THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 5, 1994 TAG: 9410040127
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Lee Tolliver
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
When the fish aren't biting, a fishing buddy of mine will often laugh and ask, ``So, what do you think we're doing wrong?''
The same question is being asked of Kellam football coach Chris Worst, but unfortunately, it's taken on an ugly tone.
Worst began his high school coaching career last year by taking over a downtrodden Kellam football program. Kellam had lost the last five games of the '92 season and hadn't had a winning season since Harper Donahoe's 5-4-1 team in 1986.
But under Worst's direction, Kellam went winless for the first time in school history. The losing streak went to 15 games.
Folks started to grumble.
So far this season, Kellam is 0-4 and the streak has been pushed to 19 games.
The fussing has changed to threats, nasty letters - and get this - someone even put a ``For Sale'' sign in Worst's front yard.
When fans and supporters lose hope, that's one thing, but when they turn to harassment, that's another.
``It's been going on strong since the Salem game,'' Worst said. ``I started getting letters attacking me, personally. It's not fair. We're doing the best we can with the kids we have and for somebody to resort to this when they obviously don't understand the problems, I just can't believe somebody would do this kind of thing.
``I have an open door policy that anybody, anybody, can come and talk to me about how things are going around here. This person doesn't even have the guts to sign their name to these letters, much less come and talk to me about things.
``But I guess it comes with the territory.''
Arguably the most terrible thing in all of this is that a parent of one of the players is apparently at the root of the campaign.
Worst is sure of it. One letter gave evidence of such, stating: ``I'm ashamed my kid has to play for a guy like you.''
``He doesn't know me,'' Worst said. ``He's been watching me like a hawk, because he makes comments on things that only someone watching would know. But he doesn't know how hard these kids are working and that the coaches are working just as hard.''
A look back might help explain just what has happened to Kellam's football program.
In 1979, Green Run opened its doors and rezoning took a vast number of students and potential athletes from the halls of Kellam. The Knights had been a regional power for much of the 1970s, but went 1-9 the year Green Run opened.
There was a slight resurgence in success for a few years - including a district championship - until Salem opened its doors in 1989. Kellam went 3-7 that year and has only won five games since.
With rezoning - and several coaches will tell you this - the talent base at many schools has been thinned. When Ocean Lakes opened this year, 400 Kellam students were re-assigned, including several returning football players.
``You have to play with the cards you are dealt,'' Worst said. ``It's not an excuse, but we just don't have the athetes some of the other schools have. It's going to take some time for things to level off.''
Worst is quick to defend his players, who also have to deal with unfavorable commentary daily in the halls.
``We're a team and I have shown the kids the letters so that they understand that their coaching staff is putting up with the same stuff,'' Worst said. ``Against Ocean Lakes Friday night, the kids put themselves in the position to win a game for the first time in a long time and that kind of improvement is all I ask from them. Getting them to understand that they can win is one of the hardest things.''
There is another unsettling side to all of this.
Every Friday night, Worst's wife and children sit in the stands and have to endure the multitude of comments that come from all the armchair quarterbacks and would-be coaches.
``It upsets her. She knows what I'm going through,'' Worst said of his wife. ``She knows that the kids are doing their best and they have their priorities straight with school and all that.
``We're all doing the best we can.''
And isn't that what high school sports are supposed to be about?
And to the folks who would add to Worst's problems with cowardly letters, I ask: Shouldn't that be enough? MEMO: Got an interesting sports-related story to tell. If so, call The Beacon
at 490-7228 and let us know about it, or write to The Beacon, Sports
Department, 4565 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va., 23462. The
fax number is 490-7235.
by CNB