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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 13, 2006 Chieftain track coach forced to be a spectator By DON HUNT Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER — Rogue River High track and field coach Brian Miller won’t be giving his team any coaching pointers at the Crater Classic on Saturday. Miller is out on strike with the rest of Rogue River’s mainstream teachers and would be viewed as crossing the picket line if he coaches in practice or at a meet. High school sports are continuing at Rogue River even though classrooms emptied Wednesday as negotiations over a new teachers contract came to an impasse. Athletes are allowed to use the high school and middle school locker rooms. Miller is the only spring sports head coach who is directly affected by the strike. Head baseball coach John White and head boys and girls golf coach Cary Dye are instructional assistants at Rogue River Middle School. They are classified employees and don’t belong to the same union as the certified teachers. Softball coach Dennis Artoff owns his own business. In Miller’s absence, Rogue River’s track team is being run by assistants Adam Stallsworth, Dan Gilkison and Ron Logan. Even though he can’t coach, Miller said he’ll be in the stands at the Crater Classic rooting on his team. Advertisement "I can support them and tell them they’re doing a good job — I can do that without breaking the boundaries," Miller said. "They are still my kids and I’m going to be cheering them on." Miller is happy Rogue River athletes are allowed to participate during the strike, but he said unhappy sports parents can bring a voice like no other during contract talks. "I was teaching at Estacada a few years ago when Sandy went on strike, and they shut down sports," Miller said. "The parents of the athletes were real adamant about getting that thing settled." White, whose baseball team won both ends of a doubleheader from Illinois Valley Wednesday, said his players are already anxious to get back in the classroom. "They’re not really angry at this point but they certainly wish the strike hadn’t happened," White said. "They looked at today (Wednesday) like it was a vacation but that gets old pretty fast." White said that a sports stoppage could cripple the chances of his best player — Spencer Frantz — from landing a college baseball scholarship. Frantz, a four-year starter, is batting over .500 on the season and is 12-for-17 (.705) in Skyline Conference play. "It would be really sad for him to sit right now because it could have an effect on his future," White said. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Chieftain track coach forced to be a spectator ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s