Raccoon Valley Radio continues its discussion with 40 year Perry basketball coach Mike Long.  Long announced his resignation in basketball on the Network 2 weeks ago.  Throughout the four different decades of coaching, Long felt the biggest change was not in the athlete but rather the parents.

“I really didn’t notice a big change in the athlete’s mindset so to speak,” when asked to compare coaching today with 30 to 40 years ago.

“I think honestly the biggest change has been with the parents.  When I first started coaching, parents told the kids they were going to play sports with no if, and or but about it.  It was not uncommon to have 30-40 girls showing up.  Somehow, along the way, a lot of parents are now babying their kids and tell them it’s ok if they don’t want to go out for sports.  It’s a scary trend.  Athletics do so much for young people.  It keeps them out of trouble and teaches some valuable life lessons.  I hope it is a trend that will change.”

The Raccoon Valley Radio Network will have more from our exclusive interview with former Perry basketball and current baseball coach Mike Long.