Clinton alumnus complains about football leadershi

[orangenblack]

by Donna Smith

"The Oak Ridger"staff

 

CLINTON -- A Clinton High alumnus appeared before the Anderson County Board of Education Thursday night to "demand a change" in the Clinton High football program leadership.

 

Although 1993 Clinton High graduate and former All-State Tight End Ted E. Phillips Jr. didn't mention Dragons Football Coach Kevin Catlett by name, he highlighted the team's statistics over the four years that Catlett has served as coach. Phillips also outlined a list of areas where the team's leadership is disappointing to him.

 

At Thursday's School Board meeting in the Robert L. Jolley County Administration Building, Board Chairman John Burrell said the board could do nothing to aid him in his quest for a change.

 

"The board is aware of this," Burrell said, "Where the state has put us is out of the personnel business."

 

Questioned after the meeting, Director of Schools Jim Stewart said it would be up to the principal, Tom Heffern, to make any changes in the football program leadership.

 

Phillips said the football team's statistics for the past four years show they have lost 29 games and won 11 for a "28 percent winning percentage." The team has not been invited to any playoff games in the past four years, he said.

 

The positive aspects of the football program are the freshmen team, the assistant coaching staff and the medical staff, he said.

 

But the program is plagued by disorganization and a lack of communication, Phillips said. Giving examples, he said the team has been one hour late for its scrimmages with the Soddy-Daisy team. In addition, he said only one spring scrimmage was scheduled this year, although an assistant coach did see the problem and schedule two more.

 

Phillips said players are absent for practice, but they still get to play in Fridays' games. Players have not been wearing proper equipment at those games, he said.

 

The man said that items -- both players' personal items and the team's equipment and uniforms -- have been stolen from the field house and showed up at garage sales. Phillips said $10,000 in equipment was rotting outside the field house.

 

Pointing to participation and morale, Phillips said that the team had not been invited to play in any football playoffs in the past four years. Few boys are trying out for the team, he said.

 

The school boardroom was filled with people apparently interested in Phillips' message, since most of them left when his speech was over. Phillips frequently compared the football program to business. He said the program was failing in building boys' discipline and character; failing in instilling them with skills and giving the area a good image; and failing in winning.

 

The Oak Ridger left messages for Heffern and Catlett on the school's answering machine Friday morning, but the calls were not returned by deadline.

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Donna Smith can be contacted at (865) 220-5502 or dsmith2@oakridger.com.

[Edited by orangenblack on 12-13-02 8:29P]

 

[ELA]

I don't know anything about Clinton High School or their head coach, but this does sound like an organized effort to try to force the removal of a head coach by people who have other motives. Some of the points mentioned are just petty! Being late to a scrimmage? Come on, that's not an excuse for firing the man. "Being invited to a playoff game," what kind of a statement is that? You either "earn" a playoff birth or win enough games to be "invited" to a bowl game. For the record, YOU CAN ONLY SCHEDULE 2 spring scrimmages, not 3... and many teams only schedule 1 scrimmage game in the spring! Some teams don't schedule any spring scrimmages and just work on fundamentals. The only logical reason for dismissing this guy would be the win-loss record. That is a matter between the principal, A.D., and Director of Schools in that system, it is not a matter for the general public no matter how well the intentions of the alumni.

 

As a former head football coach, I can tell you these things are always difficult at best! Men who choose this profession always know they are one game or a season away from being out of work. Every coach has people who don't like them. You need not look any further than Moore County or Oak Ridge to find programs who have their share of "name callers" who constantly dog their head coaches. My advice is this, if you have a problem first try to address your concerns to the head coach in writing and see if he is willing to meet with you about your concerns. Give the man an attempt to address these perceptions and see what happens. If you are still not satisfied talk the school principal. It doesn't help your program to air all of this out in public! That just seems to further destroy the team unity and cohesiveness of the program. Football teams are a fragile bond. A little discontent can go a long way toward destroying this bond. I guess what I'm trying to say is coachT.com is not the place to air out these types of problems. It should be done through the local administration.

