Some thoughts on the resignation of WCHS football coach Chris Tracy

Reprinted from my Feb. 18 SlapShots column

Coaches come and coaches go.

That’s just part of the life of every sports program. But that doesn’t make it any easier for those left behind when a coach makes the decision to move on.

The Woodford County High School football team lost a good one when head football coach Chris Tracy made the decision to step down and accept the coaching position at Franklin County High School.

The move is understandable. Heading to Franklin County represents a homecoming for Tracy, and he sees the change a great opportunity for him and his family. So I don’t fault him for pursuing the Flyers position.

But I’ll be honest, I’m going to miss Chris. I’ve not only grown to respect Tracy as a coach and an educator, he’s become a friend.

And to make matters worse, I now face the prospect of having to train a brand new Yellow Jacket skipper.

Coaches are notoriously hard to train.

Chris Tracy was the first Woodford guy I met when I took over as the Woodford Sun sports editor. I’d been on the job exactly one day when I covered my first Yellow Jacket football game, a 49-34 win over Bardstown. Tracy made the transition from big city news guy to small town sports editor a lot easier through his kindness and respect.

Chris was easy to work with, and believe me, when it comes to coaches that’s not always the case. Win or lose, he always answered my questions. He never seemed put off, never bristled and never refused to answer the tough ones. In fact, Tracy would often bring up controversial issues on his own accord. I always appreciated the fact that he never made excuses. He refused to use referees, field conditions or outside circumstances as scapegoats for a bad performance.

But what truly sets Christ Tracy apart is his love for his kids.

You can criticize Chris’ choice of offensive systems. You can question his play calling. You can say he ran the ball too much, or didn’t run it enough. But nobody can legitimately say that he didn’t care about his players.

In fact, Chris Tracy cares more about the kids on his team than he cares about football.

And once again, in the world of high school sports, that’s not always the case.

Don’t get me wrong; Chris wants to win. He harbors a deep and intense competitive streak. But he always emphasized learning. He always seemed more concerned about making sure his players grew up into good citizens as opposed to great football players. He always looked at the big picture.

Chris emphasized academics. He taught life lessons. He never neglected the spiritual. More than once, I’ve seen the coach put his arm around a kid’s shoulder, pull him close just to share a few encouraging words.

Tracy leaves Woodford County with a 36-39 record, but that’s not his legacy. His legacy resides in the hearts and minds of the kids he coached over the last seven years. Lessons learned. Character built. Boys grown into men.

Yes Chris. We will miss you.

Good luck at Franklin County – until that Friday nigh you play Woodford.

Quick Shots
The University of Kentucky put the fan in fanatic. The Wildcat faithful proved once again that when it comes to basketball passion, no place on earth comes close. More than 22,000 fans packed Rupp Arena for a TV show on Feb. 13. Not for a game. Not even for practice. They came just to watch ESPN broadcast its GameDay program the morning before the UK – Tennessee match-up. Talk about over-the-top. “We’ve never seen anything like this,” GameDay host Rece Davis said. “This place is so special.” Special – or downright insane.

The kickoff of the 2010 NASCAR season had some bumps in the road – literally. Chunks of pavement came loose, forcing officials to delay the Daytona 500 twice for patch jobs. It seemed as if city road crews were doing the repairs. You know, one guy working and a whole gaggle watching. After more two hours worth of delays, Jamie McMurray won the storied race. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. made all the waiting worthwhile, charging from 10th place to second in the span of one lap to challenge for the win. At least that part was exciting, because if you think watching care drive in circles for hours is boring, you should try watching them sit parked.

That said, the guys at FOX did a pretty good job of keeping things interesting during the delays. Thank the NASCAR gods that this didn’t happen during TNT’s coverage.

The Woodford County High School basketball teams are both peaking at just the right times. With the post season less than two weeks away, both Jacket squads earned big wins. The girls’ team upset Anderson County 50-49. And it didn’t look like a fluke. The Lady Jackets went toe-to-toe with the top team in the 8th Region. Not to be outdone, the boys’ team beat West Jessamine, a Sweet 16 final four team last season and then turned around and took out 15-win Boyle County. It looks like the Jackets are poised to make some noise in the postseason. Wins at the end of the year can make up for a lot of early season frustration.

Is it just me, or have the Olympic opening ceremonies gotten kind of creepy?

Quote of the Week
“That car has no idea how old I am.” – Mark Martin, 51-year-old NASCAR driver

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of the International Luge Federation officials. They claim the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a training run before the start of the Vancouver Olympics had nothing to do with “deficiencies in the track.” But they built a big wooden wall to cover the steel beams that Kumaritashvili hit at over 90 mph, and placed padding on other exposed beams. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like that might have been a better plan before the crash.