Moving On.

The Race is On

 

During the Summer time, I generally make two pots (Gallons) of Tea at one time.  I hate running out of Iced tea...especially since I am cutting down from consuming Diet Dr. Pepper.  My Mom taught me how to make Iced Tea.  The trick is to NEVER boil your tea bags.  Let the water heat until the little bubbles form in the bottom of the pot....almost boiling...then just turn off the heat.  Let it cool to room temperature and mix 50/50 in a one gallon jug.    Nice CLEAR Tea.  Perfect. 

 

Funny thing about Athletes and Coaches.  I can't just "turn-off" the competitive side of my life, so I find myself discovering new ways to satisfy my need for competition.  Examples of this sickness include:

 

* I am making two pots of tea at the same time.  I am actually having races between the front and back burners to see which one boils first. 

 

* I part my hair (YES, I still have a head full of hair) in the middle to keep one side of my body from dominating the other side.

 

* When putting on shoes and socks, I MUST put on one shoe then one sock, NEVER both socks and then both shoes.  This way, in case there is a flash flood, I can hop around on one leg and stay dry while the rest of you have wet feet. 

 

*  I wear my athletic shoes almost all the time.  This way, I can spring into action in case someone breaks into my house.  This has never happened, but one never knows do they? 

 

* I wish I could go out on my boat and not want to race everybody on the water.  I was buzzing into the inlet on Sunday, and another boat pulled up next to me doing the same thing.  I told Marty: " This guy is trying me"  I buried the throttle and about killed us in the rough water.  I did win however. 

 

* Why can't I watch a football game like a normal person?  Why do I have to see all the little things which happen on every play?  Tony Perry and I were dissecting the littlest things on Friday night, while everyone around us were thinking: "What the hell are you guys talking about?" 

 

* Why do I drive down the road and see how long I can hold my breath?  I have actually held my breath driving down I-95 for one mile (according to mile markers)  I try to better my record each time I drive. 

 

* This one is crazy.  I will actually see how long I can drive with my eyes closed without hitting the speed bumps on the side or the middle of the road.   I try to make a count of 10 .  One thousand one, one thousand two, etc..  In case you are wondering, this is generally a I-95 thing. 

 

* Why can't I carry in the groceries a little at a time.  Why do I see how many bags I can carry on one trip?  It would be so much easier.....but NOOOO, I can't do that.  It's all or nothing. 

 

I competitive nature may have rubbed off on my kids a little.  A few years back, Kristin and I had a little......spat! Nothing too serious, but neither one of us had much to say for a couple of weeks.  Finally, one of us was forced to call the other one...I really can't remember the situation; however, I do remember getting a text message from Kristin stating: " I Win".... that's all it said.  Kristin won this 'I can out last you' battle this time.  I really had to laugh...she get it honest.  Kristin has the "I am going to GUT you" attitude I love so much. 

 

 

 

Michael was telling me a story about his basic training in the Army.  These guys used to go on these brutal 20 Mile ruck marches with full gear...in the heat of a steamy (Ft. Benning,Georgia) Summer.  He said people were falling out all over the road.  Mike stated he kept thinking: "I HAVE to make the final destination! I can't be one of those guys"  Apparently he was one of the few who made his time allotted for the exercise.  I guess all the "lessons in life" stuck with him a little too.

 

Later 

GZ

Memorial Day: Final Rankings for Spring

My Son: George "Michael" Zaleuke Jr. 

 

Today is Memorial Day.  I would like to dedicate this blog entry to my son Mike.  He turned out to be everything I always wanted in a son, and I am so proud of him.  Mike is preparing for his second deployment to Afghanistan very soon.  His deployments are no joke. INFANTRY, INFANTRY all the way.  Please support the Military.  They make it possible for you and I to live in a free country.  GO ARMY. 

 

Today is when I am going to offer my final Spring Rankings of the fifteen (15) teams I viewed with my own eyes. The past month has been sort of bitter sweet.  I missed coaching during the spring, but I also enjoyed the down time and visiting all the different football programs in the area.  In some cases, it was very eye-openings to actually see these teams from a different perspective....from the sidelines. 

