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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 11, 2004 Robustelli, Julian Jr. resign By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings For Jason Robustelli, the decision boiled down to one simple question: the family or the team? It wasn't close. Robustelli, the head coach of the Ashland High baseball team for the past two seasons, has stepped down from the program he helped transform from perennial punching bag to Southern Oregon Conference powerhouse. He joins track and field coach Bob Julian Jr. as one of two spring sports coaches at AHS to resign. Robustelli said he turned in his resignation Dec. 3, days after he claims Ashland High Athletic Director Karl Kemper asked for a larger time commitment to the program. According to Robustelli, that commitment would have included a much more serious offseason training regimen and added coaching clinics. "The general concerns for us were, (the team) needed more of my guidance, more of me around, and they kind of wanted me to do the same thing that South Medford, North Medford, Grants Pass do," said Robustelli, who lives in Medford. "They're involved year-round. I couldn't meet what their expectations were of me and if I was, it would have been pretty detrimental to my family." Robustelli, a former Grizzly player, is married and has two boys, ages 6 and 3. He said that the school's fundamental shift to a year-round program may produce wins, but isn't necessarily the best move for the players themselves. "It's strenuous on a kid and it's strenuous on a coaching staff," he said. "I think it's necessary in one way to be extremely competitive, but in another way I think it's a burnout kind of a way to go." Kemper could not be reached for comment. According to the school district's classified ad, the baseball and track and field head coaching positions each carry an annual salary of $3,457. Robustelli's coaching career at Ashland began in 1999, when he was hired as an assistant. Two years later, the Grizzlies completed a worst-to-first turnaround by capturing the school's first-ever SOC title. In 2002, the Grizzlies finished as SOC co-champions and won a first-round playoff game - another team first. Robustelli, nicknamed Robo, was promoted to head coach the following year and led Ashland to two more playoff berths and another playoff win, in 2004. His final game was an 8-3 loss to Redmond May 24 in the second round of the state playoffs. In Robustelli's two years at the helm, the Grizzlies went 28-25, including 18-17 in league games. "I had a lot of good experiences, a lot of kids that I learned a lot from and hopefully learned a lot from me," he said. Robustelli said he isn't bitter about leaving, but that a handful of parents played a part in Kemper's decision to up the ante. "I know the kids really bought into my style and unfortunately, some of the parents didn't," he said. "When a parent tells a kid that he doesn't have to listen to a coach, you're done. You're not going to reach that kid anymore." Julian Jr. took over Ashland's track program in 2003. In his brief tenure, one Grizzly athlete qualified for state in 2003 and four advanced in 2004. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Online Casinos Community Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams