Temple City is in the market again for a leader
Good Evening!
T-Minus-198 Days until “The Mid Valley Classic”
For the second time in the last year the Temple City football program hangs in the balance. In a brilliant move last March they brought in Anthony White and had a terrific season that was two touchdowns away from finishing 8-1-1.
“It’s an opportunity, that’s difficult to pass up,” said White before Wednesday’s decision. “I feel like we’ve started something and I’m torn.”
To be fair there is a segment in the Temple City football population that won’t be sad to see him go. He was too brash, too pushy, too young, too this, and too that. He even committed the horrible sin of allowing the 2009 team to begin the season with their horns already in place…Then again there are huge segments of these so called “die hards” who were more than thrilled when the Rams failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997… Just so they could stick it to White.
So White’s gone. Took a job at a school close to his Orange County home, he’s in a higher paying district, and away from the sniping.
Now what?
Unofficially (third party) I’ve been told the school district will not allow the high school to replace White’s teaching position with a new coach. Given the economic climate we’re in, I can see that happening. I also understand it to a degree.
If the TC administration, which did a great job landing White a year ago, is hamstrung by the district they are going to have to look in house…This could be difficult…This could take time…This will bring uncertainty.
Could players transfer? A definite possibility.
Note to the School District: Invest. You might fall into the trap of believing its just a game, its just football…But I guarantee you an equal number (if not more) of life lessons are being taught on the gridiron as in the classroom.
A young assistant in the area who was interviewing for head coaching position asked me what I thought about a certain school. I told him what I knew, but then I asked him if the school was going to allow him to make a mistake. Were they going to give him time to grow in the position?
Like churches, schools and football communities can chew a young coach up and spit him out faster than you can say “65 Toss Power Trap”.
Part of a conversation I had yesterday, while watching soccer was about the last night of the regular season when TC went from second place in the Rio Hondo to out of the playoff mix.
I brought up the look and reaction of the San Marino players when they found out they were in the playoffs. You see this reaction where schools have gone a long time without winning, and then you come to realize in places like Temple City, Arroyo, Monrovia, and perhaps Rosemead supporters have taken for granted the success of their teams over the years.
In Temple City, which I’ve seen up close for the last twelve years, a playoff spot has become a birthright, an entitlement, as opposed to a privilege.
TC has solid booster support. The everyday population is positive towards football. Every home game is a homecoming…But it wasn’t until 2004 they named the stadium after Bob Hitchcock— 23 years after the coach retired. There’s nothing around the community displaying the pride and history of Temple City football. All may say Temple City is a football town, but I don’t know if all really believe that. I think its lip-service paid to keep a conversation moving along at a finance meeting.
This is because the success of the program has become a given instead of something earned.
Temple City of course is called “The Home of the Camellias”…Baloney…”Temple City is the Home of Temple City Football”… They can have their Camellia parade and festival, but it’s the football team. Every player from 1955 thru 2009, every coach, every assistant, every parent that was a Ramrodder, or slept at a firework stand is what put Temple City on the map. Not a mayor, not a wedding shop, and not a nice looking flower.
And that tradition, this thing that truly coalesces this community I live in, is in serious trouble. Folks don’t hang out downtown. There’s not enough parking or menu items at Applebees…but Friday night football is the centerpiece.
Invest in a good coach, young or old, and give him the room to make his own choices, his own mistakes…and let him grow from them. Appreciate all the titles, all the playoff appearances, and Rio Hondo League crowns didn’t come with the white of an egg. Countless hours of toil was involved, under the direction of some very special people.
Finally; the Montview League just added Ganesha, so I don’t believe they’re planning on expanding to nine teams any time soon.
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Oh…yeah…Matt Koffler has said he’s not interested in the Temple City job.
You know there is a reason they call them; “Killer Whales”.
Today, I understand, is very convenient to say you were a Mosi Tatupu fan. For me he was the fullback at USC who surprised year after year as kept playing in the NFL. Tatupu’s 14 seasons in pro-football were longer than other Trojan football backs of the period Dave Farmer and Lyn Cain. It was also longer than Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell, and Charles White.
It’s sad.
Stay thirsty my friends…
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