eaglebro

Question. Have you ever heard of a team winning their district yet only having 2 players make all district teams? We had the player of the year and another girl on the 2nd team. If we don't have any outstanding players, you would think it must be coaching yet he didn't win either. I'm not a big fan of individual awards as I believe it should all be about the team, but if they are going to be given out I thought this was a little strange.

I don't have a clue what you are talking about. It was a 13 point game with 3 minutes left when Edwards called his last timeout. After that timeout we got two baskets off steals then played keep away the last 2 minutes. Nothing at all classless about that. At least we weren't throwing alley oops up by 20+ like Edwards did to us at Celina two years ago. Coach Sullivan is all class as is Coach Edwards. Neither would disrespect another team or coach but both are going to make sure they do what's best for their teams first. If you want to complain about last nights game, complain about the refs. Neither team got to play their starters in the first half because of them.

I thought it was good basketball. BTW felt they had the advantage when we were in man. Wish we would have played a little more aggressively on offense when breaking the press, but BTW's athleticism had a lot to do with that. Congrats to them on the win and I'm proud of our boys and the season they had. Congrats to Drew, Slayton, and Garth on playing your last game in the semi finals of the state. We'll miss you. To the rest of the boys, you now know what you have to do to get what you want, all it takes is work. Go Eagles.

I love keyboard experts. What have you accomplished to put down a group of girls that won their district, region, and substate games and took Gibson Co. To overtime and probably should have won. I agree in past years your statement might have held a little merit, but not this year. Our girls worked hard, played hard, and won or lost with class. Much more than I can say for this and a lot of posters on this board. There are no bad teams in the Boro and we could have played with any of them.

After watching the summer play days I say don't sleep on Van Buren. Those freshman that won the James C. Haile fit in nicely with the boys returning. Sale Creek is still the team to beat though.

How do you guys think Van Buren would have matched up against these three?

When Pickett County won the championship in 1990, I think they beat Clarkrange 5 times that year. /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

Facts (not rumors) Ms. Sullivan is the principal, there is not an opening. Coach Russell is welcomed to come back, whether she will or not is up to her. With the way some people have been, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't come back. She has been around ball teams for a long time and understands the importance of team unity. This was one of her best attributes to this years team, building unity. Now, through no fault of hers, others are trying to destroy what she worked to build and using her as a way to do this. I really wonder if some fans have the whole team at heart or only one or two players. Finally, there will never be a posting for a coach. These positions are filled by full-time faculty members. At this point, Van Buren does not have any positions that need to be filled. If you want to speculate about what will happen in the future, fine, but understand that with whatever happens, there will never be a posting for a coaching position. There will be postings for teachers, aides, and possibly a principal position. These are jobs within the school system, a coach is only a supplement to whatever other position is held. If there is a coaching change, the person becoming the new coach will either come from within the system already, or be hired to fill whatever position is available. We do not have full time coaches in our school. Lastly, I want to say the only reason I even comment on this nonsense is because I am sick and tired of people or person (Bird33) running our team and our coach down. Bird33 talks about our player's behavior on the court when his or her behavior hasn't been any better on this board. This person has even gone so far as to point out one or two high school girls. Girls that have been at every practice, run every sprint, competed in every ball game, and still had to put up with an idiot like this person telling them how every thing they do is wrong. Or if there not wrong, how everything their coach tells them to do is wrong. Bird33 talks about our girls being out of shape, I wonder how well he(she) could run up and down a basketball court. Then when he does praise, it is only for one or two players, not the whole team. Bird33 has taken a positive like Coach Russell and used it to create strife (starting the untrue rumor of the school not wanting her back) and create discord (the only reason our girls won was because of her and in spite of Coach Binkley). As a fan and friend of this team, these coaches, and these girls, it irritates me when someone puts any or all of them down. I don't always agree with the coaches. I don't always approve of the effort or actions of the girls. But do I have any right to run them down? Do any of us have that right? Have any of us put as much time and effort into having a successful season as the coaches or the girls? You can't build something up by tearing it down. Support the Coaches, support the players, if you have a problem, talk to the coach in person and if it can't be resolved then talk to his superior. If you have a problem with a player, offer encouragment and suggestions. Don't get on here and bash. If the shoe were on the other foot, how would you feel?

