Is Oak Ridge playing their best Athletes?

[ohreally]

rabidwildcatfan,

 

Thanks for the compliment! You are too kind. It is evident there are functional illiterates graduating from high school and attending college. I pity the kids who write like they talk.

 

I agree with you... coaching is not the only problem in Oak Ridge. Changing coaches will not automatically produce positive results.

 

Your friend, Stanton Stevens is a top-notch human being as well as a first-rate coach. Coach Stevens is absolutely right... some of the kids in Oak Ridge are out of touch and Oak Ridge needs to figure out why. Coach Stevens is a very perceptive individual who knows how to mentor and motivate. His record at AE speaks for his ability to turn a program around.

 

Concerning football... What is different today compared with 5 or 10 years ago? Oak Ridge still has a great deal of talent. The Boys Club football teams continue to be successful. The middle school teams continue to be successful. The ORHS Freshman team seems to have a lot of FUN and success. Thus, the talent base seems to be constant.

 

I hate to say this (and I thought I never would) but, I think the problem in Oak Ridge is attitude. Oak Ridge has a bunch of conflicting personalities who all want to be "right". Unfortunately, everyone can not be right.

 

Many 14-18 year old kids find it difficult to deal with a dominating, micromanaging, and dictatorial coach. The kids get scared away by their own spoiled, coddled, and immediate gratification attitudes/personalities. Furthermore, I think Oak Ridge has a coach that likes to see certain kids fail. It may be my imagination, but a majority of the kids that fail are NOT Anglo-Saxon. If this is not the case just my imagination, I apologize.

[Edited by ohreally on 8-26-02 6:00P]

[Edited by ohreally on 8-26-02 7:43P]

 

[finalsay]

Ohreally, right again. Although my opinion is if the right HEAD COACH were at the helm in Oak Ridge the problems we are having would be more consistent with problems at other schools.

 

You mentioned the present coach likes to see certain kids fail. THAT IS FACT.

 

With out a doubt this is true and should not be tolerated.

 

It takes a coward to predestine a kids future just because they don't like you.

 

It takes a winner to make a winner!!

[Edited by finalsay on 8-28-02 8:23A]

 

[rabidwildcatfan]

There are two things that upset me the most about the present coaching situation.

 

First, the current coach (and his wife) openly criticized Coach Gaddis while he was here. This showed a complete lack of loyalty if it meant advancing his own career.

 

Second, there never was a real interview process to determine the best candidate. Rather, the coach had "paid his dues" and deserved the job for that reason alone. This is the typical case of someone rising to a level above their capabilities. Coach Lussier was a very good defensive coordinator, but his personality does not make a good coach.

 

As to the racial issue brought up, I don't think any of the coaches are blatant racists. However, the communication difficulties are probably greater with minority or single parent homes.

 

Hopefully, this will be the last year we have to worry about these issues.

[ohreally]

Take a look around Blankenship Field if you go to the Anderson County/Oak Ridge game this Friday night.

 

As you wait for the game to begin, take a moment and note of how much Oak Ridge Football has changed in the last few years.

 

Also, ask yourself this question... What other activity in Oak Ridge draws this kind of crowd? No event in Oak Ridge can bring as many people together as a home game for Oak Ridge High School at Blankenship Field. The tradition of the Friday night home football game must be saved!

 

Oak Ridge must restore some or all of the fan relationships that were destroyed when the current head coach took the helm.

[finalsay]

There is no place on the planet to experience high school football like Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong stadium if you grew up in Oak Ridge. It even buzzes around the town. Sad to say many will refuse to go this friday night to show the powers at be they want a change. They had to do it in the Bill Young era.

 

But for the kids it is a shame. I hope they understand it is for the betterment of the future.

 

Good luck WILDCATS!

[simocleo]

This will be the first game to miss since 1959. The only reason I will stay at home and listen to 1290am is for the future of the Oak Ridge Tradition. I hope to be back in 12 months when there is a coach who really cares about the players much more than his own ego.

[ohreally]

I wonder if the "CATPACK" will come to the game wearing their t-shirts.

[simocleo]

My bet is if they do go to the game they will!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by ohreally:

I wonder if the "CATPACK" will come to the game wearing their t-shirts.