Superintendent's Report
Troup coach succeeds as nice guy
Marvin Beaty

Nice guys finish last. Right?

Let's be real, you can't tiptoe through the world and respond to every situation with kid gloves. You've got to be mean and have an attitude of "win at all cost." Right?

You have to make sacrifices. You have to push, push and push some more. You can't accept second place regardless of how you avoid losing. Right?

WRONG!

I just finished watching the Super Bowl and witnessed the same thing you did. A nice guy won the game and did it with class. I'm no sportswriter, but I admire Tony Dungy of the Colts and how he handles himself.

So let's look at our situation at TISD. We, too, have some classy guys that walk our sidelines. They work with kids everyday and do so with class. I'm so very proud of our coaching staff and the manner in which they handle themselves.

In particular, I am very proud of Coach John Eastman. I want to invite each of you to come to our practices or games. You will see him working with kids and coaches alike in a manner that would make your granddad proud. Does he possess fire? Yes. Does he get after people and light a fire under their backsides? Yes.

Does he curse kids and adults? Does he sacrifice the health of kids and co-workers to achieve victory? Does he neglect other athletic activities so they will not have a chance to steal the limelight from the football program? Does he loaf or slough off his duties after he has won or shared the past two district championships? Never! Let me repeat that, NEVER!

Coach Eastman works hard everyday. He is a contributing member of the administrative team and campus teams. Last week when the officials walked out of the junior high gym and refused to call the eighth-grade game, Coach Eastman grabbed a dad from the opposing team's bleachers and together they officiated the game to everyone's satisfaction. He builds kids up in body, mind and spirit. He treats all of the kids as if they were his own.

I never hear him talking bad about a student or their parents, even when he himself is not treated with proper respect. I have never witnessed him abandon a child regardless of the many times he is faced with helping them clean up a mess he had no part in making. We can all look back in our lives at the times we have been blessed to work with such people and remember how we took it for granted.

I want to invite you to participate in my appreciation of Coach Eastman and his fine staff. Together, they make our children's lives better, one drop of sweat at a time. Coach Eastman and his staff teach our kids that success only comes before work when you look in the dictionary.

Remember, when we fail to appreciate the good things we have we will quickly find ourselves talking about the good old days and wondering why we ever let them slip away. Troup ISD is truly blessed to have the fine men and women that coach our kids under Athletic Director John Eastman.