This about sums BTR's point of view.

 

Ross, who has been in poor health since having a stroke in 2002, said that wasn’t an issue. “I had a golf cart I could use and a Hover Round to help me get around,” he said. “I did that for two years at Johnson Central. (But) You need somebody to coach.”

Knew the situation going in, was told to expect 17 to 20 kids and there were 16. I was at their practice last night and there were 14 kids there with 2 missing that left after he quit.

 

Sorry but to accept a position and quite right when practice was getting ready to begin, regardless of circumstance is inexcusable. Even for a legend.

 

This is my final comment on the situation but I don't believe in walking away from a commitment.

Knew the situation going in, was told to expect 17 to 20 kids and there were 16. I was at their practice last night and there were 14 kids there with 2 missing that left after he quit.

 

Sorry but to accept a position and quite right when practice was getting ready to begin, regardless of circumstance is inexcusable. Even for a legend.

 

This is my final comment on the situation but I don't believe in walking away from a commitment.

 

I know nothing else about this situation, but I agree 100% on this statement :thumb:

Knew the situation going in, was told to expect 17 to 20 kids and there were 16. I was at their practice last night and there were 14 kids there with 2 missing that left after he quit.

 

Sorry but to accept a position and quite right when practice was getting ready to begin, regardless of circumstance is inexcusable. Even for a legend.

 

This is my final comment on the situation but I don't believe in walking away from a commitment.

 

 

Well I guess we can take your facts and compare them to my facts. Coach Ross said there were 14 at the team meeting, and 10 at practice. Coach Ross said all he needed was 17. Coach Ross, and everyone else, knows that you need a minumum of 11 to play the game of football.

 

Coach Ross is not going to walk away from a responsibility. But, when you don't have enough support to field a team, I don't think you have a choose but to say the obvious.

 

I know I will get the normal Rose Hill response, "You don't know the fact of this case", but in this instance I do, and I know them first hand.

 

After a careful comparison, I will take my facts over yours.

The guy may have had a great record in the past, but he did nothing at Rose Hill except let a bunch of kids down. Ross tried to jump on a bandwagon, Rose Hill had a great middle school team with some fine athletes and a bright future. When the future didn't look as great he turned his back on a commitment and some wonderful kids.

 

I personally thought football was too ambitious. The number of boys in the school just aren't there. It would have taken a coach a lot of work, talking to kids in the school and getting to know them. Ross just wanted a team handed to him.

Well I guess we can take your facts and compare them to my facts. Coach Ross said there were 14 at the team meeting, and 10 at practice. Coach Ross said all he needed was 17. Coach Ross, and everyone else, knows that you need a minumum of 11 to play the game of football.

 

Coach Ross is not going to walk away from a responsibility. But, when you don't have enough support to field a team, I don't think you have a choose but to say the obvious.

 

I know I will get the normal Rose Hill response, "You don't know the fact of this case", but in this instance I do, and I know them first hand.

 

After a careful comparison, I will take my facts over yours.

 

If your first hand account is that of Ross, I would have to ask him, how he found out about the Friday night numbers. He wasn't there that night.

 

Ricky P was off a little with his count of kids at the practice on Monday. There was in fact 15 kids at this practice. This with the two players who left after Ross left would have given Ross his magic number 17. Also with a little encouragement from a strong head coach, there was a potential for three to five more.

 

I don’t blame Ross for having second thoughts. I just believe he could have handled it more professionally.

Listen, I spoke to Coach Ross several times before everyone even knew he was the head coach at Rose Hill. He was as excited about the opportunity as a person could be. He asked me to be an assistant coach, we spoke about the program at length. He never expected a high number of players to play this year, he only expect to safely field a football team. He was going to go easy this year without two a day practices and play, mainly, a freshmen schedule.

 

I assure you there was no one more disappointed about this then Coach Ross. This was something Coach Ross was wanting to succeed. He wanted to coach at a small Christian school, that is what he has wanted to do for years.

 

For someone to say that Coach Ross treated players unfairly is laughable. And apparently is coming from someone who does not know Coach Ross very well, if at all.

