By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Wearing orange-and-black "Second Serve" armbands, supporters of Girls Tennis Coach Chuck Rubino packed Patrick Hamilton Middle School media center Monday night seeking his reinstatement.
Eighteen students, parents and educators addressed the Dowagiac Board of Education, including players, Assistant Coach Marshall Bailly, Band Director Tom Stansifer and 1990 graduate John Ross.
President Randy Cuthbert said at the outset, "What you have to share with us, we want to hear. Board members are here to represent the community. If you do address the board, I would ask that you be considerate. Don't bring individual names up. If you have an issue, express it without personalizing it in a way that could hurt other people."
The board imposed a two-minute comment period.
Cuthbert recalled that Superintendent Larry Crandall at a May 2 special meeting recommended that Rubino not be reappointed for the 2005-2006 school year. "He gave Mr. Rubino the opportunity to appeal that to the board."
After a closed session Rubino requested and a discussion between the six members present, Cuthbert said the board's options included accepting the administrative recommendation or voting to override Crandall's decision.
Crandall's recommendation stood on a 3-3 tie when Greg Ferrier moved to overrule the superintendent by offering a contract renewal to Rubino. Cuthbert and Sheryl File voted with Ferrier.
Larry Seurynck, Faye Edwards and Bill Lawrence voted against overturning the recommendation.
Jane Laing did not attend the May 2 and May 16 meetings.
Crandall's only comment was, "I recognize that people who are here this evening are here out of interest and concern. You care very deeply about the program and I recognize that. Obviously, I'm not going to go into any details, but I do feel that it's important to make one comment.
Judy O'Brien, a Dowagiac graduate who taught at Patrick Hamilton, said "the party most maligned by the fallout of this recent chain of events … that culminated in the removal of Coach Rubino as girls tennis coach is the entire student body. Not just these girls who play tennis.
Stansifer, who has directed instrumental music at the high school and at Central Middle School during his 30-year career in Dowagiac, commented, "I've seen a number of coaches come and go, some by their own volition, some by your volition. I have remained silent for all those 30 years and I can't remain silent in this particular case. I have the utmost respect for Chuck Rubino. I've seen Chuck Rubino be not only professional, but very ethical in his dealings with children and their parents. I've seen him work very hard to build this girls tennis team and I think he deserves another chance to right whatever wrongs are out there. Another chance to change some behaviors that may be questionable at this point in time. Chuck is one of the most professional and ethical coaches I have ever seen. We are always told here to work harder and smarter. I think Chuck Rubino has done that for many, many years," Stansifer said. "Think very carefully about this and possibly reopen discussions on this matter."
Senior player Ashley Urbanski said, "He pushed us to practice like no other coach has ever pushed me before. I played the best tennis I've ever played in my finals at state. I knew I was prepared because of the practices he held for us every day. Even though I lost that final match, I went home feeling like a winner because of the encouragement Coach Rubino gave to me throughout the day. My 2004 experience in tennis has no comparison to any other sports."
Younger players such as Taylor Townsend, Lindsay Tyler, Calie Daniels, Shawna Davis and Ashley Smith credit Rubino with getting them interested in a sport that was new to them.
Ann O'Keefe testified to the attention Rubino gave to improving doubles play.
Ann's dad, Pat O'Keefe, addressed the May 2 closed session, "which took place because Chuck did not want this public forum. He wanted to protect these kids, this community and this school board from making a mistake. I encouraged him to do that. I talked to a lot of you school board members. Through my conversations with you, I felt this was going to go away - and it didn't. I felt this would be settled in closed session and we wouldn't be here tonight.
O'Keefe read a passage he said sums up Rubino: "People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. Good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help, but may attack you if you help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you've got anyway … This should be relooked at."
Linda O'Keefe read a letter of support from wrestling parents Scott and Cindy Bennett. "It is an honor to have our community represented by someone of his caliber .. correct this matter … Mr. Rubino deserves the same respect he has given to this school district and community."
Bailly, a teacher for 31 years, said, "I was amazed that this happened because I saw the great job Chuck Rubino did. He's always positive. We were regional champs and for the first time went to state finals, but that really doesn't matter. Chuck Rubino got all these girls back here to come. I would hope that someday I could have 22 out of 25 girls sign a petition for me. That's 88 percent. I would hope someday I would have that many people behind me, saying I did that kind of job … Chuck Rubino aced the first serve. He doesn't need a second. To me, the simple solution is this. Right at this moment in time, Dowagiac has no tennis coach. Rehire Chuck Rubino. You are not going to get a better tennis coach."
Taylor's father, Jesse Townsend, said, "I'm real proud of the girls, and I know Chuck would be. You've been upstanding."
Supporters carried signs downtown Monday afternoon urging a show of support at the board meeting and a "second serve" for Rubino.
Townsend said when he phoned board members, "I really didn't know what was going on. I saw he'd toned it down with the girls. I watched him coach wrestling and he could be pretty tough … One thing that upsets me a little bit is the perception here that none of the girls and none of the parents matter."
Ross, whose Naval Academy appointment in 1990 helped his class set a DUHS scholarship mark that stood until 2004, offered a "unique perspective" of a wrestler coached by Rubino who has had time to apply "life lessons" he learned. Foremost, Rubino was fair, and imparted a "valuable lesson" for the wider world, "where there's a whole host of people who can beat me in anything they choose. His impact is not just immediate state championships or success on the playing field."
The last speaker, Lauren Wittorp, accused tennis players of forgetting "that many of them made complaints and many of them did consider quitting the tennis team last fall because of the manner in which they were coached … Mr. Rubino was advised by the administration to change certain aspects of his coaching methods and neglected to do so. He was given a second chance. I feel that the manner in which Coach Rubino and some of his players are seeking his reinstatement is unprofessional … None of the protesters went to the superintendent to find out the facts before they decided to complain. I do not doubt Coach Rubino has the ability to coach, what I question is the ability to maintain an unbiased team environment … Everyone should return to the courts and play tennis."