[Balla-99]

I agree with what you're saying about politics and I agree that Coach Tolliver got screwed as a result of politics but just because you're right on that doesn't make you right on everything else you've said.

First of all you're listing Tolliver's coaching credientials like they are all his accomplishments when you even go as far as to list that he was merely an assistant coach in a lot of those accomplishments. An assistant coach can't lay claim to those accomplishments, those are for the head coach who couldn't have done them without help but that doesn't make them any more the assistant's accomplishments.

And the Jenkins schedule was chock full of sub-.500 teams that Jenkins had the chance to defeat but simply didn't. Jerry Bentley didn't make out an impossible schedule as you're trying to make it sound. If anything Bentley should have made a harder schedule so these girls could actually learn something from the teams they were playing...that is the only short-coming of Bentley's in this matter. The majority of the schedule was against teams that ended up losing more than they won and the Jenkins girls simply didn't get it done.

That is something that is running rampant at Jenkins...people blaming everyone else but the coaches and the players. They blame politics, the refs, the other team's fans, the moms and dads of the kids they don't like...it's everyone but the team and the coach. Fact is that 9 time out of 10 when you watched the Lady Cavs play basketball last year the majority of the team was running at half speed before halftime and couldn't wait for the game to end. One exception would be the transfer from Letcher Central because she had something to prove (and she's not the only exception but she stands out). Their hearts were not in it either because they didn't want to be there or were not inspired enough to want to be there and that falls on the coach.

As for Ashley Addington's credentials, you're correct in that she hasn't coached high school basketball. She has, however, worked as an assistant to April Damron on the girls softball team for years so she knows how to work with kids. Basketball is a whole different world but the fact remains that she has coaching experience. She also knows the game backwards and front and her attitude will not allow her to get sucked into the politics that may exist. I've known her all my life and she's a hard-nosed competitor but is very compassionate when it comes to the ideals of being a team.

She's also a former Lady Cavalier and who better to have coaching the team than someone who actually cares about the team? At least Jenkins got this one right after they passed over Harvey Tackett for the Superintendant's position. It's about time they start putting people in charge that actually cares about the school system and looks at it as more than just a business to run.

And I feel sympathatic to Coach Tolliver because he came into a no-win situation because of the shape of things at Jenkins but he is gone and there is no changing that. But to say that Addington is somehow inferior to Tolliver is completely innaccurate.

So I'm wondering how much did you actually watch the Lady Cavs? You stated that the transfer from LCC was an exception.........please! She could barley get the ball up the floor. I saw better players, ones who cried after losses, and worked their butts off to stop a shot. I never saw her cry, sprint her butt down the floor, or make wonderful passes. There were passes over the players heads. I know she wasn't one of the ones who walked after a turn over, but she wasn't one of the ones who sprinted back either. I'm not saying she is a horrible player because she isn't, but I'm saying I did see ones who were better.

And Politics do have something to do with this. Two girls weren't the star players like Mr. Bentley made them out to be, so their parents did whatever they could to take down Mr. Tolliver! And it looks like it worked.