We miss you coach

[Sommers]

It is a comfort to know that the students have better insight into this than the parent of the 15 year old involved.

 

I'm deleting this because I feel I was wrong to say these things in such a manner. I was out of line and will publicly apoligize to all those affected and to the vol, who must be an okay guy for some out there I know. And what an accomplishment for his boy to make varsity at Army his freshman year. I understand Coach Barbee was so pleased to have the talent and training that Spencer brought. Congrats!!

 

Dave Sommers

Edited January 10, 2006 by Sommers

[MasterBlaster 1]

This sounds scary, but perhaps new opportunities can come...

In the mean time 23, You really like this fierce competition,,, You see it on the mat, on the boards from various aka names, and even on the road (hopefully not on text messages though). Hey, maybe you can find a high place for any Hills and Masters down there in Texas? What great friends and allies while the heat's on. Isn't Alamo Heights High without a wrestling program down there? Problem though,,, no coach and no funds, which some good volunteers could possibly fix. Even bigger probem though... Who would be the Head coach? Is it even big enough down there? I know, 23, "Everything's Big In Texas;" maybe another VOLunteer can take a WALK (not a van) down there to help resolve the imbalance and act as an ambassador for good will. Could you handle that down there and bring the Alamo back?

What the ???? Sommer's you have WVol ready to track you down and now your messing with Tex a former bush bunny, snake eater. Dude, you pick some big boys to get mad. I thought folks from the Hixon area were smarter than that.

 

Tuff Topic to have on the board but these days anything dealing with females is TNT. Seen to many good guys jobs ended because of false accusations.

Edited January 9, 2006 by MasterBlaster 1

[texas23]

This sounds scary, but perhaps new opportunities can come...

In the mean time 23, You really like this fierce competition,,, You see it on the mat, on the boards from various aka names, and even on the road (hopefully not on text messages though). Hey, maybe you can find a high place for any Hills and Masters down there in Texas? What great friends and allies while the heat's on. Isn't Alamo Heights High without a wrestling program down there? Problem though,,, no coach and no funds, which some good volunteers could possibly fix. Even bigger probem though... Who would be the Head coach? Is it even big enough down there? I know, 23, "Everything's Big In Texas;" maybe another VOLunteer can take a WALK (not a van) down there to help resolve the imbalance and act as an ambassador for good will. Could you handle that down there and bring the Alamo back?

 

Dave, try to not make this something other than what it is. Why in the wide world of sports would you bring walkenvol into this discussion. He has not one thing to do with it.

 

As far as the Alamo, I have no clue.

 

congrats on your sons perfomance this past weekend. Very impressive.

[texas23]

This sounds like the mother may be blowing this thing up looking for money.

 

 

How so? What has the mother said?

[Sommers]

Dave, try to not make this something other than what it is. Why in the wide world of sports would you bring walkenvol into this discussion. He has not one thing to do with it.

 

As far as the Alamo, I have no clue.

 

congrats on your sons perfomance this past weekend. Very impressive.

I suppose you're right, Tex. My bad for making light of something at the wrong time and associating others. He (the vol) and Masters didn't care much for each other from previous discussions I saw, but for some reason certain characters on here remind me of each other, like Snobhater, Mt.Juliet285, KKW, and a few others. I'm actually a positive person with nothing to hide as you have seen (no other side or screen name). But, "coat tails" or not, I resent people who tear down others when they themselves have glaring issues.

 

On a more important note: Hopefully nothing bad happened. I hope the right/best thing develops for all involved. It's sounds like one of those hard cases of balancing the scales of justice and mercy. Track records and character witneeses may leverage the truth.

 

Master Blaster, It's Hixson, and (as you've noticed) I'm not at all afraid of getting the vol or any formidable oponent after me. Now, Tex23??? I believe I can out run him. I'll let My Bro have him though. MB, are you asscoicated with a Reg. 2 team, perhaps Farragut? Were you ever in the 101st?

Edited January 10, 2006 by Sommers

[rolltide418]

Who is coaching the wrestling team at Sycamore now?

Who is going to coach the softball team?

[fballboi3023]

Who is coaching the wrestling team at Sycamore now?

Who is going to coach the softball team?