 

Aside from the numbers, Coach Ross knew this program was never going to get off of the ground, but I think he was using the numbers to justify his knowledge. Blame Coach Ross if you want, the man has carried more burden then you can put on him, but if you want to know why the program sunk, take a close look.

I sort of expected to see something of this nature come out of the Rose Hill camp. As for the "handed a winner" comment, I know that several kids left well before Coach Ross was even named. So to say that he was handed much is nothing but a half truth. Linemen and skill players alike were gone. I wish that they had made it work, however, to smear someone like Bill Tom is ridiculous. My guess is that the folks who truly knew the situation and the particulars will remain silent on this one. I for one with Coach Ross good health and enjoyment in his retirement and after this circus, wish he'd have remained retired for his sake.

I'm not blaming Ross for the team not succeeding. Like I said I thought fielding a team was ambitious. My problem with Ross is his lack of interest. And no I don't know Ross, he didn't stay at Rose Hill long enough for me to get to know him.

 

I don't know about Ross being more disapointed than anyone else over this situation. My 15 year old son is devistated.

The guy may have had a great record in the past, but he did nothing at Rose Hill except let a bunch of kids down. Ross tried to jump on a bandwagon, Rose Hill had a great middle school team with some fine athletes and a bright future. When the future didn't look as great he turned his back on a commitment and some wonderful kids.

 

That sounds like throwing Ross under the bus to me, so which is it? It's his fault or not his fault.

Cant anything work out at Rose Hill without Drama? Now it is another situation of his side/their side. Hopefully if the young men still want to play football over any other sport, then hopefully they can still transfer and get in a good program somewhere. I would say probably 60 percent of the surrounding area did not expect a Football program to last at such a small school anyway.

Again I am not blaming Ross for the low numbers. I do think he could have made some contacts and gotten a couple more students, but no effort was made on his part. So if that is throwing him under the bus, I guess I am.

I'm not blaming Ross for the team not succeeding. Like I said I thought fielding a team was ambitious. My problem with Ross is his lack of interest. And no I don't know Ross, he didn't stay at Rose Hill long enough for me to get to know him.

 

I don't know about Ross being more disapointed than anyone else over this situation. My 15 year old son is devistated.

 

It is a terrible situation, and I am sure your son is upset, I would be. But, for some to place any blame on Coach Ross is improper. Coach Ross wanted this program to succeed, very badly. He was excited, I heard an excitement in his voice that had not been then since his stroke. He was ready to start a brand new program, that would stand for decades. To say that he just walked away from those kids is the wrong message to send to those kids and is the way to depict a great person like Coach Ross. I very seriously considered coming to Rose Hill to help him, and if my son was not play football at another school which would have meant that I would have missed all of his games, I would have been there without hesitation.

 

The simple fact is: you can not blame Coach Ross for what happened, it was out of his hands, not just the numbers, but the entire situation.

I admire any man, any man, who has the perseverance to want to coach, after all the health problems he had. If the numbers aren't there, than it will be nothing but impossible to field a program.

 

Blame whomever, from the Coach to the neighbors but you can't make numbers were they aren't and if he is leaving, that is his choice. Perhaps now, this will give many who stand on the sidelines and criticize an opportunity to help, or then again perhaps they are comfortable with that spot.

It is a terrible situation, and I am sure your son is upset, I would be. But, for some to place any blame on Coach Ross is improper. Coach Ross wanted this program to succeed, very badly. He was excited, I heard an excitement in his voice that had not been then since his stroke. He was ready to start a brand new program, that would stand for decades. To say that he just walked away from those kids is the wrong message to send to those kids and is the way to depict a great person like Coach Ross. I very seriously considered coming to Rose Hill to help him, and if my son was not play football at another school which would have meant that I would have missed all of his games, I would have been there without hesitation.

 

The simple fact is: you can not blame Coach Ross for what happened, it was out of his hands, not just the numbers, but the entire situation.

 

Do you think Coach Ross might have jumped in too early, because he was excited to just get to Coach again. I seen him leave her at JC and I am sure that was not the way he wanted to be remembered as a Coach. I am sure he wanted another shot at Coaching. Maybe he should have just did a little research and put a little more thought into it.