To the Editor:

What's wrong in Berne is Wright in Middleburgh.

In 1996, the Middleburgh School Board did not allow its varsity basketball coach to return because of the distaste of a few people, ignoring his history of dedication and success. The basketball program spiraled downward from that point, until that same coach and his brother returned in 2010.  It has taken several years of dedication, change, and hard work, but the program has once again flourished.

This season it's déjà vu on the other side of the mountain.  The Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board did not allow its coach of 10 years, with a record of hard work and dedication to his players, to return.  Now this is where life comes full circle. That man from Berne now coaches the Middleburgh boys’ junior-varsity basketball team. 

Coach Wright has brought his passion for basketball and life to the players in Middleburgh.  From day one, Coach Wright has been loved and respected by his players, their parents, and his colleagues because he has one of those personalities that people gravitate towards.

Everywhere we have traveled this season, there is a genuine outpouring of admiration and respect from everyone he interacts with.  It has been particularly gratifying for me to see the support he receives from former players who attend our games.

At one point during a game, several players wearing BKW shirts were cheering for Coach Wright’s new team, prompting a scolding by a BKW School Board member.  Their quick response was, “That’s our coach,” which is indicative of the relationship he had with them.  Kids are much smarter than some give them credit for. 

Every day, Coach Wright is teaching our players much more than basketball — he is teaching them life lessons that can be used on and off the court, throughout their lives. I would like to personally thank the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board for the gift that it has bestowed upon us.  As the saying goes “One man’s trash is another man's treasure.”

Chris Brown
Middleburgh

Editor’s note: Currently, Chris Brown is the assistant junior-varsity coach at Middleburgh, working with Wright. Also, Brown’s son is on the junior-varsity team.