2009 Gallia Academy Baseball

[bleacher coach]

Sounds like this poor guy has been placed in a difficult situation. First off their is no feeder program to speak of & secondly no assistant coaches. Wow, I don`t know of too many good coaches that would hang around too many more years under those circumstances.

[GalliaGrad78]

I don't understand why the teachers union won't let volunteers help with the sports programs.

Guess it's like the bus situation. If the boosters charter a bus for an away game, the district still has to pay a bus driver to sit on his/her butt at home and collect money for the trip.

That's a fine way of doing business and probably the main reason this country is in the shape it's in today because of crap like that.

The district then has to beg taxpayers for operating costs, etc. What a crazy world today.

First off, I would like to say that I have the utmost respect for Jottings.

However, what would you think if you were working at the newspaper writing sports columns or whatever, and someone offered to volunteer to write those columns for the paper? And with that they were knocking you out of a job. Would you approve?

[JabbatheDel]

Whoa whoa whoa! Nobody is taking anybody's job. If you think a new person is going to come in and take Coach Luce's position, you are mistaken. No one is coming to the board and offering to do the job for free, so don't talk like they are.

The union is being stubborn because they think that by not wanting volunteers they can keep the jobs. Trust me, it's not like people are beating the doors down to coach high school baseball and this situation is a lovely example why.

So don't make it about "taking" someone's job. The board offered to sign a contract giving the jobs back when the money was there, but the union said no. I'm not saying that one side is right and one side is wrong, but to me, it looks like both are to blame.

Also, I heard from a pretty reliable source that quite a few parents will be at the Jan. 14 board meeting looking for some answers about why baseball AND softball are getting the shaft while the other sports are getting coaches and even new porgrams.

[GalliaGrad78]

Jabba, you didn't read the quote in my post. If you would, you would see that I was referring to the charter bus/driver comment.

What time exactly is the board meeting, and where is it held?

[JabbatheDel]

My apologies, sir.

I just get a little fired up about the situation.

As far as I know, the board meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of each month, but the 3rd this month would be 21st. Soooooo, I think it will be on the 14th at 6:30. If that's not right, I will correct it if I find out different.

[grannyblue]

Jabba--PLEASE get your facts straight before you post. Opinions are one thing, but when you state things as a "fact" and they are not, it is not fair. The Gallipolis Education Association is made up of all teachers. These are people who have dedicated their lives to children. For you to say that they don't care about children is offensive. The majority of teachers are parents themselves and many have children who are active in sports. When a contract is negotiated, both sides must abide by the "rules". Nobody likes all the "rules", but they must be followed none the less. Supplemental contracts are a part of the negotiated contract. They are not all coaching positions, however. The union works to provide the best compensation for extra duties for all employees--not just coaches. Union officers are elected to protect and fight for the rights of all the members. There have been many children hurt by the supplemental contracts not filled in the Gallipolis City Schools this school year. So....instead of bashing the union who is trying to protect their members--get involved!! Go to the school board meeting and let your opinion be heard.

[grannyblue]

Also, please remember, this also affects the Blue Angels softball team. None of this is fair to our athletes. So, join the GEA fight and demand the board fill these positions. See you at the board meeting!!

[JabbatheDel]

Nice to see you join the thread Granny. You must be a teacher or someone that has to do with the union by the way you are attacking the board.............I don't care who is on what board or union or anything because I am personally not involved. I'm just on the outside looking in on coaches and kids getting put into unfair situations. If there is anything I posted on here that wasn't true, show me proof and I'll gladly take it off.

BOTH SIDES ARE AT FAULT.

By the way, I don't think that I ever said anything that I stated was absolute truth or fact or anything. I'm just going by what I've been told by a reliable source. Again, thank you for joining the good fight!! Maybe I'll see you at the board meeting.

[maninthemiddle]

I know of one school where the only Varsity Basball coach that is paid is the Head Coach. That is at Zanesville. The other coaches are volunteers.

