Parents want coach to resign> Group circulates petition against Brewer’s Savage

A group of parents dissatisfied with Brewer High School’s boys basketball program have drawn up a petition requesting the dismissal of varsity coach Mark Savage.

“It really has nothing to do with the record or performance of the team,” said Bruce Johnson of Brewer, one of 15 to 20 parents involved with the petition.

“It has more to do with the positive and negative effects on the athletes. We want to see our kids participate and be productive in a positive environment.”

Johnson said it all started when a group of parents he was not part of met with Savage and Brewer Athletic Director Dennis Kiah and asked for Savage to step down after the 1996-97 season.

Savage, who also teaches physical and outdoor education at Brewer High, declined and the school administration supported him.

“So this group has gone to the point of approaching local citizens to get enough signatures to get the attention of the school board and bring it up in a special meeting,” said Johnson, who did not know how many signatures had been gathered so far.

“This is the first time this has ever happened to me since I’ve been coaching. I’m not sure where it’s coming from,” said Savage, who refused to comment on the petition itself.

The basic statement of the petition, which has been in circulation since Friday, reads as follows:

“We, the undersigned citizens of Brewer and sending communities of the Brewer School Department appeal to the Brewer School Board to create a positive environment for our athletes to participate in sports. Therefore, we request the termination of the head coach of the boys varsity basketball program, effective immediately.”

Johnson wouldn’t specify exactly what the group’s concerns were, but said the petition resulted “out of concern for the emotional well-being” of their children and they wanted to see “positive reinforcement used.”

He said the group was made up of parents involved on a volunteer basis with youth sports leagues.

“I guess they just disagree with what I’m doing,” said Savage. “I didn’t hear about [the petition] until after the season ended.”

Johnson, whose son played on the varsity squad this season, said he and other parents have voiced their concerns to Savage and emphasized their petition has nothing to do with their sons’ playing time.

“I actually got involved from the standpoint of trying to mediate,” he explained. “Quite frankly, the difficult part of all of this is I like Mark Savage as a person, I just disagree with his approach. That’s what makes it so difficult.”

Some parents of past and current ballplayers have elected to stay out the fray.

“The reason I haven’t become directly involved is because the five starting seniors this season do not have any ill will toward Mark Savage,” said Mimi King, whose son Adam was a two-year starter.

“My son asked me not to get involved in the petition. So I figure if Adam, who had the most direct contact with coach Savage, doesn’t want to do anything to hurt him, why should I?”

Savage recently completed his 10th season as Brewer’s head coach. He directed his team to an Eastern Maine Class A Championship during his rookie season in 1987-88. The Witches have compiled a record of 93-97 and gone to the tournament five times during his tenure.

“It’s not the winning and losing, but a lot of it has to do with the same concerns not being addressed year after year. It goes back four to five years with me,” Johnson explained.

“This is not a vindictive group that wants to string anybody up, but it does want to see change,” he added.