Wendorf will be Rush City head varsity football coach

Posted 1/18/01

Wendorf will be Rush City head varsity football coach

By MaryHelen Swanson

At the Jan. 11 Rush City School Board meeting, elementary teacher Gary Wendorf received unanimous support as he was appointed head varsity football coach beginning in the 2001-2002 school year.

Athletic Director Bob Schlagel told the board that Wendorf had wanted be co-head coaches with Kevin Jensen. While Schlagel said he was comfortable with both Wendorf and Jensen, he recommended Wendorf as sole head coach.

Schlagel also noted that the football program would be improved with a coach for each program, including offense, defense and line coordinators. He stressed that the program would be concentrating on football fundamentals and techniques.

Schlagel said he tells his coaches to ìteach, coach, lead ëem and be competitiveî but he also says ìitís okay to lose.î He said he just wants the players to be taught at the highest level.
Kevin Jensen will be assistant varsity coach. Wendorfís promotion will leave a vacancy on the varsity coaching staff, so the board approved hiring a replacement and an additional varsity coach which Schlagel said would probably only cost the district $700-$800 more than having three coaches this year. He said other school districts may have as many as seven to nine coaches. In all, Rush City will have six coaches for grades seven to 12, with some 50 boys in the football programs.

The board also approved hiring Jessica Miller as a gymnastic coach, making it three for that sport. They approved that position at the previous board meeting.

As long as he was before the board, Schlagel pointed out that there are only two coaches for junior high volleyball for 58 students. He said heíd suggest a third coach there, also. The board took no action on this suggestion.

In an athletic-related item, the board reviewed, for the second time, the trophy-retention policy and, as Superintendent Tim Eklund noted, with legal references applied, the school district ìwill retain them (trophies) forever.î

Schlagel has informed the board the trophies, the oldest of which dates back to 1915, are safely stored. From time to time they may be taken out of storage for class reunions, etc.

In other business, the school board:

ï Reelected Sue Turner as chairperson, Bill Kieper as vice-chair, John Bosman as clerk, Paul Pasche as treasurer and Scott Tryon and Mark Moulton as directors.

ï Completed the policy review process which has been going on for over a year. All school policies have been review and/or revised to bring them into current compliance.

ï Approved payment of $489,872.44 in bills. It was noted that the district has paid $3,200 for snow removal this year so far.

ï Moved to waive the $15 background check fee for all new employees, including substitute teachers and food service workers.

ï Heard Supt. Eklund praise his office staff for their dedicated hard work.

ï Reviewed a report on the air quality testing at the elementary and high school which was done to ìassess where the district is at,î according to Eklund. Finding some elevated levels of fungal organisms, particularly at the elementary building, recommendations were to use a better vacuum with a HEPA filter and do more frequent cleaning. Less fungal organisms were found at the high school.

ï Accepted the contract with DLR for architectural services leading up to and through a bond referendum. The contract is for $18,500.