By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Michael Bender would like to be able to be everywhere.
Bender was hired in February to be the Forrest City School District athletic director.
He has a job to do and he wants to do the best job he can do. Not only that, being athletic director in Forrest City has quickly become a love affair for Bender.
That equates to his wanting to be "everywhere," especially as the 2002-03 school year gets closer to opening day which means that the first of several athletic seasons -- football -- is just around the corner.
"I want to be at the seventh grade practice, the eighth and ninth grade practice and the high school practice," Bender said. "It's obvious I can't be everywhere at the same time but I would like them to think I'm always there. I'm going to be around. I love athletics and I enjoy being around. It's not a job to me. This is the most fun I've had in a long time. I come to work every day excited. I know some people may not understand that but that's the way I feel. It is relaxing and challenging. And you know that every coach and every athlete loves a challenge. I'm not any different."
Bender is aware that Forrest City will present plenty of challenges but none, he says which can't be met head-on.
"I have been watching the high school practice some this week and there seems to be a lot of excitement both with the coaches and the players," Bender said. "And that's what we have to have...excitement. It has to start with the coaches and filter down to the players and I hope that is what is happening. We are going to try our best to bring this community closer together by providing the best athletic program we can."
Since taking over the A.D.'s reins from Bill Baxter, who has served in the position parttime for the past six years, Bender has already faced some problems and made some changes -- most involving the district's coaching staff.
"I hope we have made the right moves," Bender added. "We have some good people here and we just needed to get them in the right classroom and coaching spots. We have a couple of coaching vacancies right now and we have not filled them and may not this year. We didn't want to hire just anyone to just fill those positions, so we figured we would just double up for now."
Bender accomplished that need by bringing John Burgess back to the coaching ranks and returning Stan Gardner to the sidelines. Burgess was head football coach from 1990 through the 1995 season before stepping away and Gardner has been a longtime assistant football coach before being reassigned more than a year ago to other duties. Long-time assistant Mustang coach Bill Riley retired earlier this year and Karen Carrier, one of the junior high basketball coaches resigned to take another position.
"If we are still short-handed and if I need to I can go down and teach dribbling and shooting for an hour," Bender said. "I may not be the best at it, but I can help plug a hole until we can find the right coach to bring on board."
Bender stresses the importance of having each one of the Forrest City coaches -- at every level -- in tune with what everyone is doing.
"We want our coaches working together, junior high coaches running the basic plays and routines in every sport that the high school runs using the same terminology. We want the coaches to be visible. Coaches can always learn just by watching. I know I did when I was coaching. That works at all levels from high school to the pros.
Hopefully we have the coaches in the places they need to be. The adminis has worked with me very closely to get the coaches moved around and on the campuses and in the right class rooms where they need to be. It has been a total group effort. Its not been just me. We have been able to create some physical ed classes that we haven't had before and we needed those. I think we have things headed in the right direction. At least that's opur story and we're sticking to it for now anyway.
The hardest thing Bender has had to face
"We need to get a little more discipline in the program. Coaches have to watch themselves and we have to dis ourselves and the more we do that the more the young men and women who are involved in sports will discipline themselves. Our athletes have to learn to be to practice and be there on time. Hopefully we will learn that they is a respon to be an athlete and that therer is a price to pay and sacrifices to be made to be an athlete at any level. We want our athletes to be role models.
No probationary period this season.
I have visited with our coaches and I have faith in all of them. There is no probat period The ones we have on staff can do the job they were hited to do and we expect them to do that job to the best of their ability. I will be watching buit I will be doing so to learn. The athletics here begins with my job and I have to do my job first.
I expect a lot out of them and I hope they know that and I hope they expect a lot out of me as an AD. I know I did when I was coaching. Hopefully we have our coaches in the places they need to be and I think we have things headed in the right direction. At least that's our story and we're sticking to it, for now anyway."
Bender said the hardest issue he has faced since taking up residence as the new athletic director is the "discipline" factor.
"We need to get a little more discipline in the program.," Bender said. "Coaches have to discipline themselves. The more we do that the more our students who are involved in Forrest City sports will discipline themselves. Our athletes have to learn to be at practice and be there on time. They have a responsibility. There is a price to pay and sacrifices to be made to be an athlete at any level. We want our athletes to be role models."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
When John Burgess stepped down as Forrest City Mustang head football coach following the 1995 season, he thought he had completed his coaching career.
