Letter to the Editor
Positive role model?
Published Friday, March 21, 2008
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Stumble It!March 15, 2008
To the editor:
I’m writing about the March 15 article, “Fourcade takes Grizzlies’ reins.” I am not a fan of arena football, but I am an avid sports fan. I acknowledge few team owners and coaches will stand behind a losing effort. I suspected all along that all but a handful of local players would be able to compete at the skill level needed on a professional level. So I understand the decision to bring in a new coach and new personnel. Chad Dittman appears to have played Fairbanks however, selecting local coaches and players, only to have a replacement coach and players waiting in the wings all along.
At a time when the our country needs more coaches and players with integrity, I was both alarmed and disappointed to read comments attributed to the new Grizzlies coach, John Fourcade at a press conference Friday. In the interview Fourcade said, “This football team can win games. I have a motto: ‘Win at all costs. Cheat if you must. And don’t get caught.’ It’s worked a lot.” Puhleeze ... Whether Fourcade’s comments were simply bravado or not, clearly he is the wrong role model for young Fairbanks athletes if he in fact subscribes to a coaching philosophy of cheating and not getting caught.
Fourcade’s attitude and cockiness is what is wrong with professional sports today. When there are so many quality coaches with integrity and character who are positive role models and play according to the letter and spirit of the rules, why does Dittman select a coach who so obviously has his priorities in the wrong order. Perhaps Dittman endorses Fourcade because he shares the same beliefs and philosophy?
Fairbanks has so many class act youth sport coaches, high school coaches, and Alaska Nanooks coaches. Fourcade’s coaching philosophy is not what Fairbanks needs. Further, he should be called on for his remarks, clarifying his intentions, and be made unambiguously clear by community members about the character standards expected of coaches in Fairbanks. I’ll save my money thanks, because this new coach and his style of doing things may allow Fairbanks Grizzlies to “go the distance” but at what costs?
Community Discussion
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Geez, talk about make a quick judgement. The Grizzlies have played one home game, and you have already dismissed them as classless with a coach with evil priorities.
I think that Dittman is trying to make some money off of his team. So, he should hire the best personel to meet his needs. More power to him.
I can recall a few bad apples in the high school coaching ranks in the past. Didn't mean that we gave up on high school sports.
Andre, you being a retired school principal, surely have heard of wrestling coaches who tell their teams, "noone leaves practice until someone cries or pukes!" I believe most coaches have the same philosophy, however, keep their comments behind closed doors.
nmg60 where did you wrestle? I wrestled HERE under REAL coaches that taught the first thing about any sport is that we are a team. Do you even know what you are talking about? You might have one (bad) coach who says that stuff but I can tell you what I heard from my coach:
"Look around this room, we have sixty kids out on our team out of a school close to 2,000 strong. Not every one has the guts to walk out on the mats and put themselves to the test. When you walk the halls of this school you are representing this team. When we go a road trips you represent this school, me, and our community. It takes someone with a heavy left side to push themselves to be great. You have to have a lot heart. If you go out and practice every day like it was competition and you have a match that you gave 100% to and you lost, that is OKAY! You shake the other mans hand, you tell him good job and you hold your head high as you walk off the mats because you know that you did the best you can and TODAY the better man won. There are no could have, should have or would haves, only the I DID. For that you should be proud, not everyone has the guts to do that."
It takes an adult to realize that and a person of character to stand up behind that. Being a citizen and a good person was stressed every day; I never had a coach tell me to drop weight, go puke or any other nonsense like that. Make weight because you are in shape or practice harder, never what you said. A good coach like Tom Ritchie taught me that over twenty years ago and I can still recite verbatim, guess he did a good job and I got the message, where did you get yours?
Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to the grizzlies. I may catch a game some day but it's not tops on my list. That said, coaches who advocate cheating have no place in our community. I am a coach and participated in sports as a youth here in Fairbanks. I echo what John said. Coaches train people to give their best and be proud of that. Only one person or one team wins first place. Does that mean everyone else should hang their heads in disappointment. I think not. And I don't think it means they should start cheating so that they can win. Thanks for bringing these comments to light Andre'
"A good coach like Tom Ritchie taught me that over twenty years ago and I can still recite verbatim, guess he did a good job and I got the message, where did you get yours?"
Here, here, thanks for pointing this out.
A good coach must have the ability to inspire his players to play as hard as they can and leave everything on the ice (field, floor, etc...). Coaching isn't about finding loopholes in rules that give you an advantage. That's what lawyers are for.
