05/01/2017
To the entire WHYFL (past & present)
The saying is "All good things come to an end." I guess that is amplified for great things. It is with a heavy heart I write today. After 8 years as a head coach & another 2 as an assistant, the time is now for me to leave.
I've had the opportunity to coach a lot of great boys over the years. In my opinion, the players i have had the honor to coach have become better students and football players, and will, over time, become even better young men.I hope I have taught my boys over the years not only play the game the way it should be played, but how to love the game I so dearly love.My job was never just about teaching X's and O's, but also teaching them how to be better teammates, students, and people.
We accomplished so very much over the years. We were the first WHYFL Super Bowl champions in 2010, going undefeated. The JETS won the first 3 Super Bowls, then again in 2014 and 2015. That's 5 out of 7.
I must thank Wes Brandon, Terrell Clark, Jason May, Joey Rotton, Robert Johnston, Jimmy Doss, David Thurgood, and Billy Hendricks (the other head coaches during my time with the JETS). To all the young players who have competed so hard against my teams - you were all such good kids and helped make Saturdays fun. I will miss Saturday mornings from September through November.
To the JETS players - I can never put in words what you all mean to me. It has been my honor and privilege to coach you. I look forward to watching you all as you continue ti grow older and possibly, continue to play sports. Over the years i have watched many of you play football, baseball, and basketball - I will continue to support all of you in whatsoever you choose.
To the parents - Thank you for allowing me to try to teach these fine boys the game of football. I know it was a struggle sometimes - 4 or 5 days a week, 2 hours a day, then roughly 2 hours on Saturday. We tried our best to help and work around school, homework, and family.
To the JETS cheerleaders - Thank you so much for showing up and cheering your hearts out. You all were a tremendous boost for the boys. Thank you to the cheer sponsors and their student coaches who gave up there time to help these fine young ladies learn their cheers.
I want to thank the following people who helped me propel the JETS in the direction i envisioned in 2009: Joey Richmond, Brian Rushing, Jason May, Brad Lambert, Randy Shores, Tim Smith, Kevin Cooper, Kerry Hadley, Sr., Joe Anderson, Cameron Tripp, Austin Lewis,and Tommy Billings. What you all have helped me do since 2009 was to teach the game the right way, the way it should be played. I will never be able to repay any of you the time, assistance, or knowledge you have given over the years. Most of you had a son(s) or brother play, but none of you tried to elevate them above the others and for that I am extremely thankful.
To Cody Musselwhite - Even though you became a head coach in your own right, you did start coaching as a JET and as we say "once a JET, always a JET". It was you that helped me expand what we did offensively. What we started doing on offense in 2010, I continued in varying fashion until the last offensive play I called. I am so very proud of you and the man you have become. I hope you continue to coach the youth this great game, either in White Hall or wherever life takes you. Wherever that is, I know it will be a success and I will be watching.
To my lovely wife, Leigh Ann. I love you so very much. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love to do, I know it was sometimes a grind for us to fit everything into the day, but you made it work; whether it was another trip to LR to pick up more mouth pieces or chin straps or getting our T-shirts designed or picked up, you never complained. Thank you so much for all the players you picked up from school over the years so they could make practice and help out a parent. I once joked that i was the head coach, but you were the CEO. We have talked so many times over the years about "do you remember when..." or "did you see..." that i know this will be just as difficult for you as it is for me.
To the ones who have had or still have a problem with me or my family. If you want to be mad at someone or blame someone for your shortcomings, stick with me. My family is not the problem or cause of your personal or professional failure (or any other failure) you have endured over the last 8 years. If you made a decision and it didn't work out, own up to it and quit blaming my family.
Finally, what we did was always what we thought was best fr the entire team, not an individual, The way I coached never changed - why would change something that worked? Maybe some people should reexamine the word team and get over it - there are way too many problems in the world to be petty. That also goes for the ones that have a problem with me and their son(s) did not play for JETS.
I always thought it was my "job" to teach the boys the game of football and get them ready for the older division, which would get then ready for jr high (middle school). Somewhere along the way, those lines became blurred and now it seems it's only about winning. Doing anything and everything to win is not the way to coach boys this great game.
I hope the boys I have coached over the years truly know how much I have enjoyed them, but unfortunately, effective immediately, I resign and am no longer associated with the WHYFL (White Hall Youth Football League) or any other re-branding or new union it enters
"Coach" Mike
