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Scott Parkey coached my two sons for a total of six years at Rockcastle. His first year was my eldest son's first year of high school football. I have a lot of respect for the man because he treated my children with kindness and respect and was a mentor for six years of my children growing up in that leadership role. When my boys were getting close to high school age, I had heard a lot of sideways comments about how the previous football coaching staff and how they treated kids. The previous staff were beloved or they were disliked by the other parents and some of the negative comments were concerning to me as a parent, SO, I watched the Scott Parkey coaching staff with a close eye early on to ensure my kids were being treated as they should when they reached that age. The man treated them like family and that is why I have the respect I do for him. Great Coach? I have had my opinion about that at times and at certain games where I completely disagreed on how the game was coached. It's easy to disagree with these people when you are sitting in the stands and are second guessing them and you seem to be right every time in your disagreeing with them. It is a totally different thing to be the one who gives up family time, get paid not nearly the wages that a coaching job is worth for giving up that family time, and you have the pressure of making game decisions in the spur of the moment. Also as a coach you get invested in kids, watch their failures, their successes and wring you heart out when you make bad decisions or your kids from the team fall to the wayside for one reason or another. It's a tough job, and Parkey and Staff again, were good to my boys during that time. He has my utmost respect.
The administration that is seeing him leave also has my respect. J.D. Bussell (principal of RCHS) was an inspiration for my oldest as a baseball coach and a mentor in the sciences before he became administration. My youngest son found his calling in Chemical Engineering after taking Bussell's AP Chemistry class. He has always been positive toward my boys and as a coach he would correct them when they needed it and give them an "attaboy" when they needed that. I also have great respect for Mr. Bussell for his positive influence.
However all of this falls out, whoever is hired as head football coach, I appreciate all of those involved in making my boys high school experience a positive one. The biggest negative on all of it is how it affects a good local man and his family and their future. I wish that the "cat hadn't been let out of the bag" with rumors flying a month before the end of the season with the team still playing football. I wish Coach Parkey only success in life and have to respect the decision of the administration of Rockcastle High School, many of them whom I also respect. Good luck to Coach Parkey and time will tell if this decision by people who all used to call each other friends will make a positive impact not only on the football field, but in the lives of the young men who are currently playing and will play for the Rockets in the future!