Published: August 09, 2008 08:45 pm            

JUSTIN GRAVES: Family, life higher on priority list than sports

Passion and sports go hand in hand. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion, and even easier to lose touch of reality.

High school sports are no different — especially in Alabama.

In recent years, Cullman High has enjoyed success in multiple sports. And leading the way has been the school’s baseball program.

Under head coach Bryan Bowen’s watch, Cullman has become one of the state’s elite baseball programs — achieving a level of success that is envied statewide.

Since 2002, only Hokes Bluff High — winner of the last six Class 3A championships — has won more state baseball titles. Cullman’s three Class 5A titles since the millennium are tops in the upper classifications.

One of the main reasons Cullman has been able to sustain a high level of success is the hard work Bowen — along with a dedicated staff of assistant coaches — has put in.

Bowen has asked a lot of his players. But the Bearcats coach hasn’t asked anyone to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.

This wasn’t something Bowen was required to do — especially since the Bearcats coach has logged numerous hours at the baseball field during the offseason.

In order for Cullman to be the cream of the crop in Class 5A baseball, Bowen has had to make personal sacrifices. His assistant coaches have also made personal sacrifices in their lives.

Most of Cullman’s coaches are married. Several — including Bowen — have young children. And when they are working at the baseball field, that’s just more time these coaches are away from their families.

These men have sacrificed a lot. And they’ve done it for one reason: Cullman’s baseball players.

With a wife and three young children, Bowen decided he needed to make some changes. So when Cullman City Schools holds its next meeting, the board of education will most likely accept his resignation.

Cullman is a small town. So when the public found out about Bowen’s decision, it wasn’t surprising.

What was surprising was the public’s response.

As people began to discuss the situation, rumors started to fly. And in less than 24 hours, almost everyone had developed an opinion without knowing all the facts.

Actions like that can be toxic. Nothing good comes from rumors, and jealousy can tear a community apart.

This can’t be an easy time for Bowen. He has run Cullman’s baseball program like it was his second family because he loves the players, coaches and his alma mater.

Passing the torch couldn’t have been an easy decision.

But even if Bowen does follow through with his resignation, he knows the program will be left in good hands.

He has surrounded himself with a staff full of qualified coaches that are also quality individuals. And he knows those assistant coaches will continue to do what’s best for his players.

It’s not known who will follow Bowen. The only thing that’s certain is the new head coach will have some big shoes to fill.

Cullman baseball is a high-profile program, and with it comes big expectations.

Finding a head coach that’s qualified to lead one of the state’s elite sports programs may not be as daunting as it sounds. Especially since there’s a perfect candidate already in town.

Brent Patterson has been Bowen’s right-hand man throughout Cullman’s spectacular run. In fact, many Cullman fans believe the Bearcats assistant has been just as important as the team’s head coach.

There aren’t many people that know the ins and outs of Cullman baseball better than Patterson.

Patterson has worked hard to get Cullman baseball where it is today. The players respect him for that very reason.

If that’s not enough to sell Patterson, then this should be. The Bearcats assistant coach is a devoted Christian family man with principles and values that every parent should want their children around.

Whether or not the school board would consider Patterson remains to be seen. But until then, people need to stop ripping someone who has done nothing but good things for his players.

This is a tough time for Bowen, and negative energy only makes it worse for him and his family.

        

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