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.