triswykes
01-04-2008, 02:58 PM
The Shop Teacher Who Saved King's Fork Wrestling
Story and photos by Tris Wykes
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Potter_comforts_player.jpg
King's Fork wrestling coach Barry Potter with 112-pound competitor Andre Young.
CHESAPEAKE_Andre Young stomped off the wrestling mat at Grassfield High earlier this week in no mood to talk to anyone. The King's Fork student had just lost his team's opening bout in the 112-pound weight class during a match against the Grizzlies.
There's no place to hide in wrestling. Your skill, or lack thereof, is out there for all to see, along with any painful expressions and whatever body type you've cultivated under your singlet. Young was pinned 55 seconds into his previous bout and now he'd been beaten again in front of several hundred fans.
Sitting in the second row of some folding chairs back against a gym wall, Young was the picture of dejection. Until an unassuming guy with a salt-and-pepper beard and glasses eased his bulky frame into the chair to him.
King's Fork wrestling coach Barry Potter put his arm around the back of Young's chair, a subtle way of imparting sympathy without embarrassing the youngster in front of his teammates. Bending slightly forward and to the side, Potter talked quietly for about a minute while Young sat with arms crossed, glaring straight ahead.
Finished, Potter slowly moved away, attracting as little attention in his departure as he had sitting down in the first place. A few seconds later, Young broke his posture, rubbed his face and began cheering for the Bulldog competitor out on the mat.
``Any time you develop a relationship and reach a kid in some way, well, you can't replace that with money or anything else,'' Potter said later.
He ought to know. Two years ago, Potter took a significant pay cut in leaving an engineering job in the Greenbrier area and attended an Old Dominion ``Career Switchers'' program to earn his high school teaching license. He'd been at King's Fork only a few months when he heard the 2006-07 might be scrapped because the Bulldogs lacked a coach.
Jerome Crawford, who'd coached King's Fork during the school's first two years of existence, had been snared in a police sting for Internet sexual predators and the wrestling program was in limbo. Potter, a newly-minted technology education teacher, took a deep breath and said he'd take the job_without a shred of wrestling experience.
``He put his neck out, that's for sure,'' said King's Fork assistant Brett Heberling. ``For him to say `I don't know anything about this, but I'll step up', that takes serious guts.''
It also requires panicked research, which Potter undertook by reading high school wrestling's rule book multiple times and consuming several manuals on the sport purchased at Barnes and Nobles.
``I had a couple of volunteer assistant coaches to guide me, but my biggest goal was to not make a fool out of myself,'' Potter recalled with a smile.
That's no longer a concern. Although he's still in no position to offer technical wrestling tips, Potter has given the program a chance to stabilize and build. He's open and honest about his lack of knowledge, but takes care of the paper work and myriad other details required of a coach while Heberling gets involved on the mat.
``Coach Heberling knows what to do and he makes us work really hard,'' said Bulldog David Hommel, who competes at 130 pounds.``Coach Potter's the enforcer. They have made us feel so much better about the team.''
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Brett_Heberling.jpg
Heberling's arrival was a wonderful gift. The 24-year old (above) is a first-year health and physical education teacher at King's Fork Middle School and wandered over to the high school early in the school year wondering if he could help with the wrestling team.
The Western Pennsylvania native and Slippery Rock University graduate radiates charisma and intensity and recalls that wrestling is a huge part of life in his small home town of Brockway.
``If you want to rob a house in Brockway, do it the night of a varsity match because no one's home,'' Heberling said.
With Heberling teaching holds and escapes and Potter handling the busy work and challenging and encouraging the Bulldogs, they've begun what promises to be the long process of building their program. As a member of the Southeastern District, King's Fork is grouped with Virginia power Great Bridge and other strong programs such as Western Branch and Oscar Smith.
``We can't expect to compete with those schools,'' Potter said flatly. ``You have to take baby steps.''