[grannyblue]

Jabba, you are right. I am a teacher and therefore a member of the union. I am not currently an officer, but am a past president. I am also a past GAHS coach--7th, 8th, JV and Varsity. I have been fighting battles for our athletes for almost 35 years. Ugly battles sometimes, but always with one goal in mind--to make programs and facilities better for all athletes. Oh, and yeah, I was athletic boosters president for a few years raising tons of money for our athletes and contributing to facility improvements. Almost everyone in my family has played one or more sport at GAHS-including me. So, I think you know where my loyalties lie. BUT...none of that dismisses the fact that there is a contract that must be followed. Our union must take a stand to keep what we have worked so very hard to achieve.

[grannyblue]

And one more thing: this problem of no assistant coaches is very personal to me. I hope it gets worked out the way that it should. And if, or when it does, then I hope the Angels and Devils can once again use the expertise that volunteers can bring to a program. I certainly agree that they can be an added bonus to many programs.

[JabbatheDel]

Granny I agree with you and completely understand your POV. Like I said, I'm just on the outside looking in and all I'm seeing is no budge on either side.

[Regulator]

Jabba, you are right. I am a teacher and therefore a member of the union. I am not currently an officer, but am a past president. I am also a past GAHS coach--7th, 8th, JV and Varsity. I have been fighting battles for our athletes for almost 35 years. Ugly battles sometimes, but always with one goal in mind--to make programs and facilities better for all athletes. Oh, and yeah, I was athletic boosters president for a few years raising tons of money for our athletes and contributing to facility improvements. Almost everyone in my family has played one or more sport at GAHS-including me. So, I think you know where my loyalties lie. BUT...none of that dismisses the fact that there is a contract that must be followed. Our union must take a stand to keep what we have worked so very hard to achieve.

Granny, You obviously don't get it. Unions are killing this country. Yes, they may have been good 50 years ago, but where we are now they are not. Look at the Automobile Industry, Look at Ravenswood Aluminum, hell, look anywhere unions have been instituted. They eventually run themselves in the ground.
I for one have nothing to do with Gallipolis. But as an outsider it is the dumbest thing in the world to not allow a coach to have volunteers if they are not going to allow him to have paid coaches. I don't care how much you spin it about taking jobs or whatever, it is dumb and makes no sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[grannyblue]

No, Regulator, you don't get it. A teacher is in a low paying job (considering all the education they must have) , because they love trying to teach children. They must work many extra hours every day and weekend to attempt to get the job done--hours they are NOT compensated for. Summers are used to get even more training that the state requires, at their own expense. Teachers do extras all the time during their careers without compensation because that is who they are. The number one volunteer in this country is probably a teacher! Supplemental contracts were initially developed to try and help "supplement" a teacher's salary when they do some of the extras that are not academic.

We've come a long way since my initial coaching days when I had 49 girls on a varsity team with one coach and pay of $420.00. How have we come this far? Several years ago during negotiations, our supplemental schedule was overhauled, both financially and adding new, much needed positions. For anyone to suggest that we should ignore this negotiated contract really upsets me. I'm a rules person and these rules must be followed. So, instead of trying to tear down this system that has done nothing but try to improve our schools, jump on board and help get those assistant coaching positions back where they should be.

Then, and only then, you can add and use all the qualified volunteers you can find! I did. I had to.

I hope I have explained some of the reasons that the union is taking the stand that they are.

[jottings]

Ex-Blue Devil pitcher and former big league hurler Dave Roberts, 64, dies

According to an Associated Press story in Saturday's Huntington Herald-Dispatch, Gallipolis native and ex-Blue Devil and big league baseball pitcher Dave Roberts, 64, died of lung cancer Friday at his home in Short Gap, W. Va., not far from Morgantown.

Roberts was the first Gallipolis Little League player to make it to the Major Leagues.

He pitched for the 1960 and 1961 Blue Devils under Carl Ward and Chuck Stobart before moving to Columbus during his junior year.

