by Taylor Williams
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| Head Coach Byron Addison |
April 22, 2010 - To be a resident of New Orleans implies subjection to the city’s constant threats of inclement weather, corruption, and inefficiency. As much as people love New Orleans and the lifestyle it promotes, it’s impossible to ignore its bad side and the sensational journalistic attention that comes with. However, for more mundane professions like coaching football, working in New Orleans means embracing these ever-present threats as a major part of your job. And as symbolic representatives of the education system at work, football coaches are often left to clean up the messes created by New Orleans and its inevitable drawbacks. The Bulldogs of J.S. Clark, under fourth year head coach Byron Addison, are living embodiments of their city’s shortcomings and the ripple effect they impose on developing good football programs. Like their neighbor and rival John McDonogh, Clark is part of the Recovery Schools District, a disgraceful state-run attempt to raise the standards of education in New Orleans.
While the intentions of the RSD are undoubtedly good, their fiscal policies and prioritized funding for academics has hindered many potentially great football programs from attaining that status. This is a bitterly ironic and unfortunate situation, given the fact that Louisiana is such a football crazed state. But Coach Addison knows that these kinds of setbacks are par for the course in New Orleans and are especially pronounced at public, inner city schools. As a former defensive coordinator at St. Augustine and George Washington Carver High Schools, Coach Addison is also highly cognizant of the gap between big and small schools in terms of financial and personnel resources. But even without a solid administrative and monetary network behind him, Addison still played a major role in keeping the Carver program intact during the post-Katrina relocation phase. His progression to head coach at Clark seemed natural but also presented the challenge of working with less developed, less privileged student athletes. Despite these inherent hindrances, Clark has managed to be regular playoff contenders under Coach Addison; no easy feat given the circumstances surrounding their scholastic classification. The Bulldogs simply haven’t allowed themselves to be overly victimized by forces they can’t control. This “roll with the punches” attitude has served the Bulldogs well, particularly in terms of mentality and mindset. Knowing they can work just as hard and be just as productive as their competitors with meager resources and facilities instills confidence in the players that transforms to wins on the field. By maintaining a consistent work ethic and leveraging individual talents, Clark has defied the odds to remain competitive in a perpetually tight division. This year’s team will look to uphold the consistency factor and the “roll with the punches” attitude in the locker room and to light up the scoreboard on the field. Led by senior offensive stars Jaredy Mickens (quarterback, wide receiver, and free safety), and Hakeem Parker (also wide receiver and free safety), the Bulldogs have a more offensive explosiveness relative to years past. The defense hopes to capitalize on the speed factor as well with heavy blitzes and four man pass rushes- a plausible and intelligent strategy given Clark’s general lack of size. The year’s team will also have more depth and experience on both sides of the ball, but particularly on offense with regard to thorough knowledge and efficient execution of the plays. Their ability to exemplify this kind of offensive efficiency is a testament to the effectiveness of Coach Addison’s leadership his and “roll with the punches” attitude. If Clark can maintain that style of play, then football fans in New Orleans should expect them to remain a serious threat come December.
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