Burgess put the idea of returning to the coaching ranks on the back burner. Way back.
"I may have thought about going to some small school before I made the decision to retire and just finish it out there but it didn't work out that way."
Forrest City Athletic Director Michael Bender and Mustang Head Coach Donnie Willis are glad Burgess stayed. Recently they asked him to step back into the coaching ranks.
"I think they wanted me to help try and stabilize things just a little bit," Burgess said. "We were a coach short with Bill Riley retiring and they felt I was the perfect candidate to help fill some holes. I'm having a big time. Right now in two-a-days I'm feeling it. The Xs and Os part of it I've always been involved with but you miss the association and the interaction with the kids."
The best thing about coming back to the coaching ranks for Burgess is not having to deal with the problems that are generally associated with that of a head coach.
"There's no pressure and that's a good thing," Burgess said. "Now when mom or dad comes in with a problem or whatever, I just point to the other office."
Burgess, 60, will help coach the offensive and defensive linemen this season for the Mustangs, splitting time with coach Chuck Sartin.
"It's been a long time since I've been an assistant coach (1989 at Texas) and like I told Coach Willis, I may speak out of turn sometimes and if I step on toes, just tell me to shut up and get on out of the way."
Except for a two-year stint as the Mustangs head baseball coach, Burgess has stayed busy with his duties as assistant athletic director, a position he will return to once the football season ends.
"It's going to be good and I think we have a chance to have a good football team," Burgess said.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Layne McGuirt, daughter of Woody and Karen McGuirt of Forrest City, has had a fast and furious summer -- on the fast-pitch softball field.
Layne recently returned from Montgomery, Ala., where she played in the 2002 ASA Girls' 12-Uunder Class B East National Championships.
Layne, 12, played with the Germantown Lady Red Devils (Germantown, Tenn.). The team finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.
The Lady Red Devils lost to second-ranked Carmel, Ind. 4-0, a game in which Layne pitched three shut out innings.
The Lady Devils defeated the Thodore Bobcats from Mobile, Ala., 7-2 and Layne got the win pitching five innings of no-hit softball. She helped her self out by scoring two runs.
A 5-4 win over the Xtreme Edge from Springfield, Tenn., was followed by a 3-0 loss against the eventual tournament champions, Southern Storm from Hattiesburg, Miss.
The tournament field included 21 teams from 11 states.
Before joining the Germantown team, McGuirt played with the North Mississippi Cardinals most of the summer.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots began summer football drills this week with just two coaches overseeing the practice sessions.
Third-year Coach Terry Farmer is being assisted this year by Palestine-Wheatley Junior High coach Dan Cockrell.
But that hasn't diminished the mood or the work being done at the practice sessions.
"We are having two sessions each day but have split the squad into offensive and defensive drills," Farmer said. "So even though it sounds like it, we're not actually having two-a-days. That starts next week."
Farmer and Cockrell have had about 25 players on hand the first few days of practice.
"That number may go up a little, but 25 is enough to play and if that's what we have to start the season that's what we will go with," Farmer said.
The Patriots open the season on Sept. 6, when they host Des Arc.
Palestine-Wheatley has been picked to finish fourth in the 3AA Conference this year based on several key returning starters and a very talented sophomore group.
The Patriots will play a preseason game at Clarendon on Tuesday, Aug. 27, which will involve both the junior and senior high teams.
Youth soccer and flag football registration continues for the upcoming Forrest City Recreation Department season.
The sign up fees for the soccer league for boys, ages 5-15 and girls, ages 5-16, are $15 for players living inside the Forrest City city limits and $25 for those living outside the city limits. registration deadline is Aug. 20.
The flag football league fees are $20 for those living inside the city limits and $25 for those living outside the city limits. Signup deadline is Aug. 23 and the league is for youths ages 7-12.
Registration is also under way for the fall adult men's softball league and the fall co-ed softball league.
* CITY LEAGUES
ADULT SOFTBALL
Thursday, August 8
Miller Ins. vs Bulldogs, 7 p.m. F3
Food Giant vs Young Guns, 7 p.m. F4
Kerby's vs Gym 2000, 8 p.m. F4
M&T Paving vs Sanyo, 8 p.m. F3
TSM Computers vs Barnes, 9 p.m. F3
Boar's Head vs Greg's, 9 p.m. F4