Coach Liebelt Writes To Scottie Nation

A BIG THANKS TO SCOTTIE NATION!!!

I wanted to take the opportunity to use this forum and let everyone out there who has supported and followed us along the way, know how grateful I am once again and what an honor it is to coach the Glasgow Scotties! I still have to pinch myself to think after growing up and idolizing the Scottie football teams, players and coaches as a kid, that I would someday be leading them.

We wanted so bad to bring the championship game back home to Glasgow, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year. Although the game was very disappointing from our expectations going into it, the better team won yesterday and I take my hat off to the Baker coaches and football team. No Excuses!! With that being said, I would still love to play them again and any other team with our kids and coaches, and still believe we have the best team in Class B this year!

There are so many ups and downs with coaching football and all the time and energy you expend to try and get to the point we reached this year, one must realize it takes a “major effort” from a lot of people to help make it happen.

#1: Having a great group of committed coaches like Bryan Krumwiede, Ed Sugg, Pat Gunderson, Johnny Row and volunteer coaches who work just as hard without earning income such as “former Scottie Great – Trent Gamas” and Gordon Hawks. It is literally seven-day commitment with our meeting on Sunday evenings, as any of the others out there that have coached high school or college football know. Without having assistant coaches (like Krumwiede) that you send a text to at 2:30 a.m. about something you see on film from the opposing team, because you are having trouble sleeping, and get a response with three minutes because he is doing the same thing, goes without saying what kind of a commitment goes into making the team the most competitive it can be! Nearly all of our coaches (5 of 7) have jobs/businesses outside the school district, which requires much sacrifice with their ‘real jobs,” including financial, personal leave, time away from organizations/businesses they work for to allow us coaches to coach. A huge thanks to all of you guys, I couldn’t begin or even want to have coached without you!!!

#2: Having a great group of kids that are not just athletically talented but better yet, they work and play hard, have great attitudes and are willing to play and sacrifice throughout the games they battle in with literally having broken fingers, broken hands, sprained ankles and knees, and a broken collarbone this year, goes without saying ­ – You kids are Awesome!!

#3: Having the support of our wives and families while we spend countless hours away from the house or probably just as distant while being home and looking at film on iPads or designing plays. Typically, even when we are with our spouses in public, people want to talk to you about, yes, football!!!

#4: Having supporters like Ruth Ann Hutcheson that give so much of their time to help organize and volunteers at the team dinners; these senior parents that have volunteered to cook, provide and serve with much of it donated by Terry Colbrese at Reynolds Market; Pastor Dan Dale and his Calvary Baptist Church for providing a location for our meals, team film and assistance with breaking down our opposing team’s film.

#5: Last, but not least, all you fans out there within the Glasgow community and living far away from Montana that constantly send support and excitement to us. I literally received a phone call this season from a former Scottie football coach in Colombia who listened to our game with Plentywood online and followed all of our season – How incredible is that? One last big thanks to beloved die-hard Scotties, Brenner Flatten and Tim Rodveldt, for taking the time to create the Scottie Football Facebook Page for all the fans out there.

Finally, thank you to everyone that came down to Baker yesterday for the game (the Stathos, Wiens, and Ruth Ann for the tailgate), it was such a moving and powerful experience for all of us on the field to see and listen to all of you out there being so loud, even before the game started! It was moments like that, which I remember growing up as a Scottie, that have always kept my love for Scottie football and Glasgow no matter where I lived!

I honestly cannot say what the future holds for me coaching next year or long-term with my “real job” as an “Environmental Specialist” for Western Area Power Administration. I have had a terrific boss that has been very supportive but is planning on retiring this upcoming year. Nevertheless, if I didn’t coach another down, I believe I have accomplished all my goals, maybe with the exception of a State Title!

Coach Liebelt

Go Scotties!!!!

Coach Liebelt permitted The Courier to print this letter that he orginally posted on Facebook.