 

I really struggled with just how I was going to rank these teams.  Truthfully, there is no fair way to rank these teams, because I visited some of these programs at different times during the spring.  Also, most of these teams do not even play in the same classification which makes it even more difficult.

(For Instance:  St. Edwards will rank in #15. The only thing keeping them down in the rankings is their 1A classification and the number of athletes they currently have on their roster.  STEDS has great coaching, and they will be fine in their own district.)   However, this was the only small school I visited during the past month, so I had to start the rankings somewhere.  I decided (with help from Kristin my daughter) to group the bottom 5 together, then count down the top ten in reverse order.  I struggled with Sebastian River because of my long relationship with the program, and my love for the kids still participating....it's not their fault adults act the way they do. I am going to give my honest and un-biased opinion of how each team is looking right now going into summer conditioning.  That being said, here is the bottom five IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. 

 

St Edwards:  Pisses me off I actually have to rank them with public schools. 

 

Ft Pierce Westwood:  Watch this team closely.  They actually WON their spring game, and they have some very nice looking kids.  They will make some noise during the regular season.  UPSET ALERT.

 

Sebastian River:  Very Young.  New Coaches.  Huge losses to graduation.  Watch out for Mason Wilborn, Zack Finnegan,  Raul Martinez, Nick Cooper and  and Dion Jones QB. 

 

Martin County:  I could not get a great feel for this team.  They have nice size, and good skill kids.  Putting in a brand new spread offense this year, so it is going to take some time to get it down.  Got drilled by Rockledge on Friday night.   

 

South Fork:  Coach Lavelle said he is starting over.  I saw SF early in the Spring, and they were very young.  Lavelle is a great coach, and SF will get their wins.  Late season team I am betting. 

 

Top 10 in Reverse Order. 

 

#10  Centennial 

Got beat by Jensen in overtime last Friday night.  This team is in a tough district, but they are going to make some noise this year.

# 9  Jensen Beach 

 

Beat the larger Centennial 14-7 last Friday night.  Tough, gutsy group.

 

#8  Port St Lucie 

 

Obviously this team can put up some points  Great athletes at key positions.  Could be interesting. 

 

#7  Palm Bay Bayside 

Big and Fast.  Trying to get to the next level.  By the looks of them, it will be a short trip. 

#6 Melbourne Bulldogs

Melbourne and Bayside are ranked together...very closely.  Which makes sense since they share the same athletes from the same little league programs.  Here is your district winner. 

#5 Treasure Coast Titans 

Great athletes at every position.  Great defense....again!  Will be a great battle with Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce Central for district title. 

#4  Palm Bay Heritage   

I respect this team.  They flat out kicked our rear ends last year in the playoffs.  Tremendous athletes in the right positions.  If they get on a roll, this team will be a real handful for ANY team. 

#3  Palm Bay Pirates 

How does Coach Burke do it?  Year after year, same result.... Just WIN baby!  Big and strong, and athletic.  Great program. 

#2 Vero Beach Fighting Indians

 

Don't let the Spring Game results fool you.  Counting Vero out this year would be a big mistake.  VB is very talented.  Tremendous depth and great athletes.  The District Championship still comes through Vero Beach...just wait and see. 

 

#1  Ft Pierce Central 

Very Fast, Very Big, with GREAT skill position kids.  How can you ask for more?  If they get their defensive backfield straight, they will be very hard to beat.  They may have to build a special press box for all the College Recruiters visiting this program.  Great team in a tough district.  Should be interesting. 

Well, there you have my rankings....but really, what do I know?  I could only rank the teams I personally visited, so I missed a lot of great programs.  I only wish I could have visited teams like Cocoa, or Rockledge, or Merritt Island, or Astronaut...because the rankings would have surely looked different.  I will be following the 7 on 7 tournaments this summer, and I am actually working a couple of camps this summer too.  Who knows, I may pop up somewhere in the fall. 

I will be blogging all Summer.  Please check back with me. 

GZ

 



ATHLETES EVERYWHERE!

