Varsity softball coach Joe Long abruptly resigned from his position on Wednesday, March 27th.

Senior team captain Becca Crisp said, “At first I was shocked, and then I was disappointed, and honestly I was kind of mad.”

Long resigned via an email sent to all varsity and junior varsity athletes and parents. The email began with the statement, “With my sincerest apologies, I must admit I simply can’t take it anymore.” He goes on to discuss his reasons for leaving the team.

“A small group of parents has worked hard to undermine what otherwise has been one of the most successful and consistent softball programs around.  If it is me they are after, they can declare victory and rejoice in having ruined a very, very good team,” said Long in his email.

According to Crisp, the team felt the tension building over the last 2 months. “Certain parents were very much against him as a coach and I guess they felt the needed to take action, and so they did, and he didn’t react to it very well,” she said.

Junior Kristen Ghamghami said, “I liked him as a coach, and a lot of other people liked him. It was just those few individuals that didn’t really get along.”

The school has designated Bob McLaughlen as the new coach for the remainder of the season.  McLaughlen is also the varsity wrestling coach.

According to Crisp, McLaughlen fits in with the team well, and he is handling the transition nicely.

“He meshes very well with the team,” said Ghamghami.

Only 2 games were canceled during the transition, but they have already  been rescheduled.  Crisp said, “For me it wasn’t a big deal that we missed the games; it was not having a coach and not knowing what was going to happen and what the season was going to turn into.”