SMwrestlingFan

I am not John Lenon, interesting guess. I do appreciate the compliment. I'd like to be as passionate about my profession. Pummeling through, SMwrestlingFan

Indeed, quality wrestling programs need team members & coaches focused on improvement, your are quite right. One can easily see the Greco skills he has, they shine; GREAT & EXCITING TO WATCH! The question is: Where do you start? This is a program building effort early in the process. Leaders carry their team, find other ways to hone their skills and share their passion with their peers that become new wrestlers, then teach them what to do to WIN (aka: the process). Further, you build a program based on clear expectations, buy in by all involved at all levels and discipline to challenge oneself & your team mates to reach common goals; personnel acclaim will follow. In my opinion there are several factors at work impeding this process at Signal Mtn HS: *lack of program discipline follow through, case in point, no good kid wants to any part of the non-sense they see now. *it is "cooler" to play football, inter-athletic support would be astounding, not happening & no history for that, those rings are nice *administration is running a back door popularity contest for issues they played a big part in making. *kids that have not had to make any commitment, let alone a 'wrestling' commitment; it is HARD to be a good wrestler & it takes real work, to much work for most *no past program history, this is as much negative as it is an opportunity for a leader *"challenging" the ones that are there is being called bulling, really? -- ya worry when the coach is not motivating/yelling/being truthful with you personally. *really realizing this process takes more than one or two seasons ...I'm sure I can think of several more factors and a couple of agendas. What I am sure of is that John Lenon was not a negative factor in that process. I know wrestling people all over the southeast that know John and his skill level. Truth is he is top notch and passionate about the children, families and communities he works to improve.

There are some very good scholars at the high school that is true AND Bama does give out of state scholars with 3.5/32+ ACT(your right again on the test) a full ride. Putting the facts straight is the point here, while these are true, not for him...cause he still does not have that GPA; even though he told you so (there is a trend in statements here & it makes a grown up wounder about other statements and sources) ...BTW, why did his brothers post graduation plans for UTC make his introduction at Senior night, but not Bama's full ride for him...hum, that would BE THE PLACE to focus on this achievement. Pummeling through, SMwrestlingFan

Alabama does not give full academic scholarships to kids without the grades to back up his 32 on the SAT...you should know that Brock won't be going there as his grades rank him in the BOTTOM third of his class. Now if he could just keep shut, stop bulling others, study and do the work....maybe he could have done a bit better. To bad, I see a WHOLE lot of me in him.

This is a great question! Where was administration IF this did happen, WHEN it went down or right afterword? I think young Mr Presley is strongly miss characterizing the situation to his self-centered ends.

Kale needed to wrestle in the 8th grade last year, not varsity. When you build a program (I know it is long view) you move to keep kids motivated, being a varsity team member is surely that for Kale and his parents. Add to that that Kale actually lead the middle school team to many victories, had a great year and won the county trophy for himself....again building a program you want motivated, confident wrestlers that know how to win and lead their team. I am sure these were the goals Lenon had for Kale, because I spoke with John about this point Kale and the other stud freshman are (or were) the foundation for future program achievements....at least they should be, now that we are back to square one ....I guess we will see. If the roster/weight classes are not full with 14 wrestlers (SM has yet to have a full squad), your challenge and beating another of the few who can wrestle for your team is of NO USE TO THE TEAM!! Be a team member not a selfish deva & deva 'rents, help your squad win where ever you can...sometime that means you do one or two things you don't want to do. HELLO, welcome to being a freshman. BTW: I know for a fact that Lenon never asked kids not to do summer workouts, he made himself available and lead our team with/through summer workouts.....I never once saw Kale.

Absolute travesty by Signal Mountain school administration, this is on them. John Lenon is a leader of men, a teacher/great coach who guides learning in life lessons..... you know the stuff you look back on later in LIFE and say thank goodness he was there for me. What is the lesson in this situation? This is another example of a serious lack of real leadership, an absence of support and double dealing by administration. Leadership is doing the right thing and is built on discipline, follow through on that promise of structure and the respect that gains. Clearly, there are well documented examples of the serious lack of disciple in the athletic programs and in the general school population. But let's stick to wrestling on this board.... The schools wrestling program is in a building mode, setting the foundations for future success of its alumni (read: life lessons), up-and-coming athletes, our school and our community. I saw a bright future with a clear upward trend in wrestling skills, growing participation and results during Coach Lenon's time as head coach. Administration failed to support these efforts at best - at worst they did not understand them. Administration completely failed to support this effort with the very poorly handled change of an assistant coach a year ago. The ex-coach drove a campaign to discredit and demean the program building effort through the children; yes he took his anger for removal to the wrestlers and parents (after assaulting Lenon)....the result various negative letters to administration, several unsigned....all this is on the Principal's poor handling of the change. They follow this absolute fumble by limiting the replacement effort from qualified candidates only putting a man in place at the last minute, loosing valuable summer coaching time with the team. Pushing on, when you build a program you need every teaching minute you can get, all hands on deck and a man in every roster/weight class. Since wrestling is a team sport (ask Hixson) a responsible coach wrestles as many men as possible.....some parents believe a kid should pick his roster spot, limit the teams ability to win, pick when he has to make weight...all driven by his parents; who log a negative letter to administration against the program building efforts. These are examples of what Lenon was faced with before we even get to Mr Presley. Lenon forges on installing a wrestling team (wrestlers & families included) code of conduct contract modeled after the one used by Bradley Co. that clearly outlines the expectations and consequences for our team conduct.....young mister Presley is a story in lost opportunities, a young man who just can not control himself, (this community knows his true colors) continually makes choices that negatively effect the wrestling teams ability to win, his classmates, his family & himself. Due to his absence for various cause: he was suspended again, he was skipping school, he did not want to, ect...you pick the excuse. And yet he is given MANY opportunities to return to the team, I believe in second chances & so does John Lenon --- another SPECIAL conduct contract is used and signed by Brock, Coaching staff and administration...JUST THIS YEAR. You ask yourself how much "stuff" is to much!! All this before Brock goes to an off campus school activity, a wrestling match at Ooltawah, while serving a school suspension (again!!) for his actions at the city park. Being present is against Hamilton Co rules, the SM wrestling conduct contract AND his SPECIAL conduct contract. Then looses control of himself when asked to keep quite or move to the stands and engages in yelling at Lenon in front of another community, their wrestlers and coaches, only to be restrained by team mates. I for one would really like to see the video on this final display, I bet formal charges of assault could be leveled and stick. REALLY! Just how much is to much!! Back door double dealing by administration lead to another example of lacking leadership or DISCIPLINE in a situation that is clear cut; they would like us to think that John just resigned. I know let's ask the children we are to be TEACHING if all this is going to OK with them!! REALLY!! The whole thing stinks!! It stinks for young Mr. Presly -- who is just begging for some structure and direction, that I hope he finds. It stinks MOST for the wrestling team members who did do the right thing, act the right way and who started the building process now left un-supported by administration and finds itself back at square one. It stinks for our community!! I support John Lenon.