Ft Pierce Central is HUGE

 

The Rich get MUCH Richer

 

University of Georgia Recruiter Licking his Chops

 

 Look at the size of these kids getting taped 

 

 

Tonight Coach Perry and I went down to Lawnwood Stadium in Ft. Pierce to watch the game between Ft. Pierce Central (FPC) and Glades Central.....two perennial football powerhouses.  These two teams matched up very well, and both teams had tremendous athletes on both sides of the ball.  It was a great game which FPC eventually won 27-9.  The two heavyweight  programs went blow for blow during the first half.  Both defenses were flying to the ball.  Eventually, FPC huge offensive line took control in the second half, and they were able to put together a couple of nice drives to finish the game.  Glades Cental (a much smaller school) will be very tough in their classification.  They went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the state tonight.  It was really fun to watch this game and joke around with Perry.  I also ran into Coach Pete DeLuke and Coach Harris of Vero Beach down there watching their district opponent FPC.  They were kind of quiet....and I understand.  Vero has their hands full for sure. 

 

 I stated in an earlier blog that I had the chance to watch FPC practice early in the spring.  Frankly, I was not too impressed by what I saw.  I mean, they looked good, but I did not see the world beaters they had become in the past.  Looking back, I don't think I saw the entire team at practice that day.  I was sort of taken back when I first arrived at the stadium.  FPC is very big and athletic.  With their Gold and Purple uniforms, they look like LSU from afar.....and just about as big.  They are going to be a real handful for any team they face this year. 

 

I am going to finish reviewing the remaining teams on the "Coach George Spring Tour" tonight....in no particular order.  Actually, these teams are all very well matched, and they all will finish 1-4 in my final team rankings.  I want to evaluate the spring games and announce the final results on Sunday night....and I will probably piss a few people off when I do. 

 

 

Palm Bay High School

 

Coach Dan Burke has a very good team again this year....as always.  Year after year they have a tremendous influx of quality athletes to reload with.  Burke is not going to do anything fancy, but they will drive the ball down your throat with a great running game and passing the ball when they need to.  Palm Bay's defense is not going to out-scheme anybody; however, they will kick your ass with physical play.  Unfortunately, they are now forced to share athletes with Bayside and Heritage...which may be a good thing for everyone else, because if this juggernaut was left unchecked, they would be almost unbeatable.   

 

Palm Bay Heritage

 

I sort of hate this team.  This is the team that kicked the crap out of us (SRHS) last year during the playoffs.  I never studied and prepared so hard in my life; yet Heritage still just dominated us.  I don't believe things are much different with this team this year.  I watched this team in week 2 of spring practice, and I came away saying: "Wow"   I stated this teams seems to have a James Clark or a Javonte King at every position.  Heritage is not that big, but they are very, very athletic across the board.  (Coach Bethel once told me that the University of Miami built their teams with fast and physical athletes in the National Championship years)  I am going to watch Palm Bay and Heritage play this year for sure.  It is going to be a real dog fight. 

 

Vero Beach Fighting Indians 

 

I spent so many years hating Vero Beach (VB) that it seemed weird going down there to watch them practice.  Coach Lenny, Coach Teddy, Coach Deluke, and Coach Kris have all been so cool about me hanging around.  Actually, I should be thanking them....because they did not have to welcome me so warmly.  VB is loaded...plain and simple.  Don't let the VB-Dwyer game result fool you, this team will adjust and be just fine.  Deluke is trying to find his offensive line,  and Coach Kris is trying to find the right combination for the defensive backs.  Rest assured, these guys are great coaches, so it will get done.  Prediction:  VB will battle FPC for the district title.  Don't count out the RED team. 

 

Ft Pierce Central Cobras 

 

What can I say about this team?  Athletes and Size everywhere.  They seem to move the ball pretty well even against the great defense like Glades Central.  The QB is going to surprise a lot of people with his play-action ability like he did tonight.  The QB also has a good arm and is able to make some nice throws to his receivers across the field.  I would not try to run east and west against this team, because the defense will flat run you down.  The only weakness I saw was in the secondary..... which looks young.  A good off-season 7 on 7 will help with that.  This team will fight with VB for the district title. 

