Heeeere kitty kitty kitty kitty

[WillieTheWildcat]

I, for one, welcome the new voices and respect all of the Oak Ridge players. I'm very glad the player posted the information about the sock issue. GO Catbooster!

 

Steve Palmer

[goldenboy]

I thought this was going to be an ad for a Titans/Jaguars game. lol

[ELA]

Posted by WillieTheWildcat:

I, for one, welcome the new voices and respect all of the Oak Ridge players. I'm very glad the player posted the information about the sock issue. GO Catbooster!

 

Steve Palmer

 

I missed out on commenting about the other issue on the locked thread and shouldn't comment about it on this thread since the other one is now locked (sorry CoachT), but as a head football coach at another school, I think I understand why the coach did what he did! I have players show up for practice missing stuff all the time and even to games (JV games mostly)! My punishment is a BIG 12 (12 pushups-12 situps and a 40 yard dash followed by 11 pushups/11 situps and a 40 yard dash... all the way down to one of each! The punishment is both a conditioning tool and a way to force kids to take responsibility for their equipment and actions! Way too many parents and teachers tend to coddle today's kids! We don't have very many of the old-school tough kids who work hard all summer in the fields or factories! I know if I had given my kids a choice of missing having their picture taken in the team photo or doing a big 12, they would have watched us take the picture! Maybe the coach went to far, but I think we must teach responsibility! Don't jump to judge the man based on these rumors and allegations alone! Coaching is more than one small incident, and the man must be judged by the sum of his efforts and actions and not the one! The worst thing you can do is allow this one thing to pull your team a part. Football is a team sport and little stuff like this will destory a team if the players, fans, and coach's allow it!

 

[Edited by ELA on 8-7-02 12:02P]

[Edited by ELA on 8-7-02 12:08P]

 

[TankTalk]

Not that I am a coach of any level right now, but if one kid comes and is not "uniform" and the coach lets him slide, what does it say to the rest of the team? The other members seemed to remember what the team uniform was going to be and while this may seem like a harsh punishment, the kid will do one of two things, he will be bitter and resentful, therefore showing he isn't a team player anyway, or he will stink it up and learn a valuable lesson.

 

On all levels it seems there has been a deterioation of attitudes. You always hear the term "player's coach" and I think that can have a double-edged meaning. There are coaches who can't deal with the primadona attitudes of players and therefore let them get away with anything, then there are coaches who can use some psyhcology and get players to follow when they really don't know they are.

 

I love old-school coaches, who will get in a player's face and let them know they are doing something wrong. But, political correctness is phasing those coaches out quick.

 

The cue from pro athletes is becoming more and more evident on all levels of play. I remember reading the Bobby Knight thread on the basketball board recently and while I didn't post, I did think to myself "would I want my son to play for him?" You dang right I would. And I would hope that my son would have the values of hard work and discipline already installed in him by my parenting.

[Edited by TankTalk on 8-7-02 12:52P]

 

[ELA]

Posted by ieatmamasboys:

ELA

Obviously you don't pay much attention to the Oak Ridge threads. Nobody is basing the coach's incompedence on the socks issue, who cares about that big mess? I would like for the comments regarding it to stop on this thread. Read the other posts, talk to the fans, the man has destroyed the Wildcat tradition and everything it has stood for over the past 50 years. Even if you can argue every complaint made about the coach and his decision making, you can never find a loophole for the one main problem....It simply isn't FUN anymore. There is more talent walking the streets in Oak Ridge than will ever step foot on Blakenship Field again. Why? No its not because they cause trouble, or do drugs even, you see, the drugs and trouble have been there all along, they stayed away from it because they loved the game of football and they knew better. They didn't want to jeopardize that. If a coach can take the love of the game away from a player, he's gotta be doin alot of things wrong.

 

Okay... I'm not from East Tennessee but I see that same problem all over the state. I have had three kids quit football in the past year because it was too much work! Maybe all of you are correct in your evaluation, but what good does it do to bring it up right now? The only thing that you can do right now is destroy the 2002 football season for these seniors who must play for the man! Changes like this must be made in the offseason, not right now in the heat of battle! I do tend to take the coach's side on most of these issues because I believe in hard work and the value of football! Having fun is important, but that is not the whole picture. You must find a balance between hard work, pain, self sacrifice, giving up much of your social life, and your ability to do what you want to as opposed to following directions. Maybe you are right, but this is the wrong time of year to bring this stuff up! Teams don't get rid of head coaches during August!

 

I have never heard of anyone walking away from the game because they loved it too much? Most older adults I know would give up almost any amount of money to play just one more game under the lights on Friday Night! You don't have to love your coach, you don't even have to respect him (although it helps), but if it is your only chance to play and you love the game, you will do whatever it takes to play!

