Time for me to vent
So... it's been a long summer for me. I've (mostly) kept it to myself, because- at heart- I'm a Stoic. Feelings are my enemy (think Ron Swanson from "Parks and Rec"). But today I got an email that just put me over the limit.
Backstory: I was the offensive coordinator for our local HS team last year... and have been coaching for nearly 25 years. The HC for our local team was let go, because- after 20 years as HC- his winning % was around 20%... and our varsity has won 1 game in the past 4 years. He was bad... and it was a good thing that he was (finally and mercifully) let go. At that time, every other coach on the staff either retired, resigned or wasn't sure if they were coming back. In some cases it was due to them following through on plans they had already made... in other cases it was to go and coach something else during the Fall. I don't know that any of the departures had anything to do with the HC being let go. He really wasn't that respected by us, his "underlings" (this was a guy who never asked anyone for suggestions and preferred to run all 3 phases of the game all by himself). As the lone remaining coach, I was asked to work with the summer rec. department to get summer football plans made... and to meet with the kids and get our spring lifting program implemented. Not only did I implement it, I was present every day in the weight room at 6:30am, so that the kids could see how important their time in the weight room was (i.e.: if I'm going to ask them to do it, I'm going to be there with them).
During the spring, construction was begun on the older school building. Among the areas being renovated was an old storage area, which had football game films, going back to the 1960s. I grabbed all the boxes of films and kept them safe, with the intention of restoring them to DVD and either giving them to the former players in our community (as a goodwill gesture)... or as a possible fund-raiser for the program. That's an important part of this story.
When the time came, I applied for the HC opening. The only other candidate was a guy who had been fired previously by the school (as the HC of the baseball team)... who also had applied to be the AD (both times there was an opening... and, both times, he was not given the job. In fact, the administration re-designed its personnel just to make sure that this guy wouldn't get the AD job). Long story short: I didn't get the job... AND I was told that the new HC already had his staff in place- and I wasn't on it. So, after everything that I had done for the program since March (including combing through 20 years of stats so that we would have a record of stats, such as most passing yards in a game, most tackles in a season, etc), I was let go- without even a phone call from anyone at the administration. It was pretty frustrating.
One of the first things I did, was to bring all the old boxes of films to the school (since I was no longer part of the program) and let them decide what to do with them. I sent the AD, the principal and the superintendent an email letting them know what I had intended to do with the films... and then telling them where I had left them (outside of the office). I assumed that they would want to keep possession of these old films, for the reasons I had mentioned previously to them. Today I got an email from the school secretary telling me to come get "my" films if I wanted them... because the new HC doesn't want them... and neither does the school.
OK, so here's my question: am I crazy for thinking that the school would WANT to keep these films around? I would pay $100 for a DVD of my senior season in high school! I can't speak for anyone around here, but I would assume that some of the folks around here would feel the same way I do. Maybe not. But I just can't believe that the current leadership doesn't see any value in these things. Now, I'm also very frustrated about how the whole coaching thing turned out... and maybe that's part of my frustration. But I just think it is so backward-thinking to want to just "toss them out" into the trash. Am I wrong?
@"AGRforever" said: I dont know the amount of space all these tapes take up? Ive stored to much stuff for other people.I would also question who owns there rights? I doubt you can just go reproduce them without the school. I’d try and get them to sign a waiver saying they release the rights to you.
the letter the school sent him telling him to get them or they were going to get tossed should be all he would ever need if ownership was challenged. as long as he doesnt try and sell the material for personal profit I doubt that ownership would ever be brought into question. technically the school board should have declared them surplus and put them on auction as they are public property, but I doubt very much if anybody would have bid on old VHS tapes.
Thankfully, this has become a moot issue. I reached out to someone on the Board of Ed (who is the chairman of the athletics committee for the Board)- and he agreed that it would be idiotic of the school to get rid of these films. He specifically called out the new HC (who said to "toss them")... and the administration (who I contacted in the first place about these things). So, if nothing else, I feel a little (lot?) bit vindicated.
Once again, I am grateful for the responses and the shows of support / encouragement. If nothing else, it's times like this that help to remind me that this IS a community that I want to be a part of (even if we don't always agree on everything).
Good job.
Nothing like hearing your boss telling you your idea is idiotic to change your mind...lol.
@"suncoastvike" said: Good job. Nothing like hearing your boss telling you your idea is idiotic to change your mind...lol.He was more diplomatic than that... but I can read between the lines.
And, for the record... the administration (and the new HC) ARE idiots. The teachers that I know (about a dozen) all despise the superintendent. They have found out- as I have- that he is not honest and cannot be trusted. He once fired a teacher (by cutting his class load)... and then, when that teacher found a new job, he told the school community that it was the teacher's decision to leave (and that "we are really going to miss him")... and now they had to find his replacement. The HC was once fired from being the head baseball coach (at this same school) and- as a 9th grade basketball coach- he got tossed from a game for throwing a chair onto the playing floor. But he is on staff as a teacher... and I am not. I could give other examples, but that wasn't the point of all this. Suffice it to say: this particular Board member ran for office this past November because he was already aware of the leadership problems at our school.
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