That means that even though King's Fork (1-5) consistently loses team points because its thin roster doesn't allow for entrants in every weight class, the Bulldogs try to stay focused on doing well with those competitors available. Two King's Fork wrestlers reached regional competition last season and despite a 1-5 team record this winter, there are hopes to repeat or exceed those individual successes.
Meanwhile, Potter points out there's more to be gained from wrestling than victories and medals.
``A lot of these kids are from single-parent homes and not from the most affluent families,'' he said. ``And they might not all be great athletes in terms of running and jumping, but that doesn't stop you from wrestling.
``If you give a kid a chance to play sports, he realizes he has to do fairly well in school to stay eligible. It gives them a reason to do well in class, where before they might have wondered `What's the point?'''
Potter coaxed the Bulldogs to a program-best 5-11 record last season despite being down to six healthy wrestlers by the campaign's end. He's continued to shine by impressing first-year King's Fork athletic director Randy Jessee.
``Coach Potter is serious about what he's there for,'' Jessee said.``Kids can tell real quick if you're there to make money or make a difference and they know he genuinely wants to help. That makes the situation a lot easier for him.''
Potter played football, baseball and track and graduated high school in Irving, Texas, in 1979 before coming to Hampton Roads during a stint in the Navy. He graduated from East Carolina after attending Tidewater Community College and worked as a process engineer.
Bitten by the teaching bug, he now teaches technology foundations courses where students learn what's involved with technical career fields like communications, construction, manufacturing, and transportation.
Potter said he has ``no ego when it comes to wrestling'' and would be willing to step aside if a more qualified head coach is wanted or needed. But, as he laughingly points out, ``I haven't had anyone say they want my job''.
Perhaps that's because, lack of wrestling expertise aside, Potter would leave large shoes to fill. Jessee coached three sports a year for 20 years before taking over the athletic director's duties at King's Fork last year, so he ought to know a good coach when he sees one. He's full of admiration for what Potter's done.
``He's doing a great job,'' Jessee said. ``When you find someone as sincere and honest as he is, you've found somebody special.''
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Potter_with_two.jpg
Barry Potter talks with Bryant Bailey (L) & Tyran Askew.
Story and photos by Tris Wykes
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Potter_comforts_player.jpg
King's Fork wrestling coach Barry Potter with 112-pound competitor Andre Young.
CHESAPEAKE_Andre Young stomped off the wrestling mat at Grassfield High earlier this week in no mood to talk to anyone. The King's Fork student had just lost his team's opening bout in the 112-pound weight class during a match against the Grizzlies.
There's no place to hide in wrestling. Your skill, or lack thereof, is out there for all to see, along with any painful expressions and whatever body type you've cultivated under your singlet. Young was pinned 55 seconds into his previous bout and now he'd been beaten again in front of several hundred fans.
Sitting in the second row of some folding chairs back against a gym wall, Young was the picture of dejection. Until an unassuming guy with a salt-and-pepper beard and glasses eased his bulky frame into the chair to him.
King's Fork wrestling coach Barry Potter put his arm around the back of Young's chair, a subtle way of imparting sympathy without embarrassing the youngster in front of his teammates. Bending slightly forward and to the side, Potter talked quietly for about a minute while Young sat with arms crossed, glaring straight ahead.
Finished, Potter slowly moved away, attracting as little attention in his departure as he had sitting down in the first place. A few seconds later, Young broke his posture, rubbed his face and began cheering for the Bulldog competitor out on the mat.
``Any time you develop a relationship and reach a kid in some way, well, you can't replace that with money or anything else,'' Potter said later.
He ought to know. Two years ago, Potter took a significant pay cut in leaving an engineering job in the Greenbrier area and attended an Old Dominion ``Career Switchers'' program to earn his high school teaching license. He'd been at King's Fork only a few months when he heard the 2006-07 might be scrapped because the Bulldogs lacked a coach.
Jerome Crawford, who'd coached King's Fork during the school's first two years of existence, had been snared in a police sting for Internet sexual predators and the wrestling program was in limbo. Potter, a newly-minted technology education teacher, took a deep breath and said he'd take the job_without a shred of wrestling experience.