While pitching against rival Pt. Pleasant during his sophomore year in the spring of 1961, Roberts collapsed on the mound and was taken to the hospital.

He had lung problems, but recovered and after finishing high school, he played minor league ball and later was promoted to the big leagues as a member of the San Diego Padres.

His big league career spanned 13 years and in 1979, was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates World Series championship team, going 5-2 that summer.


His wife Carol said Dave, while a young man, developed lung cancer from asbestos. In the off-season, Roberts worked as a boilermaker.

Roberts went 103-125 with 3.78 ERA with eight teams, beginning in 1969 with the Padres, ending in 1981 with the New York Mets.

Roberts also played with Houston, Detroit, the Chicago Cubs, and Seattle

The Pirates got Roberts in a five-player deal in June of 1979 that also sent Bill Madlock to Pittsburgh.Roberts made one relief appearance for the Pirates in the NL Championship Series in 1979.

He finished second in the NL to Tom Seaver with a 2.10 ERA in 1971 for the Padres and set career highs of 17 wins and six shutouts with Houston in 1973.

Roberts averaged 35 starts and 12 wins a year in his four-year stint with the Astros

In 1974, Roberts was honored by speaking to Gallia Academy High School students on "Dave Roberts Day" in the Old French City.




.

[JabbatheDel]

Wonderful post. Very insightful. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been around the block a time or two.

[dewdrinker]

From the coaching persective, a coach needs as many "helping hands" as he can possibly get. Look around at successfull programs. Most have seveal coaches. Heck Ironton football looks like they have a coach for every kid.

There should be a standard for the program. which may be One head coach 2 assistants or whatever. If there is no money in the budget for assistants then so be it. We then resort to solutions 2--- accept volunteers that the Head coach agrees with.

If there are volunteers that are qualified then the coach should have the say on who his/her assistant should be and let him do his job. Baseball has been a stepchild for years around GAHS. kinda makes me sick to think that we've only had 2 championship teams since 1980 and the last one was since Corvin has been around.
Lose him and we may be looking at 2030 something before we win again.

College/ high school Sports have evolved into more that just a bunch of school boys/girls getting together wanting to see if they can beat the rival high school like it was back in 1907 or whatever. It has become a big time operation with big time pay and big time player recruiting.... even at the high school level. Some of these kids even go on to make millions of dollars playing a game. GAHS has to consider this along side academics as this is the reality of the world now, like it or not.

[Mighty Mighty Devils]

you don't have a clue about ravenswood my friend I work there so I do-- know your facts before you post

Jabba, you are right. I am a teacher and therefore a member of the union. I am not currently an officer, but am a past president. I am also a past GAHS coach--7th, 8th, JV and Varsity. I have been fighting battles for our athletes for almost 35 years. Ugly battles sometimes, but always with one goal in mind--to make programs and facilities better for all athletes. Oh, and yeah, I was athletic boosters president for a few years raising tons of money for our athletes and contributing to facility improvements. Almost everyone in my family has played one or more sport at GAHS-including me. So, I think you know where my loyalties lie. BUT...none of that dismisses the fact that there is a contract that must be followed. Our union must take a stand to keep what we have worked so very hard to achieve.

Granny, You obviously don't get it. Unions are killing this country. Yes, they may have been good 50 years ago, but where we are now they are not. Look at the Automobile Industry, Look at Ravenswood Aluminum, hell, look anywhere unions have been instituted. They eventually run themselves in the ground.
I for one have nothing to do with Gallipolis. But as an outsider it is the dumbest thing in the world to not allow a coach to have volunteers if they are not going to allow him to have paid coaches. I don't care how much you spin it about taking jobs or whatever, it is dumb and makes no sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mighty Mighty Devils]

I can truely say the more you read these post the more you learn there is more than meets the eye with these coaching cuts gallia needs to take care of the sports they have in place before adding anymore. I understand the unions stance pefectly these were paid positions = jobs

[jottings]

Anybody attend tonight's school board meeting?