Sports Talk: A Bittersweet farewell to Casey County's Finest

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Feb. 19, 2014.  
In his second to last regular season home game last Saturday, parents, players, alums, fans and friends celebrated the career of 19-year Lady Rebel Coach Randy Salyers. For those who missed it, I encourage you to be there this Friday in his final regular season home game.

Photo Credit: Carpe-Imago/Chris Zollner

It just so works out that Coach Salyers gets a couple extra (hopefully two!) games in the Rebel gymnasium since CCHS is the host of this year's district tournament.
 
For me, Coach Salyers has been everything from a coach to a middle school P.E. teacher to a friend, and, like many, I have never really known Lady Rebel basketball without him.
 
My relationship with Coach Salyers began around 1998. As a sixth grader, many of my peers and I stepped up to the play with the middle school basketball team. While Coach was already working at the high school level, it was obvious he had great interest in the up and coming Lady Rebs and developing them. (I also ran track for the first time this year and, for those who don't know, he was the track Coach in those days and oversaw numerous state contenders and even state champions.)

Presenting Coach with a quilt made of
Lady Rebel Tshirts from throughout his career.

I was too young to think a lot about the fact Coach Salyers was showing such interest in the youth of the Casey County girls' basketball program, but looking back, it's obvious he was already in it for the long haul. The summer after sixth grade he was already encouraging us to attend his open gym practices and working with the middle school coaches, including Coach Darryl Barlow. He was the eighth grade coach at the time and now sits proudly alongside Coach Salyers on the high school level and has for a number of years.

1998 would have only been two years into Coach Salyers' career with the Lady Rebs, but that detail was unbeknownst to a youngster like me. By the time I was in eighth grade, several of my classmates were dressing on his varsity squad that won the 12th Region tournament and competed in the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen. I had no idea I was riding in on the building of something historical for Casey County sports. I'm not talking about the program's first trip to the state tournament, but Coach Salyers' career that would see so many accomplishments and make Casey County a regular top contender in the 12th Region.
 
I did not finish my high school career as a basketball player for Coach. I gave it up my junior year to focus my efforts on running, but having dedicated so many years--summers included--to the basketball life, I could not so easily walk away. You see, Coach Salyers has a way of creating a family out of his basketball team and leaving that was impossible for me, so I stayed on as a manager for the next two years and happily saw my classmates capture back-to-back district titles in 2003 and 2004.

It's a rare exception that a parent is completely OK with someone besides themselves yelling at their daughter and it's a rare exception that a young lady can handle a grown man yelling at her, but, again, Coach Salyers has a way of making his team a family. In a family you genuinely care about each other and have a special understandings and every player under Coach Salyers understood how much he wanted to see us thrive on the court. We've all seen Coach Salyers yell at his players pretty intensely during games (that or we've experienced it first hand AS one of those players!) But Coach also always has his players' backs. He is the kind of coach that made you want to work your tail off for him, and when you did that, he would go to battle for you. If you were at last Saturday's Mercer County game, you saw that first hand.

Aside from being my coach, in both track and basketball, Coach Salyers has been a dear friend in my years since graduation, and like many I will sorely miss his presence in the county when he is gone, but could not be happier for him during this change in his life.

Two of my good friends whom I played ball with under Coach.

I have to add a fun fact to this article. I am sure many wonder why in the world my by-line includes "Peat" and I will not go into where the nickname originated. Honestly I don't even know, as I have had it since before I can remember and it began as simply a family nickname used by my parents and relatives. Coach Salyers, however, having heard my dad call me "Peat" at sporting events was the first person outside of my family to publicly call me "Peat" (embarrassing the dickens out of me!), but from there I began to embrace the name and more and more people called me "Rita Peat". By the time I was in high school few people did not know the nickname and some even confused "Peat" as my last name. If it were not for Coach Salyers, my by-line may only read "Rita Harris".