``He put his neck out, that's for sure,'' said King's Fork assistant Brett Heberling. ``For him to say `I don't know anything about this, but I'll step up', that takes serious guts.''
It also requires panicked research, which Potter undertook by reading high school wrestling's rule book multiple times and consuming several manuals on the sport purchased at Barnes and Nobles.
``I had a couple of volunteer assistant coaches to guide me, but my biggest goal was to not make a fool out of myself,'' Potter recalled with a smile.
That's no longer a concern. Although he's still in no position to offer technical wrestling tips, Potter has given the program a chance to stabilize and build. He's open and honest about his lack of knowledge, but takes care of the paper work and myriad other details required of a coach while Heberling gets involved on the mat.
``Coach Heberling knows what to do and he makes us work really hard,'' said Bulldog David Hommel, who competes at 130 pounds.``Coach Potter's the enforcer. They have made us feel so much better about the team.''
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Brett_Heberling.jpg
Heberling's arrival was a wonderful gift. The 24-year old (above) is a first-year health and physical education teacher at King's Fork Middle School and wandered over to the high school early in the school year wondering if he could help with the wrestling team.
The Western Pennsylvania native and Slippery Rock University graduate radiates charisma and intensity and recalls that wrestling is a huge part of life in his small home town of Brockway.
``If you want to rob a house in Brockway, do it the night of a varsity match because no one's home,'' Heberling said.
With Heberling teaching holds and escapes and Potter handling the busy work and challenging and encouraging the Bulldogs, they've begun what promises to be the long process of building their program. As a member of the Southeastern District, King's Fork is grouped with Virginia power Great Bridge and other strong programs such as Western Branch and Oscar Smith.
``We can't expect to compete with those schools,'' Potter said flatly. ``You have to take baby steps.''
That means that even though King's Fork (1-5) consistently loses team points because its thin roster doesn't allow for entrants in every weight class, the Bulldogs try to stay focused on doing well with those competitors available. Two King's Fork wrestlers reached regional competition last season and despite a 1-5 team record this winter, there are hopes to repeat or exceed those individual successes.
Meanwhile, Potter points out there's more to be gained from wrestling than victories and medals.
``A lot of these kids are from single-parent homes and not from the most affluent families,'' he said. ``And they might not all be great athletes in terms of running and jumping, but that doesn't stop you from wrestling.
``If you give a kid a chance to play sports, he realizes he has to do fairly well in school to stay eligible. It gives them a reason to do well in class, where before they might have wondered `What's the point?'''
Potter coaxed the Bulldogs to a program-best 5-11 record last season despite being down to six healthy wrestlers by the campaign's end. He's continued to shine by impressing first-year King's Fork athletic director Randy Jessee.
``Coach Potter is serious about what he's there for,'' Jessee said.``Kids can tell real quick if you're there to make money or make a difference and they know he genuinely wants to help. That makes the situation a lot easier for him.''
Potter played football, baseball and track and graduated high school in Irving, Texas, in 1979 before coming to Hampton Roads during a stint in the Navy. He graduated from East Carolina after attending Tidewater Community College and worked as a process engineer.
Bitten by the teaching bug, he now teaches technology foundations courses where students learn what's involved with technical career fields like communications, construction, manufacturing, and transportation.
Potter said he has ``no ego when it comes to wrestling'' and would be willing to step aside if a more qualified head coach is wanted or needed. But, as he laughingly points out, ``I haven't had anyone say they want my job''.
Perhaps that's because, lack of wrestling expertise aside, Potter would leave large shoes to fill. Jessee coached three sports a year for 20 years before taking over the athletic director's duties at King's Fork last year, so he ought to know a good coach when he sees one. He's full of admiration for what Potter's done.
``He's doing a great job,'' Jessee said. ``When you find someone as sincere and honest as he is, you've found somebody special.''
http://hrvarsity.com/photopost/data/569/medium/Potter_with_two.jpg
Barry Potter talks with Bryant Bailey (L) & Tyran Askew.