Coach Gilpin is both now

[maj]

Ok. I will tell you the facts. He was close to this student as he is and has been with many other students over the last 15 years or so that he has been teaching. This particular student had perfect attendance this year in his class. When she did not show he knew it was uncharacteristic and he was worried. Kind of like I would be if one of my daughters was not where she said she would be at a certain time. He sent the messages to check on her. When she did not respond he sent more messages. He was very concerned and even asked some of her friends if they knew why she wasn't there. She finally showed up to his class in tears because her mom had seen the messages and had taken them the wrong way. He realizes that he went a little too far in caring for this student. He also knows that this student cared about him like a father. He was punished by a letter of reprimand which outlined certain restrictions he must follow. Case closed right? Not in Cheatham County. The newspapers kept the pot hot and printed things to put pressure on people in charge. So after following his guidelines to the letter, the director of schools felt the heat and asked him to resign or he would be removed. He did not resign because as he called it, this was double jeopardy. Those are the facts and thats all there was to it. The school board, police and DCS investigated the matter and found no case, but someone has the power in Cheatham County to bully the director. She punished him as she saw fit, but after politics and the media kept the "story" alive she relented to the pressure. She said that because he had previous reprimands in his file from Montgomery County, which were known about when he was hired, that she was letting him go. These reprimands were the first 2 he ever had over a 12 year career. Just so happens that it was a first year principal who gave him these reprimands. He had even asked to be transferred when he knew who the principal would be, but the jerk denied the transfer so he could make his life miserable. This principal just happens to be the same guy who applied for the head wrestling job at Kenwood when Johnny got it. Talk about getting revenge. Anyway, ask any kid that he was involved with at Sycamore and they will tell you he did nothing wrong. They will tell you that he was like a father to the student involved. Poor judgement maybe, but nothing to be released over. By the way, I called him and asked if I could type all of this, so dont think that Im just on here telling all of his business. He was an outsider with a huge heart in a small town with nothing to write about.

 

And by the way, Mr Texas, I have two teenage daughters and he treats them as if they were his own kids and they love him like he was another father. This might make some people jealous, especially those not doing a great job with thier kids, but not me because I know him and I know his heart.

 

I don't know anyone involved in this mess. I generally dislike schoolboards and school officials and generally like wrestling coaches. I despise the media and would never trust a newspaper article unless I could verify it elsewhere. That said these allegations are still troubling. If this coach's supporters want the wrestling community's support, I suggest they post the email messages in question and let folks make up their own minds. The coach may be pure as wind driven snow and a victim of circumstance or he may have REALLY crossed the line.

[TraderJack]

I really don't care one way or the other about the coach, but I have a couple of questions.

 

If he was so concerned about the student why didn't he just call her house? Does he text message all of his missing students?

If he did not say anything inappropriate in the text messages, then why would the courts grant a restraining order against him based on that evidence?

Why would he not simply have referred his concerns to the guidance office?

Why would anyone send 15 text messages to the same person in one day? Does he not have to teach?

He may need a real change of venue. I don't think he has a chance in Tennessee to teach again. He needs to try and outrun this mess to another state.

[slp2269]

I agree wholeheartedly. It's impossible to judge without the messages and the facts. A school board puts itself at risk by firing a teacher, and generally they make pretty sure that their case is considerable. A teacher who is fired for such improprieties is going to have a tough time getting back into any school system. I am in no way placing blame, but there are a lot of questions to be asked. Does Smyrna have a teachers union to work on the coaches behalf?

 

Now lets think of ourselves as a parent...If I were a parent and an adult text messaged my child more than twice in a day, are you suspicious? Are you going to confront that adult to understand what the heck is going on. Just put yourself in that parents shoes.....

[CoachGonyeaTemp]

I agree wholeheartedly. It's impossible to judge without the messages and the facts. A school board puts itself at risk by firing a teacher, and generally they make pretty sure that their case is considerable. A teacher who is fired for such improprieties is going to have a tough time getting back into any school system. I am in no way placing blame, but there are a lot of questions to be asked. Does Smyrna have a teachers union to work on the coaches behalf?

 

Now lets think of ourselves as a parent...If I were a parent and an adult text messaged my child more than twice in a day, are you suspicious? Are you going to confront that adult to understand what the heck is going on. Just put yourself in that parents shoes.....

WHOA!!!! Before I get messed up in this whole thing, it is Sycamore. NOT SMYRNA...

[walkenvol]

He (the vol) and Masters didn't care much for each other from previous discussions I saw

.

I'm not at all afraid of getting the vol or any formidable oponent after me. Now, Tex23??? I believe I can out run him. I'll let My Bro have him though.

 

Sommers - again you are attempting to attach something to me that is an outright lie. I don't know Masters and I've never had a discussion with him. Any sane person should recognize that this is a completely inappropriate thread for your ongoing attempts to slander me. Step back and look at yourself. A grown man (grandfather?) posting untruths about people he doesn't know and then pulling out the elementary school phrase of "I'll tell my big brother". You repeatedly state that you’re going to stop and then rarely last a week before you start again. Please, all kidding aside, seek some counseling as your irrational behavior is unstable.

 

To the folks involved with this school and situation, I'd like to personally apologize for Sommers trolling into your serious thread concerning this sensitive situation.