing with Williams at Karns and the Webb coach. The ONLY reason that they coach high school is to promote their children and/or promote their business. You parents buy what they are selling when they take your money at club, that they have it figured out and your coach doesn't because they don't see how great your daughter is, and then you want them at your school, and then you act SURPRISED when you see what it is really like.

 

What harm is the Bearden coach really causing? How is it any different than what you thought it was going to be? Family and business come first. I suspect several of these parents that are now playing club for him will go to bat for this guy.

[BHS12]

First of all, to all of you people bad mouthing my dad, he is a person who is trying to do his best. No one is perfect. Yes this is Carrie McGinnis, the daughter of the Bearden coach who you all think is doing everything for his own benefit and "hidden agenda". He has taken a Bearden team that had been to state once before last year and made them one of the best teams in the state two years in a row. If you ask pretty much every girl on the Bearden team, including me and the assistant coaches, you will see that he is an amazing coach who can bring any team together against all odds and win a district championship,regional championship, and come fourth in the state. Not many coaches can come into a close to being dead program and do that.

 

Oh and by the way, this years banquet was great! I don't know where you were but I had a blast. None of the players really cared that he was late, we knew what he was doing and understood the situation. I'm pretty sure him being thirty minutes late didn't cause any harm. You are just looking for a reason to gripe. Also, seeing as how you think next years banquet will be so much better since I'll be a senior, you can forget about that. I may be his daughter, but he treats me just like everyone else in the gym and around the team. At last years banquet he teared up and at this years banquet he teared up, and it wasn't while giving me an award. You can ask any senior from this year and they will tell you they loved coach Dave and he loves them just like a daughter. 

 

And starting a club is very difficult and takes a lot of time and energy, I would know. I see how stressed out my dad is everyday trying to make the people that believe in his dream happy. My dad is starting KVA for all the right reasons and yes he gives all the glory to God, because he deserves it. My dad wanted to start KVA for the people who were unhappy with the other clubs in Knoxville and to make a nice environment for girls who love volleyball. He is doing it for the girls, not money, recognition, to get back at the other clubs, but because he loves volleyball, this has always been his dream, and to try a make people happy. And if you think he is putting club before high school you are way off, many nights he has stayed up until one or two in the morning figuring out ways to make our high school team better. He certainly isn't using his coaching job in high school just to promote his club, he didn't even have a club when he took the job at Bearden. Look at the players coming from Bearden who play club, he's not pushing or forcing his players to go to KVA nor has he ever. Rarely does club volleyball even get mentioned during the high school season, and if it is anyone talking about club it is us players doing it. Many high school players would love to have a a guy like my dad be their coach.

 

Oh and by the way, our practices were 4:00 to 5:30 because we had them everyday and many weeks we had two games every other night. No girl was left without a ride home and all the parents knew the schedules and what time to pick up their daughters, there is no excuse for that.

 

My dad is an amazing man and the only reason I'm doing this is because I feel like you guys deserve to know what really happens with the Bearden High School Volleyball Team. We all, well most all of us feel grateful to have such an amazing coach and better yet an amazing man as our coach. And next time you want to bad mouth a coach online for everyone to see know all the facts first and think about people writing stuff like that about you on here. You try being a coach, it is not an easy job or a director of a volleyball club, which is even harder.