[orangenblack]

This article was copied and pasted out of the newspaper and isn't my opinion. Just wanted to post it and see if any CoachT members attended the meeting or felt like adding their two cents worth.

 

I imagine it was the reporter's wording of "invited" to a playoff berth and not Teddy Phillips. He played in the 1992 Clinic Bowl, and knows how the system works.

 

Clinton starters were mostly freshmen and sophomores this year, so you can't put all the blame on the coach for their losing efforts.

[ELA]

orangenblack... I didn't attribute the wording of the article to you.

[CCHSJets2002]

Well i live Roane County and I have heard the Clinton Fans calling in on Channel 12 Scoreboard Show complain about him well there are issues there but I have one have thing to say: POLITICS you can cry, cry, and cry but if he is up the AD'S or Princials butt well he wont go anywhere. For example still havent figured this out yet, (not saying names and no its not Clinton coach) I had one coach tell me winning isnt important that he rather have a well displain team instead of winning football games. I still havent figure him out yet. Well when I get my team in a few years I hope got 3 years of college left. You think I would do that???? NO..... I rather win football games then worry about my team acts, yes I would make sure they would go to class and make the grades. Theses days if you don't win it's win or your gone. STOP THE POLITICS...

[ohreally]

You lost me.

[redandblack63]

CCHSJETS:

 

You will lose your job faster for having an outlaw program than not winning. If your only concern in coacing is to win games and not develop character in the athletes you coach I hope you don't go into coaching.

[billygoat2]

o&b, no one should be surprised that a Clinton parent is at a school board meeting complaining about Coach Catlett. Anyone who knows anything about that situation knows that a select group of parents have been trying to get rid of him for awhile. There's also a couple of assistant coaches out there who are looking out for themselves rather than the good of the program. This all goes back to when Catlett disbanded the so-called booster club about three years ago because they wanted to run the program rather than let him run it. It's a no-win situation when you have OR and AC as neighbors, parents who expect you to beat them every year, and players who are recruited by AC on a regular basis.

[oskie]

I don't know how right you are about the situation in Clinton, but I can tell you this: AC does not recruit Clinton kids. If any Clinton kids end up at AC it is on their own initiative. Don't try to blame AC for ant part of Clinton's woes.

[ELA]

CCHSJets... you have to try to find a balance somewhere in the middle. What good does it do you to win every game but never teach discipline? I have always worked with men who stood for something! You have to draw a line somewhere... as you get older this will become much more clear to you. The same thing is true in teaching as it is in coaching. Maybe it is not our job to "judge" people, but as a head coach, we do have a responsibility to TRY to SHAPE or MOLD the character of our team. In society, there are several social institutions that do this sort of thing. You have the armed services (Army, Navy, etc.), you have religious organizations, and you have educational institutions. We all are a part of this process. Can you imagine what a high school principal would say if you said, "Mr. principal, I don't care what my players do outside of football as long as they win games for me on the field!" Trust me, you would not be hired. When did we reach the point that we developed the attitude that "Winning is everything?" Don't get me wrong, winning is important, but it isn't everything. Developing quality citizens and providing positive life experiences will carry you much farther in life than the attitude of "Winning at all costs." We must look for balance in every phase of life.

[Guest snagglepus]

I was having a pretty bad day, then I read your thread about AC NOT RECRUITING CLINTON PLAYERS, AND I BUSTED A GUT. YOU ARE IN COMPLETE DENIAL!

I HEARD THEY WERE CHANGING THEIR MASCOT TO A DRAGON!

[ekimhat]

As a Clinton alum it's been hard to watch the decline of this program. From a perennial playoff team to a four year record of 11-29.

 

I'm not calling for the man's head, but he definitely has to turn it up a notch. If not, Clinton is in danger of becoming Campbell County South--the two schools bookending Clinton have made a major commitment to winning.

 

Catlett's future may rest on whether he can keep the majority of the undefeated middle school team in Clinton. It not, his fate may be sealed. And with all the talk of building a new state of the art football stadium 3-7 just won't cut it.