I had heard earlier last week that the end may be near for my friend and Chapin girls soccer coach, John Rosier. The situation wasn’t very pretty and the writing seemed to be on the wall way to early in the process. When we finally got to sit down and talk about everything that had happened, he told me a bitter story that unraveled more like a Shakespearian play than a human resource issue. The article attempts to show an unbiased interpretation of the events that led to the dismissal of a man whose coaching career spanned thirty years and impacted lives for the better all along the way.
“Mike, I won’t be there tonight, but my JV coach and assistant will. I’ve got a little problem up here at work and I’ll talk to you about later on. Let me know how everything goes.”
That was the way a phone call went between Coach Rosier and myself around lunch time on February 26th before we were set to scrimmage. I didn’t think too much about it as I was more worried if the weather would allow us to play or not.
“No problem, bud.” I said. “I’ll give you a holler or an email sometime and let you know.”
I got to the field and met his assistant and then his JV coach Staci Cosby. We briefly shook hands and then parted ways for the game to begin. South Aiken JV’s won handedly and I left the press box to get on the field for the varsity match. David Mihoulides, our JV coach, was laughing as I got to the sidelines and he saw my look of amusement.
“What?” I asked him.
“Man, that is one angry woman.” He said. “We were shaking hands and she apologized for the match and that she would have given us a better game had she been given more than 14 players for the match. I don’t know your buddy (John), but she really hates him. ‘I hope they fire him! I really do!’ she said as we parted”
We were both befuddled by her remarks and I knew that Rosier was going to have to do some explaining tonight when I called him. Something was up and anytime you’ve got a staff member badmouthing you – that can’t be good.
Walking through Kroger after game on a routine baby Tylenol trip, I had John on the phone and asked him to tell me what was going on and that something funny had gone on here that he might want to know. Once he got going, I had to sit down to fully gather all the events that had taken place. Again, I only got one side of the story so I’m attempting to play it out as cleanly as possible.
I’ve only had the pleasure of working with great JV coaches in my time at T.L. Hanna and short season at South Aiken. Both gentlemen knew that the life of the program was based on winning the games at 7:00, not 5:30. Now, we’ve been fortunate to do both but I never heard one complaint after a close JV loss that “If you we had a couple of the varsity players who aren’t getting a lot of time – we would have won that one.” Never has that been said to my face or behind my back. John didn’t have the same luxury.
After teams were decided, the varsity stood at a little over 20 while the JV’s were down to 14. The argument can be made on either side of the fence that A) The more time on the field, the better you get or B) playing with higher level teammates makes you better. John felt like option B was the best, however Staci was not in the same boat. Why have girls sitting on the bench when they could be getting minutes on JV? Perhaps her reasoning was understandable, but her public complaints and undermining comments were not. Every quality coach running a high school program knows that the junior varsity team is there to develop and prepare the kids for their day on varsity. Winning games is an added benefit. I know that isn’t always the popular decision or mindset, especially if you are a JV parent or player, but in this day of instant gratification it’s important to look at the big picture. John saw it, but the vision was lost on his JV coach.
Rumblings of senior discontent also surfaced as the year began. Not all were getting quality minutes on the pitch. I have a son and I know that when some kid at daycare takes his toy and makes him cry, it breaks my heart and I want revenge. More than one senior parent saw their child sitting on the bench, while their younger teammates were on the pitch. Seeing the hurt and pain on their faces from being in the program for so long and not getting a spot in the action got to a soccer parent or two. With Rosier controlling the minutes, he became the enemy. Now, there comes a time to make a decision. Do I A) understand that the best soccer player gets the start, accept my kid is not there, and encourage them keep going and finish what they started, B) tell them to quit because it has become too hard and not enough fun to go to practice or C) lash out at the coach by creating an angry mob and taking our accusations to the principal and AD? The latter was the decision made. I cannot say that all senior parents were there, as I am sure there are some good folks out there that are made of tougher stuff and knew how to handle adversity. But there were enough bad apples to bend the administration’s ear.
The last straw was a yellow/red card issued to John during the Viking Cup. The infamous mechanical whistle (that is barely audible) caused several yellow cards to players for continuing play. John argued that point a little too much as the innovative official had him tossed, and then stopped play once again for not completely removing himself from the facility. That proved to be his final undoing as trouble awaited him back in Chapin.
The Athletic Director and principal had John on hold for two weeks as they checked with players, parents, and clubs he coached for previously (what does that have to do with HS?) before finally telling him “With all that has happened, it would be best if you didn’t continue coaching.” After doing their best to research fully the situation, that was the decision they decided would be best for the program. Some may argue it was the right one, while others see it as weakness and giving in to the disgruntled minority. I fall in the latter group.
With that, a 5 year era that spanned 75 wins was over. Heather Frederick, a quality coach herself with CUFC and Irmo Girls Varsity, was given the job and will now carries the torch.
Whether you look back on John’s Rosier’s time at Chapin as one of an old school, iron fisted rule or a time of success on the field and character building off – the game has lost one of it’s better coaches. You knew his girls would know their game in and out, you knew they would be in shape, and you knew they’d play the game as it was meant to be. However, above all else he taught them to work hard each and every day because nothing in this life comes easy. After all, in his 30 years of coaching he helped get the Irmo program started and was there to see it’s first state championship in only the third year of existence, led Heathwood Hall’s girls in the 90’s, and Dutch Fork’s JV boys in the early 2000’s all without problems. I got to know him well while working as opposing coaches at the North/South Game and I hate to see one of our coaching brethren hang up the whistle, especially under the prior circumstances. But I don’t worry if he’ll leave the game angry or forever be disgruntled at the faceless cowards that called for his ousting. His wife gave him a book to help him get through the hard time and inside scribbled these words from the heart that bring closure to the situation for him:
“John, No matter what anyone else may say, I know you are a great coach. You know your game and that is all there is to it. Life isn’t fair, but God is good.”
At the end of the day, that’s all that matters…
Editor’s note: I got to see a lot of quality girls from Chapin play up close as well as their fantastic parents cheer them on when they came to South Aiken. I wish those parents that support their team with dignity and character the best of seasons in 2008 and beyond.