I still have not wrapped my head around a season of Lady Rebel basketball without Coach Salyers. The girls playing today were not even alive when his career began 19 years ago. But, without a doubt, girls' ball at CCHS will continue and it will likely continue to thrive on the foundation Coach Salyers spent so much of his life building.For that, he will never, ever be forgotten in Casey County. I like to think that one day my daughter, born only four months ago, will also know of Coach Randy Salyers' reign over the Lady Rebels and the name he brought to the program across the 12th Region.

Sports Talk: Your Thoughts on Charlie Strong and Bobby Petrino

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Jan. 15, 2014.  
It was time to hit the streets (or the 'book'...as in Facebook) again and find out how YOU feel about some recent big news in the Bluegrass sports world. Thanks again to the admins of the The Kentucky Sports Rivalry Facebook page, I was able to get some area feedback on last week's hubbub over the University of Louisville football program.

The situation: First came the announcement that Charlie Strong was hanging up his Cardinal hat and heading to Texas. On the coattails of that news came Athletic Director Tom Jurich's decision to bring back former coach Bobby Petrino to fill the vacant head coach position. Petrino had a 41-9 record during his four years at Louisville from 2003-2006. While the coach has a strong winning history, he not only left the university previously when bought out by the NFL, but his poor ethical and moral decisions have previously earned him the spotlight. This begs the question: Is this the type of person you want leading college athletes? 

I asked area sports fans their thoughts on these two questions:

• How did you feel about Charlie Strong's departure and how it took place?
  
• What do you think of Athletic Director Tom Jurich's decision to bring back former coach Bobby Petrino?

"I think Strong hit the lottery. Decent coach? Maybe. Texas quality coach? Don't think so. I don't think this is the HR hire Texas was capable of getting. We shall see.  Petrino is a proven winner and that is why he was re-hired, meanwhile hoping he wins enough to outweigh and make people forget all the negativity associated with him."
-Bradley Clark, UK Fan

"Tom Jurich's job as AD, was to find the best coach available for the University. No doubt, on the football level, he did just that. Bobby Petrino has less than stellar moral baggage, but, he has never violated NCAA rules, and puts a quality product on the field. I agree with his hire, but time will tell if it was a wise choice as to his off the field antics. As for Coach Strong leaving... it disappoints me, I am old enough to remember coaches that stayed for what seemed like forever. But, due to the Millions of dollars that are involved, those days are gone. And in my opinion, that is not a good thing!" 
-Don Chappell, UofL Fan

"I feel this is an interesting hire for UT. Strong is a good coach who recruits character guys and develops a winning program. The job at UT is one of the top 5 (maybe top 3) jobs in college athletics. The big difference between UT and 99% of all the schools is the non-football side. The boosters at UT are very involved and expect to be catered to. I would compare the UT job to UK basketball: you can win games but you have to be a PR type person and know how to relate to the fan base. We will see how Strong is able to adapt to the pressure of one the most high pressure jobs in college football. As for him not telling his players that he was leaving, they were on Christmas Break. Most, if not all, had left the school for the break. He was very respectful to U of L in that he waited to talk to Jurich before deciding on the UT position. It is tough thing for all parties involved when changing jobs like this. I think this is much better than leaving during the middle of the season and having an assistant tape a form letter to the players' lockers.” 
-Daniel Rigney, UK/Baylor Fan

"Strong to Texas is a great career move for him. Whether he's successful at Texas or not, you can't fault a man for taking a pay raise and a promotion. Him not addressing the players was awful though. As far as the Petrino hire goes, I support it. He's a winner and (sadly) that's all college sports cares about right now. If he's as successful this time around as the last, everyone will forget his indiscretions and he'll likely leave for a better job. Which is the same thing any of the other rumored candidates would've done after 3-5 successful years." 
- Josh Watson, UofL Fan

"I feel this was a last second chance for Jurich to look good by wins. He knew they were going into a tougher conference without Teddy (Bridgewater) or Strong so in a chance to save his face he threw all morals and history aside and went with what he thought was his best chance to look good on paper." 
-Josh Richardson, UK Fan