 

Well, that's it for tonight.  Again, I will evaluate all 15 of these teams and offer a final ranking on Sunday night.  I am sure it will piss some folks off, but it is what it is.   

 

GZ  



 

 

 

 

Hanging With The Boys

Vero Beach Spring Football Game 

 

WT Dwyer- A Very Good Football team 

 

Lots of College Scouts

 

 

Had great time hanging with the boys tonight as we watched the Vero Beach vs Dwyer football game.  Coach Wilson (Jr & Sr) Tony Perry, Chris Jefferson, Charles Washington and Kendrick Washington all sat in the visitor's stands and watched as Dwyer beat up Vero Beach (VB) pretty good.  The camaraderie among the coaches was exactly what I needed at this point.  We all laughed and joked most of the night as usual. All these guys are very good friends.  I now realize that we are in this boat together, and we all will keep busy by watching some great football games around the area and state. 

 

I sort of knew VB was in a little trouble earlier in the week because their starting QB Dalton Stokes was not going to play because of being banged up.  I don't care how much a team prepares, losing a starting QB throws EVERYTHING out of whack.  Timing routes are affected, field position is affected, even the change of QB cadence can throw things off.  Vero Beach is a very good football team.....but Dwyer is one of the best teams in the state...if not the country, year after year.  Dwyer had some GREAT athletes at every position, and their depth showed early.  Of course, the college scouts were lined up on the visitor's sidelines watching the talent intensely.  Vero's sideline was no different.  Scouts were everywhere in the stadium. 

 

I am going to continue offering some small reviews of the teams I looked at this Spring.  My final team rankings will come out on Sunday.  Again, I may be way off on these reviews and rankings, but I can only go on what I viewed with my own eyes....at different points in the spring. 

 

 

Port St. Lucie High School

 

Coach Hillary Poole is doing a great job with this team.  I understand they moved one of their best athletes to the QB position after the graduation of last year's starter....which is a great move.  The offense will not have to be changed much, so they move on.    It does not look like this team has missed a beat from last year.  They have a nice offensive line, and their skill kids are pretty good as well.  The defense looks to be pretty athletic.  I am anxious to see how this team does in the regular season. 

 

Martin County High School 

 

Coach Chuck Kenyon has a good football team here.  He is returning some good looking players on both sides of the ball.  It is my understanding they changed Offensive Coordinators this year, and they are installing a new offense.  As mature as this team looks, I don't think it will be any problem for them.  I think they will spread it out a little more to take advantage of their skill kids, so they will not look like the Martin County we all knew.  This team will contend for the district title with Melbourne. 

 

Palm Bay Bayside

 

I just don't understand it.  Bayside, Palm Bay, and Heritage all share athletes, but each team always have great kids.  How is this possible?  This team is talented....maybe not as much as the other two schools, but talented nevertheless.  I can't believe the size of their offensive and defensive lines.  This team is trying to advance to the next level...they proved this by playing Byrnes (South Carolina) High School last year.  They are going to surprise some people in their district. 

 

 

Centennial High School

 

Centennial has some good size and good athletes on both sides of the ball.  I was only able to spend a short time with this team before the rains came down in buckets.  I saw some nice looking big kids (normal for Centennial) and there were a lot of kids with low practice numbers....which means they have a lot of skill kids as well.  This is a big 8A school, and they are also in a four team district with VB, Ft. Pierce Central, and Treasure Coast. It is going to be a fun-to-watch shootout between these four teams. 

 

Melbourne Bulldogs

 

Again, I don't understand where Brevard County gets all these athletes.  WEST MELBOURNE and GREEN MELBOURNE each supply athletes to Brevard County's oldest school.  We (SRHS) played this team last year and lost 3-0 in a tight game.  I was told that Mel-High returns most of their team from last year....and it shows.  These kids had another year in the weight room and they seem to be thick.  Powerful backfield along with athletic linemen on both sides of the ball.  Defensive backfield may be a concern however.  Mel-High will fight Martin County for the district title this year.  I give the edge to the green team. 

