Palmerton hires coach amid protests

Losers wrote:

The only ones losing in Palmerton are the kids. To vote the current coach back was the biggest mistake this board could make. Mike would have brought discipline and technique back to the sport. Good luck with your losing season next year, Palmerton!! Sure mike will train the kids the right way so that can all be taken away when they move up to the current coachign staff. I guess palmerton doesn't like winning. Hicks!

loser it seems you r the loser backing mike is a big mistake on your part he is a joke for the kids besides we all know he will be the coach in the next few years as its all set with the croonies and the board

why arent the sndyer backers at the meetings? winning in 7th grade is good for the kids but everyone knows most schools use players cut from the middle school programs so they are playing against players there same talent wise. why arent kids coming to the open gym that hughes has for everyone in 5th 6th 7 th and 8th? why because snyder is the coach for freshmen....... and the youth program was build by people who cared for the kids way before snyder.. and a kick is a kick no matter how soft and mike was handed the team he took to the playoffs and mar you cant speak your mind to mike he wants to SUE everyone try it some time

people dont no mike wrote:

This is too all you people who think that Mike is a horrible coach and as for Lee Arner and Matt Falcone who have no clue what they are talking about they should shut there mouths because they dont even know Mike. Mike is a great coach and should continue to coach basketball even though he yells a lot he gets those kids pumped up before and during the game. And also to all you people who say that Mike doesnt talk to the coaches and should grow some balls I think you should get your head of of your A**'s and face the truth that he does talk to the parents and he's not afraid to talk to any of you stupid fools. Mike is a great coach and should continue to coach Palmerton Basketball for all ages he could teach the kids great skills and straighten some stupid A** parents out who don't know what the hell they're talking about. GO MIKE! WE HOPE YOU WIN!!

Is this the same Mike Snyder that physically abused a girl, damaged locker rooms, and made comments to his own baseball team calling them "white trash" and "f***ing bastards." O... and the kids on the baseball team were no older than middle school. That sounds like a great coach to me. Matt Falcone and Lee Arner know exactly what they are talking about. They, along with myself, want a coach that knows the game and can teach the game, but also keep his head on his shoulders. If Mike Snyder is such a great coach why didnt he get the position last year? Why did he get fired from every school he has coached at? And why are there so many people against him?

OMG, Mike Snyder fans, hold onto your hats! step aside and save your energy!!, You will need it!!, I'm sure based on his past participation in youth sports, he will not disappoint!! You will need your energy to show your support at that time !! or will you?? Let's have his #1 fan-the guy present for the "Motivational Kick" be the M Snyder Fan Club President!! Someone should give that guy and Mike a motivational kick!! What a role model, kicking, cursing, degrading people WOW!! Way to go School Board!!

Regardless of your preference, please take the high road. I've never seen people get wound up high school sports in such a negative way. There are kids being mentioned by name on a message board. Stop it.

When you stand up at numerous board meetings and state that you and other teammates will not play if their coach isn't hired, you place yourself in the public spotlight and open yourself to public ridicule ! Consider it a free lesson that taxpayers do not have to pay for.
By the way, I think it takes alot of guts to be 17 and speak your mind to the school board, and not speak to them in a secret meeting that your wife arranges out of the public spotlight. It also takes alot of guts/stupidity to tell the board that you and others will not play after only winning one game the entire season !
Please focus on the football season and work on your short to intermediate passing game so you do not need to rely on throwing the ball as far as you can and praying that Austin can run under it !

Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
This person really seems to understand what Palmerton is in need of. A set of disciplined athletes, coaches able to actually open their mouth without worrying about every bitching parent out there, and parents who actually will admit "my kid ain't that good." The latter of which is rare. Instead parents come to board meetings to "kiss-as$" to get their coach hired! I witnessed it! So sad that the Athletic Dept. does not see the problems here.
I'm sure the athletic dept. is lame and agrees with these parents who don't care about winning but just about having fun. what a joke. Palmerton sports are a joke and I learned why the other night at the meeting. With that attitude you think the athletes were still in grade school. Why dontya give the kids all a trophy for participating too while your at it. If it is about having fun, they should all get a trophy too!
Sometimes the most controversial issues are the most important changes one can make. Good luck to both coaches. Especially the one they were trying to bury at the meeting. He and his team will be the winners in the end.

The reason this has become such a mess is because the Athletic Department DID NOT want to hire Mr. Snyder and the board got involved. Get the facts.

Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
This person really seems to understand what Palmerton is in need of. A set of disciplined athletes, coaches able to actually open their mouth without worrying about every bitching parent out there, and parents who actually will admit "my kid ain't that good." The latter of which is rare. Instead parents come to board meetings to "kiss-as$" to get their coach hired! I witnessed it! So sad that the Athletic Dept. does not see the problems here.
I'm sure the athletic dept. is lame and agrees with these parents who don't care about winning but just about having fun. what a joke. Palmerton sports are a joke and I learned why the other night at the meeting. With that attitude you think the athletes were still in grade school. Why dontya give the kids all a trophy for participating too while your at it. If it is about having fun, they should all get a trophy too!
Sometimes the most controversial issues are the most important changes one can make. Good luck to both coaches. Especially the one they were trying to bury at the meeting. He and his team will be the winners in the end.

OOPS what I said above was ment for this comment...sorry.

Palmerton should have hired Toad Loosely a man with his work ethic would make an excellent coach and instill good values in the players much like Kmetz did in Thorpe. I hear they were both in the same trade at one time.

James wrote:

<quoted text>
Is this the same Mike Snyder that physically abused a girl, damaged locker rooms, and made comments to his own baseball team calling them "white trash" and "f***ing bastards." O... and the kids on the baseball team were no older than middle school. That sounds like a great coach to me. Matt Falcone and Lee Arner know exactly what they are talking about. They, along with myself, want a coach that knows the game and can teach the game, but also keep his head on his shoulders. If Mike Snyder is such a great coach why didnt he get the position last year? Why did he get fired from every school he has coached at? And why are there so many people against him?

The reason people dont want him is because people dont give him a chance and the hole physical abuse with a girl was way blown out of proportion. I guess if you people want to just goof off and play around and never get any skills for basketball learning then dont take Mike. Mike doesnt let people do that he lays down the law. And also I guess if you want to settle for the crapiest record last season then dont take Mike again cause he will make you people win. Im sorry but i dont agree with your opinion GO MIKE!!!

James wrote:

<quoted text>
Is this the same Mike Snyder that physically abused a girl, damaged locker rooms, and made comments to his own baseball team calling them "white trash" and "f***ing bastards." O... and the kids on the baseball team were no older than middle school. That sounds like a great coach to me. Matt Falcone and Lee Arner know exactly what they are talking about. They, along with myself, want a coach that knows the game and can teach the game, but also keep his head on his shoulders. If Mike Snyder is such a great coach why didnt he get the position last year? Why did he get fired from every school he has coached at? And why are there so many people against him?

How can you say that Matt and Lee know what they are talking about? They've never had a winning coach in their lives. You tell me, when have they ever in basketball had a successful record? Now not to say Matt's a bad kid because he's not, I'm just saying that he and the rest of the team have had no winning coaches whatsoever, and it just seems to me they want this coach back because he lets them get away with whatever they want. I've seen their practices, they goof off and make bad decisions and no one is reprimanded for it. I'm sorry, I thought we were playing basketball. To answer your question, there are so many people against him because many of them are very ignorant. They hear the rumors and automatically judge when they know nothing of the truth. That's something I am so sick of in this town. That whole physical abuse of that girl is getting blown WAY out of proportion. And another thing, if this current varsity coach "knows the game" so well, then how come they got massacred in every game but one last year? If that's the case why would you want him back? Gonna go for two wins this year huh? Most of you don't really have a leg to stand on but you don't even notice. If that's the case, Palmerton deserves to lose. What a joke.

It's not just about the kick. IT's also about a whole lot of mikey's outbursts. Breaking desks,cursing at students,destroying locker rooms,innappropriate comments to grandparents,players mooning state cops,kids suck comments and let's not forget the most recent comments about white trailer trash. Which by the way was not unfounded by the Bowmanstown board.It was unfounded by mikey.That school board member later admitted to it.I guess it's nice when your wife and cousin are on the school board.The board member flat out lied.How is mikey going to handle coaching whitetrash? Little below his standards I guess!He's been fired from every coaching position he's held. Just give it a little time,mikey will get fired from palmerton.Probably by mid-season.

Mike doesnt let people do that he lays down the law.

Mike didn't lay down the when Tony Chupa "mooned" an undercover state ploice cruiser coming home from a game ! Actually he became upset when the administration wanted to suspend or kick Tony "ass cheeks" Chupa off the team. Then he asked the team to vote on "ass cheeks" future !

Not really laying down the law, is it ?

They hear the rumors and automatically judge when they know nothing of the truth.

Stop minimizing Snyder's behaviors ! I hope he does well, and brings Palmerton Basketball back to the glory it once had. However, hopefully Mike has learned a lesson that his actions, behaviors, choices, and MOUTH have consequences. If he didn't have all that baggage, he would have had the job last year.

Some of mikey's MOUTH happened 1 week before the school board meeting. So apperantly he hasn't learned anything. Except,he can get away with it.This kind of behavior has been consistant with mikey. Just give him a chance. His MOUTH will happen again! And eventually it will happen to someone who will not let him get away with it. So I say sit back and wait for the next installment of "mikey's mouth". The antics are sure to amuse.

