[IISnakE]

where do I start BBALL. If you have been in this town for 40 years, then you can remember well that after the three football titles in the 80's, things around the high school changed. Elements got real jealous over the success of the football team and stirred up a lot of behind the scenes trouble, which over the years has hurt the program. Football does cost a lot because of (1) the amount of equipment to suit up one player, (2) the amount of kids playing the sport, (3) cost of travel, and (4) the facilities. Their budget has continuously been cut over the years down to where it is half of what schools they compete against spend. Last year the intake of money was more than what the teams budget from the school included. You can not base what a program does over a three year period in the 80's. This program is still very strong and will continue to be in the future, through the hard work of the kids, coaches, and their parents.

Lets talk about numbers. The little league basketball has been using the Blue Goose and Elementary gym for the last twenty years in conjunction with the cheeleaders with only minor scheduling problems (if you have lived here for forty years then you you should have known all of this). I coached in the little league for eight years and do know that 135 kids is more than what is there, and what problems went along with the scheduling of all the activities.

Lets talk about the basketball program. I wish they would become a regional power. It would benefit the community and the school. Do not drag down other people, programs, and most important KIDS in your search for a better basketball program. What big wins has the basketball program had over the years? 1999 is it since Keno and Howard Wallen had the teams and do not say last years district championship. Most of the other sports at Pikeville regularly win district titlas year in and year out so you can not compare them with basketball.

Now lets talk about your board member. I personnally know of many people that have told this guy that they never wopuld have voted for him had they known the way he was acting over this situation. Not as popular NOW as you think. Unless you are a part of the handful of basketball boosters or the head coaches, you do not know what has gone on behind peoples backs.

This is not about young kids other than the junior high. They just wanted the 3:30 time for practices. The school board does rent this building out to different people which has caused nightmares over scheduling over the past few years.

I will close with this thought: It does not matter where the cheerleaders practise, they will always succeed because of the hard work and dedication of the kids, parents, and coaches. They put a lot of time into being the best that they can be.
Cheerleading is expensive with the travel that goes on with competing against the best this COUNTRY has to offer, with no finacial help from the school system. Everything that they have purchased over the years has been done through fundraising and parental support. Top notch sports programs and academic achievements are made through hard work and dedication by the KIDS who participate in each of these activities. This what school is all about KIDS and not mommy and daddy and their desires. If you want to build a top notch program, build it the right way and do not trample over other kids as you do it. Good luck to Bart and the kids this year.

Thank You Hillbilly! I, too, wrote a lengthy response to bball, but it was so explosive, I have saved it for another day... counting to ten with it, if you will. I was so angry about this last night... after I read thru bball's posts that I didn't sleep worth a darn.... and it's NOT EVEN MY SCHOOL! I can say this.... I have seen this very thing happen within other schools and the cheer program folded, more or less, because not enough of the good people cared enough about making the "ugly people" mad... to see things thru properly. This "handful of people" @ Pikeville that we're talking about, are the very worst kind & are poisonous to a small school. I bet this whole thing will bring out the best and the worst in this community and for once I'd like to see the "nice people" come out on top! What sort of people destroy one program to build another? HEARTLESS, SELF-CENTERED PEOPLE WHO FOR THE MOST PART WERE NOT BORN AND RAISED PANTHERS... BUT THERE'S A FEW MAROON BLOODS IN ON THIS ONE AND SHAME ON THEM! This entire matter could have been avoided if everyone could have placed their cards and where-with-all on the table and worked together. The KIDS could have actually won one and supported one another in this... even if one isn't very good and the other is! Miss Wheeler and Miss Stone are the best there is... and they've guided their girls to area, state, and national titles.... I guess the old adage "No good deed goes unpunished" is so true as far as this situation goes. If the basketball program is all fired up over gym scheduling... let them take a look at neighboring schools who are successful. How danged hard is it to book times and stick to them? Well, one thing is for certain... the cheer program has been moved from the back of the bus... Stratton has taken them from the back of the bus and thrown them under it............... what a man what a mighty mighty man... wah-hoo-hoo! He's managed to cave in to a handful of brought-on$ and plunge a dagger into the heart of a program that is there to promote Spirit & Support for the very program that is willing to kill them.... I think ESPN ought to get a load of this because it's amazing what some people will do to their friends and neighbors over high school sports! The next move will be this... the head coach will enlist his roundballers to stop playing football..... and then you'll really see some doo-doo hit the fan!