 

Treasure Coast High School

 

Coach Irvin Jones is a lucky man.  Athletes, athletes everywhere once again.  I am always amazed on how deep these 8A teams are with their depth chart.  This team is strong across the board.  I am not real impressed with the physical size of this team, but they are not small to say the least.  I think the strength of this team is the defense, and they were flying around pretty good.  It is going to be a real dogfight between the four teams in their district.   Mark down TC vs VB on the calendar. 

 

Well, that is it for the night.  I now have four teams to review.  Truthfully, these are also the four best teams I saw all spring.  Please hit me up tomorrow .

 

OH, Coach Perry and I will be travelling to Lawnwood tomorrow to see Ft. Pierce Central vs Glades Central....another great game which could determine my final team rankings for the spring. 

 

GZ 

 

 

 



 

 

 







Little Steps

New Shirt & Socks

 

 

Today I made what I consider a significant step toward my post-football recovery.  I actually purchased a green polo shirt along with a pair of black socks.  Go ahead and laugh if you want, but this was a major decision for me.  I did not own a single shirt that was not shark blue or black with  SRHS Football written somewhere on it.  Everything I own has a Nike Swoosh, Reebok, Under Armor , or some other sporting emblem written on it.   I still wore one of 14 coaching shirts from my years at SRHS.  I did not own a single pair of socks which were not white in color.  It got so bad that my kids always knew what I was wearing without ever seeing me!! This new shirt is Melbourne Bulldogs Puke Green.......but I still like it.  Who knows?  I may buy a RED shirt tomorrow before the Vero Beach game.  It has been a long time since I wore red. 
 



 

There are a couple of great high school games over the next couple of days.  Vero Beach is hosting WT Dwyer at the Citrus Bowl tomorrow night.  This game is going to be a real test for the Fighting Indians.  Dwyer is always tough.  Also, Ft Pierce Central is hosting Glades Central down at Lawnwood  Stadium on Friday night.  These are two athletic heavyweights going head to head in this spring match-up.  I think I am going down with a couple of my coaching buddies to see this barn burner. 

 

Over the past three weeks, I have visited 15 different programs in the local area.  Pretty pathetic don't you agree?  However, I did have a great time doing it.  I have visited: STEDS, Westwood, SRHS, Jensen, Port St Lucie, Martin County, Bayside, South Fork, Treasure Coast, Melbourne, Centennial, Palm Bay, Heritage, Central and Vero Beach.  It was sort of cool watching the teams from afar, and talking with the college recruiters...some of whom I already knew from my years at SRHS.  I have been promising a final "Coach George " team ranking of the programs I have visited, but I am not exactly how to do it and be fair to all the programs.  For instance:  Vero Beach would never play STEDS, so it would not be fair to rank them against one another.  Also, I visited each program at different times during the spring; therefore, I am sure players have been added and/or deleted from each team's roster during the 20 Days in May.  Luckily, I have been looking at kids for many years, so I can usually get a decent feeling of what type of athletes (young or mature) each program will have during the season.   I will review each team individually first,  look at the Spring games, then do a final Spring ranking on Saturday or Sunday.  I will review five teams per night. 

 

  St. Edwards School 

 

Coach Motta and Coach Ferrari (both great coaches) are going to have this team ready to compete in their own district for sure.  Where STEDS is limited in their number of athletes, this team is fundamentally very strong.  Each player's step is heavily scrutinized on every play, so they will not get beat with mental mistakes.  I sent my own son to school here at STEDS, so there is a special place in my heart for this program.  They will be just fine. 

 

 Westwood Panthers 

 

Coach Lima has a clean slate to work with....he just got a late start.  I saw a lot of nice looking athletes running around, so Lima seems to be adjusting his Offense to the athletes he has.  This team may be a year away, but they will give a few teams some fits with their athleticism.  If they can stop the flow of athletes bolting to Ft. Pierce Central, this team will make some noise by the end of the season. 

 

Sebastian River High School

 

This team lost their head coach, lost most of their coaching staff, and graduated 23 seniors...most of them starters.  Coach Pettis' team will rebuild with a few returning starters and some nice looking underclassmen from the JV team. 

