The "They're Falling Like Flies" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in the paper "MT Kreider Ends Long Run." Might not mean too much to some, but to me I could see it coming.  Jim Kreider, long time friend and coach at Manheim Township when I was still a teacher, just retired from the boys' head basketball coaching position after 40 years.  Seems like it was time, but that's what it looks like on the surface.  To me it goes much deeper.  I should support my thoughts by telling you that the head football coach at MT reitred this year after a long tenure at the school with winning season after winning season and the head boys' soccer coach did the same thing.  Matter-of-fact, the soccer coach, Dave A., was in my older son's class and I coached him a few years when he played little league baseball.  Great guy and a fantastic coach.  The kids loved him!  But, he decided to give it up like the rest.  Why?  One of the reasons is family and time spent away from it, but I believe that the main reason is the raw deal that the coaches at Manheim Township got last summer.  Seems that the coaches and extra-curricular advisers salaries were taken out of the bargaining unit that included the salaries of the teachers.  Smart move on the part of the administration and school board.  Bad move as far as the athletes in the school district.  Last summer the salaries of all coaches and extra-curricular asdvisers were cut in half.  Reason: to try to make up the large loss of money the school district was losing because the Republican Governor of Pennsylvania cut millions and milions from education and therefore was giving less to the public schools of PA.  He was voted into office by many of the same people who now condemn him for doing what he said he was going to do.  Republicans in office are known to be a detriment to education in PA.  Always have been, always will be.  But, now it means something.  How can you take a cut of $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000 a year and still give yourself to the program.  Can't do it!  The head baseball coach at MT, after 29 years of coaching, was making about $9,000.  Family of six who counted on that salary to live.  Cut that in half and what happens?  You spend less time coaching and more time trying to make up that extra money.  Have to!  And, how can they replace these fine coaches with the little amount of money they will offer.  Who wants to spend every waking moment during the your sports season and half your waking moments in the off-season when you are getting less than a $1 an hour for it.  Certainly not most, as is starting to show.  What can be done?  Nothing for another few years until Pennsylvania can elect a new Governor who is pro-education.  Now, I know these are my thoughts on the subject, since I was a school teacher for 35 years and coach for some of those years.  I actually stopped coaching because I wanted more time with my family.  I was happy with the salary I got and deserved.  But, today is a different story.  I wonder who will be next.  Those that suffer are the fine young students who choose to play athletics at MT.  So many of them have prospered and gone on to great heights because of their abilities on the field as well as in the classroom.  And they have their coaches to thank for that.  At least they used to!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.