Coach Binkley isn't going anywhere. This is his where he went to school and where he wants to be. Coach Russell is a volunteer and is welcome back as long as she wants to be. It is Van Buren policy that a coach be employed by the school system. In the past, when others have coached teams, be it elementary or high school, there was an employee listed as head coach and outside volunteers helped them. Name one coach who has been paid that wasn't an employee of the school system. I don't want to sound like I don't like coach Russell or think that she didn't do a great job. I know she knows how much everyone appreciated her help and the job she did. I'm just stating the facts as they have been presented to me. In order for her to have a head coaching job by TSSAA requirements, she needs 4 more years of volunteering as an assistant. In order for her to be a paid coach at Spencer, she must have a position with the Van Buren County Board of Education. No she doesn't have to be a teacher, she could be a secretary, janitor, teacher, substitute, cook, bus driver, or one of the administrative positions. Except for principal, the principal can not be head coach, it is also against board policy. Once again, I'm for supporting both coaches and all the players that are back next season. As for coach Binkley hiring a friend, I know he doesn't have the authority or desire to hire anyone. That is the job of the Superintendent. Now instead of griping and complaining, lets be appreciative of what the school has accomplished this year. The Elementary Girls finished second in their league. The Elementary boys finished second in the White County tournament. The junior high girls finished with just 2 or 3 losses and won a game in the state tournament for the first time ever. Our junior high boys had the best record they have had in a long time. The high school boys won about twenty games and made it to region and the high school girls won 20 games and made it to the second round of regions. Not a bad record overall. Plenty to be excited about. Now if you want to contact the superintendent and complain about something, why not complain about a new gym. It is a shame that both of our junior high teams and both of our high school teams have to share time in one gym. Another gym, with possibly a weight room, would sure help all of our teams alot more than a new high school girls coach.

I don't know why he has the job, why don't you tell me. If you want to post records, why just post his. Go back 20 years and find someone who has done better in this position. Do I think he does everything right? No. Do I think he has done a better job than the other 3 coaches I've seen before him? Yes. Do I think we now have better tallent because he worked with them from elementary up? Yes. Who else has taken the girls team to the second round of region play in Van Buren history? No one. However, I sure would like to hear why he has the job. /huh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":huh:" border="0" alt="huh.gif" /> And you do have to be employed by the school system in order to be the head coach in high school basketball.

Rumors are a truly wonderful thing. Especially when those spreading them have no clue what they are talking about. First I would like to say that Ms. Russell helped tremendously this year. She helped bring the girls together when things could have fallen apart after losing a starter to injury. She also helped to bring a positive attitude and outlook to the girls each night. What isn't being mentioned, and is the best point of all, is that she volunteered to do this. She doesn't get paid, she just wants to help our team and our girls. Unlike alot of people that just want to mouth off and complain, she chose help not hinder. Coach Russell is appreciated by the players, coach, principle, and superintendent. Their has never been any discussion about whether she will be back or not, it is her choice to volunteer, she isn't an employee. I know that all mentioned above would love to have her back agian. As for her being head coach, it can't happen unless she becomes empoyed by the school system. I don't know if she is interested or if she has a teaching licence. I do know that it is a shame that people are trying to take this positive and turn it into a problem. Why don't those of you who are complaining follow in Ms. Russell's footsteps and use your energy to do something positive? If you are truly interested in the program, help those who are working to make it better, don't run them down. I also find it interesting that there hasn't been many complaints in the past about coaches or the girl's team. It is only when they win 20 games, make it to the semifinals of the region, and have an opportunity to play in a substate game that a couple of people get on a chat board and mouth about the coach. I have also been watching Van Buren for a while, through four coaches counting this one, and this is the first time that fans have had expectations of reaching a substate game. Why is that? Speedy and Bird will say that we have more tallent. Could some of this be due to the fact that this coach has worked with these girls since elementary? I didn't hear anyone compaining when the coach volunteered his time during the summers to coach an aau elementary team made up of most of the same girls that are playing high school ball now. This was before he became the high school coach or even knew if he would ever become the high schoo coach. It is real easy to sit back and point fingers but alot harder to actually get up off the couch and do something. I'll finish by saying thanks to both of the coaches and all the players who went to practice, ran the sprints, watched the game film, and got out on the court to give guys like me something to be proud of. You had a great season and it shows, no one else has come as close as you did to beating Forrest. It takes alot of hard work and dedication to accomplish the things you have this year. Lauren and Courtney, I have enjoyed cheering for you for the past four years and wish you all the luck in the future. You girls can accomplish much, I know because I have already seen you do it. To those ladies coming back, DEDICATE yourselves to your team, your coaches, and your school and their is no telling how much farther you can go. I know that I'll be there cheering for the Van Buren County EAGLETTES!!! /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

