Apologies to Gordon

[CRSARM]

I really tried to stay silent in all of this but I can not anymore.

I do not know Coach Burkhart personally but I do know some of his family and they are great people.

Let's see if we can get a few facts straight.

1. Coach Burkhart was going to coach at Gordon
2. Coach Burkhart is no longer going to coach at Gordon.

Does anything else really matter here for Gordon? As the students/players spend their summer getting ready for the next season they will spend time on the internet and time on this board. If the see nothing but people bashing a coach who is not going to coach at Gordon what positive can they bring from that? The Coach Burkhart situation is now in the past. The future is the next season with whatever coach Gordon decides to go with. Shouldn't we be focusing on that?

We remember what it was like to be younger, how we needed an excuse when something went wrong. Rather than allow the boys to use this whole thing as an excuse let's use it as motivation. If the boys loose a game don't let them lay blame elsewhere...use this as a thing to get them to try harder to win, help them to see that it is what is in their hearts that win the games along with the coaching staff and fans. Help them to want to win to show the state that this issue will not effect them next season, use it to get them to try harder.

I wish the Gordon team the best of luck next season and I will be behind them every game. I also wish Coach Burkhart the best of luck and I will be rooting for whatever team he ends up at as long as they are not playing Gordon or Strawn.

Let's put this behind us and move on, if we continue to bash and ridicule someone there is NOTHING positive that can come out of it. I do recommend that everyone spend a moment in prayer before doing another post about this on here, I know I did.

PS I never hide behind a a name on here, I am who I am.

Good luck to all of the teams involved along with their coaching staffs.

Andy Martin

 

[Longhorn85]

This is Jarratt Shipp, currently the head coach at Prairie Lea. As a few of you already know, I recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Gordon I.S.D. In light of recent events, I feel it necessary to reassure the community that I WILL be honoring that commitment. It seems to me that Gordon just dodged a huge bullet and I've honestly never felt better about my decision to become a Longhorn. I'm sure the kids are upset and they have every right to be, but I couldn't be more excited to work with Coach Sizemore and pursue the opportunities that lie in front of us.
Our goals remain the same.

-Coach Shipp

Coach, we are happy to have you at Gordon. If you have not already seen it, you will understand that community matters more than anything here. Agreed, we dodged a bullet on this deal, as we certainly do not want a coach that is timid about even showing up to work day 1. We look forward to having you here full time working with Jason, GO HORNS!

-Randy Savage Jr.
Gordon I.S.D. Class of 95

 

[Haustin Burkhart]

Andy Martin... Well said.

 

[texas man]

He is just taking a page from all the college coaches. They tell recruits what they want to hear.

 

[freeagent]

Coach, we are happy to have you at Gordon. If you have not already seen it, you will understand that community matters more than anything here. Agreed, we dodged a bullet on this deal, as we certainly do not want a coach that is timid about even showing up to work day 1. We look forward to having you here full time working with Jason, GO HORNS!

-Randy Savage Jr.
Gordon I.S.D. Class of 95

Having met Jason a couple times at scrimmages here at Lifegate, my friends in Gordon are going to be well served having Jason in their community.

See, things turn out okay.

 

[GFL 2012]

This is Jarratt Shipp, currently the head coach at Prairie Lea. As a few of you already know, I recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Gordon I.S.D. In light of recent events, I feel it necessary to reassure the community that I WILL be honoring that commitment. It seems to me that Gordon just dodged a huge bullet and I've honestly never felt better about my decision to become a Longhorn. I'm sure the kids are upset and they have every right to be, but I couldn't be more excited to work with Coach Sizemore and pursue the opportunities that lie in front of us.
Our goals remain the same.

-Coach Shipp

We here at the Gordon Football League welcome you to GISD.

 

[MelaniB]

Thank you Andy. All of this has been heartbreaking for the entire family.

 

[Dogface]

How about this weather?..................................................

How bout them COWBOYS!!!!

Oh wait.
That's a messed up deal too.
Never mind.

P.S.- If schools would BEGIN by finding the type of guy that a school can count on for the long haul, instead of basing everything on their w/l record then this stuff would happen much less.
jus sayin'.

 

[Yamregit]

In the end this will probably be the BEST thing that could have have happened for Gordon and the State of Texas. True colors are being exposed, the veil of perfection is being removed. I just hope he really likes RS because after this incident any other school would be a fool to hire him.

 

[Yamregit]

This is Jarratt Shipp, currently the head coach at Prairie Lea. As a few of you already know, I recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Gordon I.S.D. In light of recent events, I feel it necessary to reassure the community that I WILL be honoring that commitment. It seems to me that Gordon just dodged a huge bullet and I've honestly never felt better about my decision to become a Longhorn. I'm sure the kids are upset and they have every right to be, but I couldn't be more excited to work with Coach Sizemore and pursue the opportunities that lie in front of us.
Our goals remain the same.

-Coach Shipp

I would freaking hope so!!!!!!!
GEEEZZZZZ, that just might be a small step up, wouldn't say!

 

[Bill O'Rielly]

I am glad that Jerry has the support of so many right now, clearly he will need it to wrestle with his own demons that brought him to this decision. My question though, is in seeing the history of the rhetoric on this board, it seems that no one can ever do wrong in the eyes of some. Honestly, how much of a JERK move does someone have to make before they can be criticized? In the history of Coaching situations I have dealt with, I have never known a situation similar to this. The depth in which he seemed to have bought in to begin with, and how much he got the kids to buy in, only to go silent for days, not showing up, and then not giving a reason other than "family", just is beyond me. Bud, take it all in, you earned it. Yes it will pass, and no one at Gordon will be asking you to come back at ANY point in the future. I bet Gordon starts scheduling RS games again now.