I can recall several games that we lost but played as hard as we could. Coach Rod Avery would come back into the locker room and say, "Boys, we left it all out on the ice today. There's nothing more to say than that." If you want to see examples of this, go watch hockey teams like Delta or Monroe play teams like West Valley or Lathrop (considerably larger schools). West Valley or Lathrop usually win by a half dozen goals or so, but teams like Monroe and Delta leave everything on the ice and usually can be seen holding their heads up high when they leave the rink.
Also games where we won but played terribly he would say (or scream), "Just because we won on the scoreboard doesn't mean we beat those guys." Having played hockey for Lathrop I have been on the receiving end of these kinds of lectures several times.
Play the game and be proud of the way you played when the game is over. In the end, it's just a game. Good letter Mr. Layral.
Andre' Layral: Fairbanks' self-important and self-appointed expert on what's best for your kids.
Wouldn't you rather see a coach who is up front about his philosophy than one who is deceptive? Parents can make up their own minds on whether to support the Grizzlies. Parents can make up their own minds on how to talk to their kids about cheating. Andre' is not a parent to EVERY child in Fairbanks.
I find it hypocrititical and extremely frustrating that he, of all people, criticizes "Fourcade’s attitude and cockiness".
Professional sports are entertainment. If you are looking to these players and coaches for moral guidance, you're looking in the wrong place. Why did I not see a similar letter when WWE came to Fairbanks? Surely, by Andre's reasoning, that compromised the morality of our youth.
Mr. Layral was, at one time, an administrator at my school. I have the utmost respect for him as a positive male role model. If there is one attribute I carry today from my encounters with Mr. Layral, it is accountability. I am accountable for my actions. I claim responsibility for them because of how I was taught by too few positive role models.
This coach will eventually get caught up in some scandal that will hit the newspaper eventually, until then, I am glad that people I hold in elevated status of utmost respect~ speak out against such negativeness.
Thank you Mr. Layral for your braveness to step forward for righteousness and for your positive leadership.
Could there be one other possibility guys? Might the coach's tongue have been in his cheek? I was impressed by the Grizzlies play last week, which was not only within the rules but within the spirit of them.
While the Katy, Texas team took liberal advantage of the "2 or 3 step rule," which apparently allows the officials to wink at a reciever being across the line of scrimage when the ball is snapped, the Grizzlies were extremely disciplined. It was the visitors, not our home team which had two different players ejected from the contest.
The Grizzlies played hard and were disciplined - both honorable characteristics of a well coached team.
It seems a little presumptuous and a lot unfair to judge and condemm a man on the strength of a single quote found in a newspaper.
d_bones...don't feel bad, but this city is notorious for jumping to conclusions when something is in the media. It's on TV and radio and print...so it MUST be true. You are absolutely right and probably closer to the truth. One day Fairbanks will learn that sarcasm is a big part of coaching whatever sport or team you are working with. The way the Grizzlies owner has treated Fairbanks with a sense of urgency in putting a quality opponent on the field...I can't imagine that there wasn't a little discussion between the owner and the coach after the comment was made. Coaches are very reactionary and sometimes say things before thinking...it's the nature of the business. Give this guy some credit for the time being. If you don't want to go to a game...stay home and shut up.
win at all cost, even cheat, dont get caught? he said this was his motto not something said in the heat of the game. pro or not its bush league. think about it. is this were pro sports are heading? didnt you guys learn something from new englands stunt. they are still paying the price. something to remember is players in a pro sport have short carrers and need to learn much more than winning and the sport they play in. thats why the NFL has programs like PRO DAD. teaching family first. many pro players are involved in positive community projest and give thier time to things such as Young Life etc... it gives them something to be grateful for and gets then ouy of the seriousness of the sport where winning seems to be everything. all i am saying is theres a way to win one is right and one is wrong. the cheating motto is the wrong way. i know this isnt the NFL however here is some reai info for one to consider:
75% of NFL players leave the game ith permanent injuries
25% of NFL players report financial difficulties within the first year of retirement.
50% of failed NFL marriages occur in the first year .
after retirement
78% of NFL players are unemployed, bankrupt, or divorced within two years of retirement.
the sucide rate for retired NFL players is 6 times greater than the national average.
taken from "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy page 272.
like i said the Grizziles are not the NFL but some of these young men do have dreams of moving up and need more in their life then the pressure to win especially by the coachs motto to cheat if you have too!
best of luck to the men who play football for our Grizzilies.
I don't see what the big deal is about foul language and bad tactics. I hear more swearing at our local high school games from our high school students, and more provocative tactics from our coaches. Shouldn't this be the issue? Many of the players are local bred, they bring what they learned from their high school coaches, including their language and sportsmanship, so why attack the branches when we need to assault the roots.
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