JON SCHROEDER is shown here in a discussion with an official during a game this season at La Center High School. Schroeder was informed last week that he would not be back as the coach of the Wildcats boys team despite guiding La Center to the Final 16 of the state playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
LA CENTER – Even though he has guided athletic teams at the high school level off and on during the past 30 years of his life, Jon Schroeder continues to be amazed how little appreciation there is for those who elect to coach at that level.
Schroeder was informed last week that he will not return as the coach of the La Center High School boys basketball program, despite the fact that he guided the Wildcats into the final 16 of the Class 1A state playoffs in two of his three seasons in the position.
“It was a complete surprise,’’ said Schroeder, referring to the decision to dismiss him as La Center’s coach. “I don’t know what sense to make of it.’’
Three years ago, Schroeder inherited a program that had not been to the Class 1A state tournament (final 16) since 2003. In the 10 seasons prior to his hiring, the Wildcats had a combined record of 50-151. In his three seasons as coach, La Center compiled a 47-25 record.
“I wasn’t handed the car keys to something that was running real smoothly when I got the job,’’ Schroeder said. “I was asked to work with the middle school coaches, develop a youth program, be visible in the community and bring some discipline and accountability to the program. I was told they wanted these types of things. I immersed myself in the community in the ways that I was asked and the way they were seeking and in the end, I was hoping that was enough to make them happy.’’
But it wasn’t enough, and Schroeder said he is speaking out because others in his position usually don’t.
“The reason I’m speaking out is so many coaches don’t,’’ Schroeder said. “I think it’s high time people understand what’s really going on with high school athletics. Something continues to be horrifically wrong. People wonder why there is such a movement toward select programs and travel teams, this is just one additional reason why.
“The first thing I would say is the position of head coach in any high school, I don’t care what sport you’re coaching, it’s a highly political existence and we’re not political,’’ Schroeder said. “This is something that happens over and over and I think that’s unfortunate.’’
Schroeder said he was informed of his dismissal as coach by La Center Athletic Director Matt Cooke just last week, more than four months after the Wildcats’ season came to an end. He had already coached La Center’s summer team in 10 games and a couple of tournaments and had plans to take his players to a team camp at Gonzaga University in July.
“I have tremendous respect for Matt Cooke; he’s in a tough spot,’’ Schroeder said. “What really drove all of this, I’m not exactly sure. Administrators have a very tough job. A person like Matt Cooke has to answer to people who are above him, us coaches and the parents. To his credit, I think this was an extremely tough decision. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him.’’
Cooke did not return a voice message from The Reflector seeking comment on this story.
Schroeder said that Cooke focused on three issues when they spoke last week.
“The first one was that I didn’t support other athletic endeavors at the school, which is absolutely not true,’’ said Schroeder, who said that he made every attempt to coordinate his offseason program with other coaches at La Center High School.
The second complaint was that Schroeder “used excessive language’’ while in the role as coach.
“I don’t even do that in casual conversations,’’ Schroeder said.
The final reason given for his dismissal was “bench decorum.’’
“You can always look for ways to improve and I thought I had made good improvements in that area,’’ said Schroeder, who indicated that in his three seasons as La Center’s coach he received two technical fouls, one for stomping his foot in a game at Kalama during his second season and one this season when he attempted to call a timeout at a game at King’s Way Christian High School when his team didn’t have any remaining.
“There really wasn’t anything that I can recall that would warrant being letting go for the reasons they told me,’’ said Schroeder, who didn’t understand why Cooke didn’t come to him sooner if his performance in those three areas was indeed poor enough to lead to his dismissal.
“I came out of the meeting last week and I got the real strong impression I wasn’t Mr. Rogers enough,’’ he joked. “I’m not the only guy who has gone through this. We don’t have to look too far around before we can start picking some situations that occurred the same way to good people doing a very good job for the right reasons. I don’t coach a sport, I coach young men.’’
Schroeder said he has heard from a lot of those young men in the week since he was dismissed, including former Battle Ground High School standout Jake Belford, who now plays at Davidson College in North Carolina.
“I’ve had a plethora of former players and coaches reach out to me in the last week,’’ Schroeder said. “This isn’t about rejection for me, it’s about redirection to a better opportunity. That’s the way I have to look at it. I’m disappointed and I don’t agree, but I’m not the one who gets paid to make the brainy decisions.’’
