TeeMartin17

As a member of the Goodpasture community and one who has a child there who participates in athletics I am speaking from that perspective when I post. This thread has touched on a little bit of everything race, religion, diversity, and education. To shed some insight Goodpasture did interview Coach Cook and from what I'm told he was a leading candidate so I think Goodpasture's hiring process was fair. I think there is strong support from the African American community for him and his son as to there accomplishments in the community and to Goodpasture which made the situation unique. Some supporters just didn't understand why he wasn't affiliated with the program in some form after being qualified and contributing to the program. I agree with GREENWAVE1 that he probably would be embarrassed but Im certain he has no problems with GCS as both his kids still attend after he wasn't chosen and he can still be seen on campus. Maybe Big Chief and GCS Parent should speak with him as supporters of the program and help with support and ways to improve the program. GREENWAVE1 Jermain Mason is not Ponchez's brother they are cousins and there not sure why he made that move either. Coach Cook coached James Mason Ponchez's younger brother he played with his son out Goodlettsville where he is the Athletic Director I'm sure this is what Chef J Will meant in referring to community ties. I think we all should move on from this subject and figure out ways to improve GCS football program. I think having a more consistent wrestling and track program would help.

Ponchez and James

Big Chief if you and GCS Parent are truly affiliated with GCS you would know that the guy wouldn't be on this thread as he supports GCS fully and picks his kids up from there daily. Don't get talked into bashing one of your own. We all know the relationship between Brent and coach J. Brent will always be there for Coach J but he did not coach for GCS in 2015 look at the roster. On a side note regardless of these two coaches Brent would have been affiliated as the him and the other coach played together.

When I was speaking of the Gallatin tailback I was making reference to a couple of years ago. The coach I was speaking of knows his father very well and coached your Tailbacks younger brother who is a excellent Football player as well and wanted to come to Goodpasture at the time as he wasn't happy as a Freshmen- Sophmore. The loss for Goodpasture was really in the younger brother.

How is conditioning going ? Anyone knows if Judd is going to vote for a Public Private split since he's on the board. I think if we are going to look to wrestling, we should also look at our lack of a Track team in middle school. Do we have a High School Track Team ?

Church of Christ is not a requirement to attend, so why would I think that every person employed at the school had to be Church of Christ. I've asked 9 families and none of them knew that you had to be C of C to teach or be a coach so I'm not alone. I think everyone knows that the schools affiliation is c of c, but not that you have to be to work there.

I disagree with your statement about Goodpasture shouldn't be recruiting anyone. I think first that I may need to clarify what the definition and context of the word RECRUIT, and what I mean by it. Im simply saying that Goodpasture must find student athletes who are Christian and have good backgrounds that are willing to pay for tuition, with that said it takes someone who has great communication skills and and ties to the community to engage these families on all Goodpasture has to offer. I'm not sure why you brought up standards as to imply that I was saying my school which I invest my dollars for my sons education, that I would want them to break any rules or lower there morals. This is what makes Goodpastures Head coaching position so unique because of the financial restraints it puts on the student athlete when other schools fork out money or do break rules. As far as the coach IMO that would have been a good hire, he has a great resume and volunteered his services because he had a son on the team. You are correct it will take time to rebuild the program but to think that student athletes are just going to come to Goodpasture without any healthy persuasive conversation is not building a program. Ive gotten several families to come to Goodpasture by word of mouth and my positive experience. And Goodpasture even gives a REFERRAL FEE for engaging families.

It does say Goodpasture Christian School not Goodpasture Church of Christ so IMO the coach should not have to be church of Christ to be hired nor should the English or Math teacher be either, with that said it does limit the pool but doesn't mean you cant find a good coach and good teachers if that's the criteria, after all its a business model so Im sure that's not made to the public if that's a criteria. I don't think just because you value athletics and make it a point of concern means that you don't have any morals. There are a lot of great things going on at Goodpasture but a bad football team is what everybody is going to associate the school with. Its funny because the coach that I endorsed reached out to former players that were mentioned Benny Cunningham, Patrick Turner, Keenan Reynolds, and obtained there support for the job, not to mention he coached the only winning team at Goodpasture in awhile the 5th and 6th graders last year lol In fact I hear they are having a camp in Goodlettsville this summer along with Jalen Hurd because of this same coach. That's the last time I'll mention that coach so Ill get off my soap box on that. Again I myself am a paying parent and feel that we have to get Joslin someone on the staff and in the building that can help recruit talent such as the great athletes that have been mentioned on this thread because we are no longer in a position like Martin was to basically say just come to Goodpasture its a different time and day. Is anybody from Goodpasture looking at the Goodlettsville Trojans, Hendersonville Titans, Bordaeux Eagles for talent do we have someone that can build these relationships we have to do it to become relevant. We cant just hire a good coach and think that's going to solve the problem Joslin needs talent and how is he going to get it and what support is he going to have in doing it.....I would like for my sons 9th grade year to at least be productive.

I believe he maybe and both of his children attend the school so he is definitely affiliated in some form. Now you have me curious what is question # 2 ?

Exactly Not a Basketball thread but Goodpasture got it right in Adamson. Someone young who can relate to the parents and players and the outside community. Which is mind boggling to me as to why Cook wasn't given a shot in some capacity at the school with his relationship with families and the Youth Football community in this city IMO. Also you build the program from the ground up and Goodpasture Middle Schools program is great for basketball, however in Middle School Football this year we kept the same coach who wasn't very good and he had to be dismissed. Not sure where Goodpasture was going with the varsity hire when the program needed someone young and energetic that would be around longer. Again my kids going to the 9th grade and I know that the tailback from Gallatin would have been at Goodpasture the running back from Whites Creek and two Freshmen lineman that started this year at East if the hire was different. Im not trying to be negative just trying to see how concerned we are about building a football program as it is the face of the school and at this point we have to support Joslin in any kind of way we can but again hes going to need help with a better staff and help in getting students/players.

I agree your response makes sense and relates to my response to another post. I agree that Joslin is a good guy and possible a good coach but right now we don't know if he is a good coach because the talent pool is so low at Goodpasture that no one would be successful. It is imperative that we hire someone who can recruit good players and student athletes or surround Joslin with a better coaching staff and cooperation with admin and admissions on being competitive with other schools. Lets face it JP2 and Davidson Academy are in D2 and are handing out money. We are in a demographic with a lot of talented players but we have no one who can relate or recruit these players to come to GCS.

Let me clarify I'm speaking specifically to GP not having any minority teachers or coaches and not having any for many years. We are in a region with Stratford, Whites Creek, and East Nashville. We have to have a coach or coaches that can relate, coach, and motivate the African American student athlete in order for us to be successful. BGA, FRA, Lipscomb Academy, and CPA all have African American staff in some form of capacity that help in recruiting rather it be in admissions or on the football field.

My son has been at GP for 3 years and will be going to the 9th grade. My concerns are the lack of African American teachers and coaches at a school who is located in a community that should reflect this. Maybe someone could shed some insight into this for me, but to my understanding we had a very good coaching prospect who was African American coached at the college level was very successful, had been at GP with his son since Pre-K had tremendous knowledge of the area and access to great student athletes in our demographics but wasn't chosen as the coach or to be insightful in bringing back respectability to the program. In my opinion its going to take someone who can convince parents who have choices to pay tuition for there child to come and play for Goodpasture. I also hear that his son is an excellent athlete and will be attending MBA next year. I love Goodpasture for my son but do not want his 9th grade year and years after that to be filled with loses.