 

Jensen Beach High School

 

I don't know how to really judge Coach Fey's team right now.  I saw them very early in the spring, and they too have some nice looking athletes.  The offensive line looked pretty nice, and they have a nice running back returning.  I think this team may surprise some people. 

 

South Fork High School 

 

Coach Dennis Lavelle says he is rebuilding.  Frankly, I don't believe him....I never have.  Lavelle always seems to come up with some surprises every single year.  True, he has a stud QB to replace, and lost some offensive linemen, but this team is just reloading with underclassmen.  Believe me, Lavelle will have this team ready to compete in their district. 

 

Well, that's it for tonight.  I will review 5 more teams tomorrow night.  I am sorry if this is boring for some of you.  But, with my pathetic life, it's all I can offer you right now without bitching and moaning about not coaching.  At least I am keeping my feet wet. 

 

GZ  

 

 



 

 





In Search For A New Identity

Legendary Stock Car Driver Dick Trickle died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound last weekend.  This driver was considered "The King Of The Short Tracks" and he was so special to all the drivers on the Sprint Cup Circuit today.  He was never successful on the Sprint Cup Circuit...as a driver; afterall, he was a rookie at the age of 48, but he was always competitive and fun to watch.  His wisdom was respected by all around the garage. 

I was listening to the Nascar Channel on Sirius Radio after picking up Marty from the airport.  Mike Skinner (another veteran Nascar Driver) and his wife were hosting a call-in show that evening, and Dick Trickle was the main topic on conversation of course.  After listening for awhile, I knew something else was bothering Skinner....something much deeper. You could hear the hurt in Mike's voice.  I felt the raw emotion as I heard his voice crack on the microphone.  Finally, I heard Skinner say that Trickle was in a real struggle with his life AWAY from Nascar.  Mike also said that he is currently going through something similar, and so was Ricky Rudd, Ricky Craven and many others among the veteran drivers.  As I listened with great interest, Skinner explained what it was like to be a former driver as he tried to hang around the race track on the weekends.  He had nothing to do.  No one treated him the same.  Fans no longer asked for his autograph.  The money dried up.  No one wanted to give him a chance to race again at any level.  He was being pushed aside for younger drivers.  Skinner believes he still has so much to offer, but no one wants to give him the chance to prove it.  Depression has set in.....you can hear it in his voice. Skinner's  wife struggles to understand (what is happening in his head) as he struggles to find himself.  Then I said to Marty: "See, that's exactly how I feel!" 

Coach Bobby Bowden

Coach Tom Landry

 

Coach Joe Paterno

 

Coach Bowden and Coach Landry were both forced out of their jobs before they were ready to go.  Coach Bowden stayed away from Florida State for two years during his adjustment to civilian life.  Bowden is just now able to attend a football game at Florida State.  Coach Landry actually died soon after being forced out with the Dallas Cowboys.  Of course, we all saw what happened to the legendary Joe Paterno soon after his dismissal at Penn State.  Paterno's wife stated that it was not the Cancer that killed Joe, it was the heartbreak of his treatment by Penn State.   

 

I think I need to see a Psychiatrist.  I have no idea what is going on in my head.  "Coach" George is who I am.  It's what I do.  My business calling cards say: "Coach" George Zaleuke.  I am known around town as "Coach" George.  My business Internet site says "Coach" George Zaleuke.  Its been this way since I first started coaching in 1985.  My last name is so damn hard to say for the kids, they always just called me "Coach" George, and I happily adopted the name. 

 

I know this all sounds stupid to a lot of you.  But even the simple things are a struggle for me right now.  I look in my closet and all I see are blue, black, and silver coaching shirts and shorts.  My pants are all black or khaki in color.  Everything I own has SRHS Football written somewhere on it.  My shoes always match the colors of SRHS.  I do not have any clothes I can wear in pubic anymore.  I look in the mirror and I don't recognize the person staring back at me....who is this guy?  Why can't I just be like a normal person and just say "Screw it" then move on?  I feel like I am in prison and I can't escape.  It's driving me crazy. 