"As far as the Petrino hire, Jurich made a smart move by bringing a winning coach to the University. Louisville fans have recently witnessed such greatness in our athletes and the program that they represent. It has made all of us proud to support the Cardinals. We will certainly see success in the future under Petrino, I just hope that success isn't a prelude to more embarrassment through poor ethics and morals, or more heartbreak for players and fans being left high and dry for something "bigger and better." While I am not thrilled with the persona of Petrino and am weary of his return, I will always support UofL athletics and will cheer until the final seconds of the game have passed." 
- Michelle Delk, UofL Fan
"Strong's departure from Louisville was I think a decision made in haste. Hence why there has been some backlash from some fans over it. Yet as some have said before me it was a wise choice on Charlie Strong part. First and foremost this gentlemen is not a Louisville Alum and never had previous ties to UofL other than being its football coach. So there was no cause to hesitate on a sentimental level Secondly no disrespect to Louisville but as a football school Louisville is not on the level of tradition that say a Texas, Notre Dame or even Alabama are. So I think Strong decided to take a step up. He had proven himself at Louisville and now it was time to take the next step up." 
- Stephen Huber, IU Fan

"My thoughts on Strong's departure are that HE handled it about as well as he could've. You can't blame him one bit fit taking one of the premier jobs in all of sports. I would be upset with Texas if I were him for leaking the story before I even got a chance to tell my boss/players. You can knock Petrino for the way he left the Falcons but when he left Louisville in 2007 he told his players. My only real gripe with Strong has been his targeting of our commits after arriving in Texas. I realize that's a common practice but he was specifically asked about going after Florida recruits when he arrived and he said he wouldn't (and didn't) go after Florida recruits because "those recruits were earned on Florida's dime." Obviously he's compromised his own morals after feeling immediate pressure in Texas. I will however be forever grateful for him turning the program completely around in such a short time. I wish him the best. As for Petrino, I think Jurich hired the best candidate. He interviewed 8 people including some impressive coordinators who I think would've been good hires. I think that Jurich really believes that Petrino wants to stay here and finish his career as he said in his press conference. I'm not sold on that notion but as Bobby said, he's going to have to prove it. I personally love the hire, I loved it when Petrino was here the first time. It didn't matter who we played when he was our coach, you really felt as a fan, that you could win any game." 
-Chris Edwards, UofL Fan

"I think Strong made a smart move to leave Louisville as they transition to the ACC and their star QB is leaving. This way, Strong won't be exposed as a weak coach and can say he was the coach of Texas for at least 3 years." 
- Jared Hatter, UK Fan

Sports Talk: "Thanks for the workout, Coach."

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published June 5, 2013. 

I attended three sports banquets last week, as the spring sports have now concluded. During the boys’ tennis banquet, Coach Williams was telling a story about one of his athletes taking time at different points to thank him—for help, advice, whatever the case may be.

It brought back a phrase I, myself, made a habit of saying at the end of my practices as an athlete at Bellarmine University.

“Thanks for the workout, Coach.”

I probably started saying it my junior year at the end of each practice—maybe even my sophomore year. Most of us on the team said it. And that is because our coach had always said it to us.

It was always odd to me as a freshman when we would be concluding a tough workout—or even an easier one—and Coach Washington would smile, and his quiet, Washington-way, say, “Well, thank you for the workout, ladies.”

I wasn’t sure what it meant. We had not given him a workout. He stood there the whole time and was definitely not as exhausted as us. Was he thanking us for working out? But we were on a team… on scholarship… we had to be there, so why did he feel the need to thank us for doing what we were supposed to do?

But with our small workout group, I began to realize what his thanks meant. He was our coach, but he saw what we did together every day as an all-in effort. He was there for us and we were there for him and seeing the effort we put into a practice—sweat and pain and pushing through pain—he never failed to tell us thank you for that. He knew we could just as easily show up and not give any effort.