[Edited by ELA on 8-7-02 10:40P]

 

[TheEgoHasLanded]

"Most older adults I know would give up almost any amount of money to play just one more game under the lights on Friday Night!"

-ela

 

That may be the truest thing I have heard this summer.

 

I don't ever remember football being "fun" The lifting, the conditioning, the getting up early, the film work, the sweating, the yelling, the practicing, the bruises, the sun, the two a days etc.

 

The fun is winning...the other things are just steps towards winning (I'm not saying winning is the only thing, but by playing the game you are having fun, which in turn hopefully leads to winning).

 

ELA is right...you aint out there to have fun man...If MY school wanted to have fun, we wouldnt lift practice condition or do plays...we would just talk trash throw it 50 yards down the field, do flee flickers, triple reverses, etc.

 

It's just like basketball...you can play high school basketball...or you can play recreational basketball where you just shoot it from anywhere and no one yells at you. I prefer the high school...I've never met a person who was serious about basketball who didn't.

[ie3]

Posted by ieatmamasboys:

First of all, I never said anything about getting rid of the coach. You brought that one up. However, check the posts, ask around, long time fans of Oak Ridge Football have been after Lussier's job since November of last year. Even if this was the FIRST attempt to change the coach, don't think of it as too late of a start for any action, think of it as an early start for next season....Secondly, You said, "Having fun is important, but that is not the whole picture. You must find a balance between hard work, pain, self sacrifice, giving up much of your social life, and your ability to do what you want to as opposed to following directions. Geez, I would hate to play for you. What is the point of the hard work, pain, and sacrifice in football? I mean, how many kids do you have on your team that came to you and said, "Coach, I want to play Football so that I will grow up to be a self-disciplined, hard-working adult in the future."???? No Siree, its ALL about FUN,FUN,FUN. Hence the word PLAY.

 

As I tell my 16 year old, life is not always FUN. Generally I have to give him that information about the time I need him to do something around the house instead of going to visit his friends. Young people have to be reminded of that very often, because as a society we tell them it's all about fun. The whole point is: If you work hard, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor that much more, if you don't there won't be anything to enjoy. A little responsibility can go a long way in helping a young person find the right path. Was this coach right to do the things he has done? I don't know. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt though. He wouldn't be doing what he is doing if he didn't truly care about the kids.

 

And by the way, not just a Friday night. Anything for just one more series in the Super Dome for the State Championship like I had in '82. I hobble around everyday, but I wouldn't trade one second of it.

[Edited by ie3 on 8-7-02 11:48P]

 

[ELA]

Posted by ieatmamasboys:

First of all, I never said anything about getting rid of the coach. You brought that one up. However, check the posts, ask around, long time fans of Oak Ridge Football have been after Lussier's job since November of last year. Even if this was the FIRST attempt to change the coach, don't think of it as too late of a start for any action, think of it as an early start for next season....Secondly, You said, "Having fun is important, but that is not the whole picture. You must find a balance between hard work, pain, self sacrifice, giving up much of your social life, and your ability to do what you want to as opposed to following directions. Geez, I would hate to play for you. What is the point of the hard work, pain, and sacrifice in football? I mean, how many kids do you have on your team that came to you and said, "Coach, I want to play Football so that I will grow up to be a self-disciplined, hard-working adult in the future."???? No Siree, its ALL about FUN,FUN,FUN. Hence the word PLAY.

 

The game is fun, but it requires self-sacrifice to get to the point where the fun begins! I don't want a kid on my team who is not willing to work hard year round to make himself and his team better! If all a boy wants to do is just play on Friday nights and is not willing to work hard, let him play for someone else! EVERY GOOD COACH I KNOW requires his players to work hard! They don't like it, so what... that is what is required to be a winner. The values they learn from this experience will make the a better person! If you want to have fun, play flag football! The same goes for any high school sport... they all require hours of hard work!

 

P.S. I also drug test each year... by the way boys, it is coming up next week!

[Edited by ELA on 8-8-02 10:12A]

 

[TheEgoHasLanded]

lol...I started as a senior at defensive end and tight end and played in football games for the varsity all four years of high school, I started in the 10th and 11th grade a few games at defensive end and was on the special teams (punt, and punt block) I was also on the varsity basketball team for 3 years...I had planned on playind Division III football here in Memphis or over at a place like Sewanee, If that makes me a pansy so be it, lol.

 

My school went to the state semi finals the last two years, and was region runner up last year. We were also Number one in the AP poll for Division 2-AA/A. We were the third best defense in Shelby County...you and your 7 posts seem to be a little wrong, go eat someone else.

[Edited by TheEgoHasLanded on 8-8-02 10:33A]

 

[simocleo]

Nobody ever said for players not to have to work hard, the point is, nobody is going to work for someone if they get nothing out of it. Its not fun winning with "Coach" Lussier.