Olson, team a class act

I had the pleasure of watching this year’s district and regional tournaments in which the Ferris boys basketball team played so very well.

I was there taking pictures as a hobby of mine after three decades in coaching basketball, teaching and administration in Montana public schools. I was very impressed with the outstanding fundamentals of the team and the unselfish attitude of the players.

Ferris was literally outsized every time they stepped on the court, yet it seemed there was no team in the state who could beat their heart! The coaching staff, head coach Barry Olson. assistants, stat keepers, cheerleaders, and even the managers acted with the highest class of the tournament. Such behavior is the kind we want from our sons and daughters as the future leaders of our schools and communities. The role modeling displayed by Coach Olson and staff was exemplary.

I paused in absolute disbelief when I heard the news that head Coach Olson was not rehired by the school district to coach at Ferris. It is my understanding the previous coach was placed on a plan of improvement, which in school and union language means they had to clean up their act because some parts of their professional behavior was not acceptable.

If the district would truly have an “open” position, then why in the world would they allow the old coach to pick three of the people on the panel charged with selecting the new coach?

This may be the first letter to the editor I have ever written, but I have never seen a finer man treated in such a poor fashion. Politics and union lawyers should never force our school boards to take anything for our children less than the very best! Shame on them!

Coach Olson is a man somewhat born out of the mold of coach John Wooden of UCLA. That is the highest compliment educators can give. Coach Olson is a very talented and proven math teacher.

We all need to remember that our best teachers and unimpeachable men of character are the kind of people we want coaching our young people about sport and life.

Too bad, soooo sad, for Ferris High School students and staff!

Bill Parker

Connell