In the same light, I came to see that his dedication to being there deserved my thanks as well. He could show up and not care what we did, not pay attention, never do anything new. But, instead, he masterfully planned each workout with the intent of making us better athletes. He spent his time with us—and away from us—thinking of ways to help us become better athletes. He didn’t have to put that kind of effort into it, but he did. And for that, it only seemed right to end each practice saying, “Thanks for the workout, Coach.”

Athletics become a different ball game (no pun intended) when you begin to realize that making yourself the best possible is something others are investing time and dedication into as well. It changes when you realize that you have a coach or family or friends or teammates, that are going to put work and care into your improvements, not simply because it is their job or because they are being paid, but because they genuinely want you to succeed.

It can easily seem “expected” that the athletes show up and work hard at practice or that the coach shows up and have a workout planned. But remember the special relationship you share and the silent promise you are making to each other every day you show up to practice is something special and different than the effort you put into actual competition. Practice is where you show each other your dedication to becoming the best.

With summer here, most sports are now “optional” as the high school seasons are not active. The time put into athletics for both athletes and coaches is the proof of the level of dedication to success for both. So, especially during the summer, it won’t hurt to walk away saying, “Thanks for the workout, Coach.” My guess is your coach is thankful for the hour or two (or three!) of work you just put in as well.

Sports Talk: Finding and keeping a coach the fans love

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Dec. 12, 2012. 

Professional sports trades always generate interest and raise eyebrows in the same way college recruitment gets the fans excited; however, the past week has made me appreciate and come to further enjoy another type of trading/recruitment: coaches.

A coach’s tenure at a school may be long or short; more often than not, the verdict on that tenure is correlated with the fans’ feelings toward a coach.

Fans get excited when their team lands a top recruit, lands the number one draft pick, or signs a top athlete previously sporting another uniform. If the player does well for the team, we love it; if the player does mediocre, or, even worse, does poorly, we sometimes get upset, but usually just look to other players to step in or look to the next year of recruitment.

We also get excited with great coaches, but unlike with players, with poor coaches, we get very, antsy and usually are not happy until the coach gets the boot. (And they always do, eventually.)

Coaches on all levels are important, but I’d venture to say they are most important to us, the fans, on the college level. No matter how great a player is, any team will only have him/her for four years, max, and if they are that great, they are one and done. They are fun for a season or two and then we’re looking for that next recruitment class.

Great coaches, on the other hand, are something every fan base desires, and once you have one, you hope they can live forever, staying happy at your school. A great coach will bring you, your fellow fans and your team one exciting, worthwhile season after another.

In the past few weeks we’ve seen a lot of excitement in the world of Kentucky college football coaches. UK fans rejoiced in Joker’s official farewell(which we all saw coming…) and have put high hopes in a “next year” with Mark Stoops.

Just this week former Louisville coach Bobby Petrino signed to take on the coaching position at Western Kentucky University (giving any EKU alums whom are also Wildcat fans an extra reason to hate the Hilltoppers).

As some know, the company I work for outside of writing is based in Louisville and I spend two days a week working in-office. One of the three coworkers I sit with is a former Cardinal football player and the other two are both die-hard Cards fans. Let’s just say last Wednesday when Charlie Strong’s future was still in question, productivity level was at about the same level it gets to during March Madness.

Needless to say, all three were in high spirits Thursday morning with assurance that Strong would bypass a move to Tennessee and remain in Louisville.

The importance of a good coach really sunk in last week with the possibility of Charlie Strong’s departure. Much like my enjoyment in seeing strength in more than one of the state of Kentucky’s basketball programs, I would love to see strength in multiple football programs, especially since we’re not exactly known as a “football state”.

Louisville’s football program has had up and down years (up being with Petrino and down coming with Kragthorpe). I’m excited Strong isn’t jumping ship the first chance he gets. I like to hope that now is when he begins to build a true legacy for himself as a Cardinal.

Meanwhile, I really, really hope Stoops brings a positive turnaround for Kentucky. (Surely we cannot get worse, right??) I hope to hear UK fans excited next season and not already calling for a new hire.