PLEASE DO!!!! We have thoroughly enjoyed everyone of them lately!

 

[coachsatcher]

I've tried to remain quiet, but that's just not my style.
1. Yes. Family should always come first. Coaches are often chastised for putting their careers ahead of their families. Heaven forbid someone do so.
2. Yes. It would have been nice if this "family-first" mentality would have been considered before accepting a job.
3. Yes. Coach Burkhart has every right to change his mind and do what he feels best for himself and his family.
4. Yes. Gordon has every right to be disappointed in this decision. You don't make this kind of decision without expecting some form of negative feedback. The same way we respect the Coach for making his decision; we must respect others for not agreeing with it.

In no way, shape or form does this decision change Gordon's outlook on the future. It also won't effect Burkhart's status in sixman football. In a few years this will be a footnote and a side-bar. Whether I agree with it or disagree is not the point. I feel bad for those who applied for the job, and were passed over, and have accepted other jobs. This would mean Gordon lost there first, second and possibly third coaching options. I truly wish Gordon the very best in their search for a new coach. I also with Burkhart and his family the best of luck in the future. I'm not choosing sides in this ones, because I truly believe in Kharma and fate will decide the intentions and actions of all involved.

 

[Dogface]

...after this incident any other school would be a fool to hire him.

Don't kid yourself.
You give all those pee-wee dads on school boards across the state
waaaaaaaaaay too much credit.
Lots of schools would give whatever
to get a big name guy, any big name guy.
They think they need a Lee Iacocca
when they need a Ken Iverson.
jus sayin.

 

[SCONELBRO]

I spent 17 years as a minister and am now a business owner and coach at a local TAPPS school. Ministers and coaches make more family sacrifices than any profession other than our great military and civil service departments, and require more people-pleasing than probably any profession. There are times you simply have to put your family first. This will obviously be a black mark on his resume, and he willingly chose that to put his family first. Regardless of the situation, those facts are true. Anything else that needs to be said should be done in private...not a public chastising in response to an apology. Be disappointed. Be disappointed IN him. But don't embarrass your community by lashing out. Every coach should protect his family and you are showing what your community's response is when a coach puts his family before yours when you'd never put him before your family. I hope everything works out well for both sides.

 

[coachsatcher]

I spent 17 years as a minister and am now a business owner and coach at a local TAPPS school. Ministers and coaches make more family sacrifices than any profession other than our great military and civil service departments, and require more people-pleasing than probably any profession. There are times you simply have to put your family first. This will obviously be a black mark on his resume, and he willingly chose that to put his family first. Regardless of the situation, those facts are true. Anything else that needs to be said should be done in private...not a public chastising in response to an apology. Be disappointed. Be disappointed IN him. But don't embarrass your community by lashing out. Every coach should protect his family and you are showing what your community's response is when a coach puts his family before yours when you'd never put him before your family. I hope everything works out well for both sides.

Well said.

 

[CT6MFL]

This will obviously be a black mark on his resume

.......more like a dingy grey mark..

 

[texas man]

So no black mark even if we go on to find out. That they do hire a coach with kids. Just asking

 

[popcorn]

This is Jarratt Shipp, currently the head coach at Prairie Lea. As a few of you already know, I recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Gordon I.S.D. In light of recent events, I feel it necessary to reassure the community that I WILL be honoring that commitment. It seems to me that Gordon just dodged a huge bullet and I've honestly never felt better about my decision to become a Longhorn. I'm sure the kids are upset and they have every right to be, but I couldn't be more excited to work with Coach Sizemore and pursue the opportunities that lie in front of us.
Our goals remain the same.

-Coach Shipp

thanks for sticking with us. what a nice up grade for you also. I noticed you moved from a div2 school rated #64 of 64. overall 246 of 256. I love it when someone does good like you have. moving right up to a top 10 div 1 school. what a deal! Hope you are in the running for a.d./h.c. I'm glad they dodged the bullet also and got a top notch coach like you to stick with them. best of luck and I hope you show them little men of steel at RS how the cow eat the cabbage. don't let that o,riley guy scare you. just because they've won the last umpteen don't mean they will this year. And go ahead and get married, most of parents here have.
again, welcome and good luck, popcorn

 

[westexasflats]

Wonder what would Don H say

 

[SixFan19]

Don was excited for Gordon when I told him that it looked like Coach Burkhart may come to town. That was the last of many conversations we had over the past five years. He would have had something witty to say about the situation that unfolded but would have been respectable to both sides.

Hopefully people realize that some of the people taking shots on this thread are not actually from Gordon. There are folks out there that like to stir the pot. There have been some assumptions made and some rumors started as well. At the same time a lot of factual things were shared shedding light on how embedded things got before the plug was pulled. The truth is that this situation ended up hurting a lot of kids and parents, some of them badly. Those that know enough about what really happened will come to understand and forgive in time. I hold no hard feelings towards Coach Burkhart and there is not a more die hard Gordon Longhorn fan that I am.

Good luck to Coach Burkhart and to the Gordon Longhorns I expect that both will do well this season and for many to come.