[gUrU]

Charlie22,
I agree with false hope, I think your post was a direct on target hit. I am first to admit that I was one of the fans that had the "if it's not broken don't try to fix it" attitudes. But when I sat back and looked at the situation after reading your post I think that we as the parents, fans, boosters, players of Letcher County Central need to realize that change isn't always bad and just hope that not only does it not need to be fixed but it may even get better given a little time. I do not personally know Mike Whitaker but from what I hear he is one of the most organized and detailed coaches out there and will put in the hours to make sure the job is done the right way. I do think that it has taken a year for the boys to accept the new expectations and philosophy of our new coach. From what am hearing the boys are coming around to his way of thinking and he has changed a little in his approach and starting to develop good relationships with the boys and that was lacking last year. I think Letcher County Football is going to get back on the right track and everyone will be happy again. Like you said, it's never easy to replace a legend. Hillard is gone and he isn't coming back so let's move on and support the 2011-12 version of the Cougars. NO coach defines a program whether it be Hillard or Mike, coaches come and go but when a tradition is built it lasts forever through the kids that are playing now, in the past and the future. So let's look at last year as a transition year and move on to better times from here on out building upon the tradition that Hillard started and trusted Mike enough to turn it over to him to build upon.

That sounds all peachy but do you realize how hard it is to put faith and trust in someone that doesn't even speak to you? Do you know how difficult it is to get fired up for someone with nothing to say to you? Do you know how difficult it is to bust your tail for somebody day in and day out who only criticizes you? Tradition is not even an issue at this point coach-player relationship is what is lacking. Those boys were used to change, their grade school days they were yellow jackets, pirates, cardinals, bulldogs, eagles, tigers, east cougars, west cougars, catamounts, jr high cougars, they had no bond with Hillard, Larry held the high school team together, Mike could have stepped in and put forth the effort and done the same as Larry. He never made the effort and now it's too late.