Last year's varsity team had little to no varsity experience, no summer league and no summer camp. The 2008-09 team will have all three. I understand they have won a lot of games in the summer league and are looking really good. Coach Hughes will do fine with these boys, and unlike his predecessor, will play underclassmen so that there will be experience coming up for the following year. It's called building for the future. Let's give him the chance he deserves, and support the boys by filling the gym and cheering the Bombers on. These are great kids, and they will do their best.

Hughes is the coach. Fink is the JV coach, and Snyder is the Freshman coach. It's done. Do we really want to prolong this anymore than it has? Move on with the program, and work together for the kids. There are obviously several people that really have it out for Snyder and people who think he is a good coach. There are alot of people against him that have never had him as a coach because of what people say. Whether people like it or not, there are alot of kids that do like Mike and would like to have him as a coach. People didn't go talk to the school board in private because they were trying to do something underhanded. They just didn't want their 12 and 13 year old kids to be abused by the likes of the people that were at the meeting. It is one thing to have a high school kid stand up. Try doing it when you are 12 or 13. No kid deserves that. I feel sorry for all of the kids involved here. The best thing parents could do is try and be a little civil through all of this. I'm sure people will be watching Mike Snyder. I'm sure Mike is aware of the situtation and how delicate he has to be. I can't see why anyone would want to coach in this town after what is written on this board. If you want to destroy the program all together, lets just continue this for another 3 months till all of the kids are sick of it and quit. The first thing coach Hughes could do to help mend this whole mess is try to work with Snyder and vice versa. He should also try to contact the youth program and work with them. That is something he yet to do. It's time to mend the fences and get on with playing basketball.

You must understand that the kids who are 12 and 13 have a lot more to lose by coming to a meeting to back Mike Snyder. Mike didn't have the job at that point. Now, if you go to that meeting and things don't work out, are those kids going to get a fair chance? You parents wonder why those parents and kids weren't at the meeting. Why? So you can yell at them and pick on them too? Or perhaps you want to call their parents stupid for allowing their kids to be abused by Snyder. The parents got their point across to the people who needed to know. They were smart enough not to sit and be abused by the people who just want to shout at them and pick on their kids. For all of the remarks about Mike Snyder, I've seen more rudeness, more name calling, and more hate than I have experienced from Mike. Everybody has faults. There is no perfect coach that is both a father figure and great tactician. If there were, why would he come to this town? Oh, and as for saying that the league that the 7th and 8th graders play in is much easier is incorrect. In the Lehigh Valley league, the 6-8th grade teams include teams from bigger schools that Palmerton normally wouldn't play in High School. It also includes 9th graders in the 8th grade league from schools where the kids that are cut are better than Palmerton's. That is a very competitive league. I find it funny that just 2 years ago, there were coaches in the youth program that wanted to take Palmerton out of that league because it was too hard and they couldn't win any games. Hmmmmm. Mike and the other coaches start winning and suddenly it is an easy league. Tell that to the 5th and 6th grade boys team that won one game last year. I'm sure they're not thinking that the league is easy. Obviously, there are too many people with opinions that really don't know anything about the leagues we play in or the programs. But I respect the fact that the kids, who are smarter than most of you think, want the coaches that they have chosen. That is why I am willing to give all of the coaches a chance and support. If you look for the worst in people, you will often find it.

With regard to the Athletic Department not having a say. Well, it is kind of difficult to get a fair ruling from them when the AD is also related to a member of the school board. Everyone complains that Mike's wife is on the school board. Yet, she wasn't allowed to vote for her husband. Yet, it seems perfectly ok for the father of the AD to vote for his son. There was a committee involved in the interviews to make sure they were fair. Everyone just wants a better program, and we all need to give it a chance.

When I saw the article in the newspapers about Mike Snyder I said to myself, "No surprise there". I personally witnessed him destroy and tear down junior high girls without even thinking twice. He turned "OFF" more kids to sports in a few years (my daughter was 1 of them) then could be imagined. He was great at telling them they were fat, lazy, and didn't belong playing ball. The players that did stick around, he expected to play like college women. I don't really care what the outcome is at Palmerton, but he is nothing but a well educated, well paid, spoiled punk. I'm glad I didn't clubb him when I had the chance, because he isn't worth the time of day. Remember a few things folks, the AD always sticks up for the coach. Jim Thorpe had a volleyball coach from Marian last year that was going to "turn around" the program.(made districts 2 of the last 3 years)All he did was turn kids off, piss parents off, make the kids cry (on purpose), get suspended for 2 weeks(hush, hush), had their worst record in many years, change practice times daily, etc.etc.etc. Maybe Palmerton should have Snyder and Falabel get together and coach a new sport: "Knuckle Heading"????