Richmond girls: Ignore the parents

Conrad Lewis is one coach who was forced out by unhappy parents only to land on his feet somewhere else.

After nine years as varsity boys basketball coach at Gardiner High School, he was informed he had not been reappointed in an August letter from the school district. So Lewis prepared himself for his first season as the girls varsity basketball coach at Richmond two years ago.

During an early practice, before the varsity and junior varsity teams had been selected, Lewis decided to see what the season held in store for him.

I handed out a little form with their age, grade and a few questions, Lewis explained. But the basic question was `what do you expect from your coach if you make this year’s team?’

The comments I got were kind of interesting, he continued. One young lady said, `I hope that the coach does not listen to outside pressure from players’ parents. I expect him to listen to us and not the parents’ complaints.’

It just showed me that kids didn’t want the parents’ interference, and it is kind of embarassing for them, Lewis said.

That initial questionnaire opened Lewis’ eyes. He had spent five years coaching the junior varsity team at Gardiner before taking the varsity seat. Lewis never asked that particular question because he had seen those players since they were in the Pee Wee leagues.

I knew who they were. I knew their situation, he said. I guess the reason I did it at Richmond was because I didn’t know who they were and what they were like. I wish I would’ve done it at Gardiner because I probably would’ve been amazed at that also.

In his two years at Richmond, Lewis has led the girls team to two Western Maine Class D championships. He was named the 1995 Maine Association of Basketball Coaches’ Western Maine Class D girls basketball coach of the year and co-coached the McDonald’s Senior All-Stars.

Lewis is the first to admit there’s more to job security than a good record and personal accolades.

You’d like to think being good to the kids and having fun would be a priority, Lewis said. The answers that I got on my questionnaires were `treat us with respect; push us.’ Yet they want to know that you’re human and that you want to have fun, too. With the hours you devote, you’ve got to have fun … and the kids have to enjoy what they’re doing.