 

So, what do I do?  I find myself hanging around football practices just watching like some sort of pathetic old-timer.  I watch intently as the Head Coaches address their teams.  I watch the offensive guys as they call their offensive playbook.  I look at the defenses and try to figure out how I would beat the coverages.  I am like a human sponge taking it all in.  But why am I doing it?  Hopefully someday I can use all this knowledge somewhere up north this season or next.   

 

I really want to be near the babies. 

 

 

Later  

Football: "Lesson in Life"......For Myself

"Coach, are you coming back out?"   These words are haunting me as I begin writing in this new blog.  I tried to explain that my decision not to coach had nothing to do with the players.  I still love each player just like I always have.  However, sometimes a man has to stand up for his beliefs, and follow through with his words when stated.  My Daddy used to say: "If a man can't honor his own words, then how can he expect other people to honor his word?" 

Coach Randy Bethel

 

As one can probably figure out, I am still smarting from the dismissal of a very good friend...Randy Bethel.  I still feel the entire dismissal was handled very badly, and I have to show my support for my friend and colleague.  Was I asked to show this type of support?  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  I am a grown-ass man, and I will follow through on what I believe is necessary to get a point across.  Sebastian River High School (SRHS) lost several GREAT football coaches for this very reason.  Some ignorant people believe it is a "Black" thing between the coaches.  It has nothing to do with race...it's all about doing what is right for ALL coaches....especially the young guys with their entire careers ahead of them.  You just can't treat dedicated and hard-working people with disrespect.  It will come back and bite you. 

Make no mistake about it, Bethel was sometimes very difficult to work for.  Randy was very demanding, and hard-set on what he was trying to accomplish.  I could almost see his mind working (at 100 MPH) wanting to push on to something else.  I think a lot of great athletes are like this.  Things which come easily to Randy are not-so-easy for a normal athlete (or coach) to pick up.  Frustration sometimes set in for me.  Yes, we would fight and argue.....but NEVER, EVER, in front of the kids.  If Bethel had an issue with one of us, it was ALWAYS behind closed doors, and it remained there.  We lived by the rule: "What's said here, stays here." 

I always had to stay on top of my training/studying  to keep pace with Bethel's demands. For Instance:  Breaking down video.  Bethel can take one look at a game video and tell you anything and everything about an opponent's defense.  I just can't do that so easily.  I tried and tried, but it was always a struggle for me.  I always took my video home to break down the opponent, and it would take me hours to do so.  I once asked Randy how he could do this task so easily.  He told me that in his younger coaching days at Johnson C Smith, he had to break down film quickly, so he learned to do fast.  Maybe it's because I am so anal about everything, I don't know, but it took alot of work for me to keep pace.   One thing about Bethel.  He always let us coach our position.  He never embarrassed us in front of the kids.  We would make some adjustments by following strict practice plans loaded with daily goals.  Randy made me a much better coach for sure. I loved working for this guy. 

Randy had a GREAT staff at SRHS.  Some of us (Me, Coach Wilson, Coach Perry,) came into the program the very year Bethel was hired as Head Coach....16 years ago.  We all had been together so long that everything became almost automatic.  Most all of us had specific tasks that remained the same year after year.  We all were great workers, and we put pressure on ourselves to make sure no one was slipping.  If some listened to our bickering and arguing on the sideline, you would swear we hated each other.  On the contrary.  We were all very close.  We could fight among ourselves all day long.....like brothers fight with each other...but no one else was allowed to cross one of us.  Which leads back to my earlier statement.  None of us was too happy with how we were treated after the season. 

I was offered a nice position on the new staff earlier this year.  I was going to co-coordinate the offense and coach the QB's for the new coach.  I decided it was best for me to spend some time with my Dad and try to get closer to the Grand kids in South Carolina.  So, all things considered, I turned down the position.  It SHOCKED a lot of people.....but I did not shock myself. 

I have been spending a lot of time visiting other High School programs in the area.  So far, I have visited Vero Beach, St. Edwards, Heritage, Palm Bay, Bayside, Central, PSL, Centennial, Treasure Coast, SRHS, Martin County and South Fork......most from afar.  Over the next few days, I will be attempting to RANK these teams....according to how they looked to me at the time.  Hopefully by Friday, I will have the final results in. 

See you tomorrow.