I don't understand how you can say this. After the foul, the coach took the player out of the game and sat her on the bench. What should he have done, chewed her out and forgot about coaching the rest of the team. As for pushing and shoving, the same girl was knocked to the floor early in the first quarter and was out of the game till just before halftime. She may let her emotions get the best of her at times but she gives it her all on the court. When her emotions do become to much, the coach will and has set her on the bench until she calms down and has at times left her sitting. As for the game, you had girls, one in particular, getting in an extra push or two all night. I think she may have set one legal screen, the rest she was moving to get that extra bounce. I think we deserved to be there by beating your team on your home court. If you want to be mad about something, be mad about freethrow shooting. If you would have hit them, you wouldn't be crying so much. Believe me, I know, the same thing happened to us in the district tournament. If we would have hit them, we wouldn't have had to travel to your gym. Anyway, enjoyed visiting with most of the fans there, and enjoyed speaking with your coach before and after the game. He seems like a great guy. Good luck to your team next year! While I'm posting I want to say congrats to Forrest. Your girls played tough and disciplined and deserve all the good things that happen. We are getting closer to giving you guys some competition, just not there yet consistantly. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

I don't know who you two IDIOTS are but thanks for trying to tear a team apart. I can appreciate having a favorite player, but you don't down others that are on the same team. That is what a team is, a group of people trying to accomplish something together. Not individually. Both Laura and Porshe are great players and great girls. If you try to stop one, the other gets open. They can and should compliment each other. Our team needs both of these girls to play well, as well as everyone else, if we hope to accomplish all that we can. Last night we lost due to poor freethrow shooting at the end of the game. Not because someone was on the bench or because someone else didn't score enough points. We played hard and smart, the freethrows just didn't fall when we needed the to. Congrats to MTCS on the win and good luck eaglettes Monday night. If you play like you did Friday, you will have a great chance to continue to advance farther than most think. All you have to do is BELIEVE.

Aunt Kim, you may be the classiest person on coach t. I don't know if you have ever had anything negative to say about anyone or any team and I respect that. As for the game, it was great. Two teams playing hard from begining to end. For those complaining about the officiating, Forrest actually shot 3 or 4 more freethrows than Van Buren did. I agree the count in the second half was a little lopsided, but Forrest ran a full court press and played tight man in the half court. They also fouled at the end of the fourth quarter to get the ball back. Van Buren played zone or a loose man with little or no pressure other than guarding 32 tight outside. The difference was that Forrest missed several free throws in the first half and Van Buren made most of them in the second half. I was proud of the effort the Eaglettes and hope that this helps them realized that when they play hard for the entire 32 minutes, they can play with anyone. We have, at times this year, gotten down on ourselves and let that affect our play for parts of the game. This did not happen last night and that is why the results was as it was. As far as the fan support goes, I am also suprised at the following for Forrest. Both the boys and girls play smart, disciplined, hard nosed ball. They represent themselves and thier schools with alot of class. They are an honor to their parents and coaches. The girls are also coming of a state championship. I would think that more fans would make the time to show support for this great group of kids. It could possibly be that they don't see us as a rival because we are new to the district, I don't know. I do know that even when we traveled to Forrest, we had as many fans in the gym as they did. Anyway, great game and I wish you luck the rest of the season as long as your opponent isn't Van Buren.

When the other teams shoots 33 foul shots and you only shoot 7, it is hard for the refs not to change the outcome of the game. Van Buren made more field goals, more three point goals, had more rebounds, and created more turnovers. The only stat that they lost was free throws made. This was the reason that MTCS scored more points and won a close contest. We also had a girl pushed to the floor and tear her ACL. The call on that play was a walk. Not blaming MTCS, their girls played hard and within the parameters that the refs were allowing them. Just wish the rules would have been the same on both ends of the court. I have called ballgames and agree it is a hard and unappreciated job. That being said, it doesn't excuse a horribly called game.