TWO SCOOPS - “You don’t have to call me darling, darling. You never even call me by my name.”
- Steve Goodman
The Indian River School District begins fall sports practices without two athletic directors who were in place the last time anyone checked. Paul Kmetz was the guy at Indian River, which also includes Selbyville Middle School, while Brad Layfield was athletic director at Sussex Central High and Sussex Central Middle school.
Now both athletic director positions are advertised on the Indian River district website at irsd.net. Kmetz, a former Bucknell quarterback and lifelong Steelers fan, will remain a fulltime guidance counselor at the school and also remain as offensive coordinator for the football team where his son, Nicolas, is the starting quarterback. It appears the district didn’t want the AD to be a coach.
Mike Schonewolf is the new head coach at Caesar Rodney and is the school’s athletic director, but the Riders don’t allow administrators to be coaches like some other places - namely Cape Henlopen. Brad Layfield - you don’t get any more Georgetown or Blue Hen chicken than Bradley - is smart and organized, a great communicator and loves the athletes. Brad was AD last year as Sussex Central did a great job hosting the Henlopen Conference and state wrestling tournaments. Brad is a certified teacher of social studies. I’m thinking of applying for both jobs, as seeking rejection is one of my retirement pastimes.
ABSENCE OF POLICY - A contemporary track coach of mine once asked me what my policy was for kids missing practice.
“It depends on how fast they can run,” I joked and he laughed, but I was serious. “The only policy is Fredman’s policy of the moment. Rules written in stone are just excuses for the unimaginative who don’t like making hard decisions.”
So when tough questions arise, “Does Cape have a policy in place for administrators coaching?” and the answer is “no” and if the follow up question is “why not” the answer must be “we like to retain the right to be flexible,” and we all just move on from there.
TWO OUTCOMES - BOTH BAD - Speaking of seeking rejection, I noticed in the Cape Gazette classified section that Sussex Tech was looking for a long-term social studies substitute and it pays $175 a day which is chicken feed for an entire house. I thought of applying - I’ve seen who flops into the boat when these all calls are made - but I’d rather take a beating than fill out an application, call in transcripts and go looking for four letters of recommendation from my two friends. Then reality bit me like a Chihuahua with a bad attitude. There are two outcomes and they are both bad. I get the job then actually have to go do it, or I don’t get it which would be a real slap in the face of my career which I may need.
LIFESAVERS CLUB - I’m not only negative but O negative which makes me the universal donor and so the blood bank calls and I come running. Last Wednesday I’m doing my required 15 minutes sit at the cookie table until we say you can wobble to your truck when this retired Maryland guy starts telling blood donation stories and he is talking quarts, numbers like 60, so I come loose.
”Do you have some donating disorder?”
He said no, then explained when he worked for the phone company it was in the contract that with every donation you got a day off.
Teachers need that item included in their next package.
SNIPPETS - Fall practices for Beacon Middle School for football will run from 4-6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, Aug. 27-29. Soccer will practice from 6-7:30 p.m. on the same days. Field hockey will begin practice on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Mariner Middle School will begin practice for football and field hockey from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27.
I go to the first few days of high school football practice each year and try not to count bodies or play the “who didn’t come out” game. But football is the only sport - maybe track to a degree - where athletes of great talent who could be impact players and make a difference just don’t come out. I will just never understand why parents and uncles allow that to happen. Field hockey has a different problem which is “too much equal talent” for too few positions. I would not like to be in the coaching position where I knew it was impossible to keep everyone happy because I prefer happy people.
The Eagles stole money in Baltimore last Monday night scoring only three points in four quarters. If you Bird fans don’t see point production this Friday in a home preseason contest versus Carolina you should start to worry because it’s not easy not to score, as my grandmother said when cousin Harry the Frogman began his dating career meaning “the boy had no chance.”
Please enjoy this photo taken last July 28 by Terri Burton of former Cape stars who played basketball for coach Ralph Baird. From left to right are Beau Gooch, Ronson Burton, Ralph Baird, Jimmy Allen, Snoop Allen, Johnny Allen and John Bishop. Chief Bo Gooch had to promise one “too fast for conditions” warning pass to coach Baird before being allowed in the photo.
Registration for fall adult flag football, co-ed volleyball, women’s volleyball, co-ed softball and the new 5-on-5 basketball (at Beacon) leagues will be held start Aug. 20-31s (early bird), while late registration runs Sept. 12 at the Sussex Family YMCA on Church Street in Rehoboth Beach. The football team fee is $300, basketball team fee is $500, volleyball team fee is $200 and softball team fee is $250. Contact James Botti, who took over for Pat Woods, at 296-9622. Pat moved on to teach and preach, which is what he is all about. Pat brought organized sports to a new level during his tenure at the Y and James Botti is another good one.
Remember old school Sesame Street and Roosevelt Franklin preaching at the Church of What’s Happening Now? I could be a deacon at one of those services.
