Open Letter to SE Minnesota School Board After Firing of Beloved Coach

To the Plainview-Elgin-Millville School Board:

Watching your latest board meeting - I was overwhelmed with emotions. A beautiful display of community support! But then, it shifted into what can only be described as utter disappointment.

I spent hours of my day watching so many people bravely get up and speak in front of a packed room - current students and athletes, teachers, parents, coaches, and more.

The support wasn’t the surprising part - I know the guy they were backing. What really floored me was hearing a teacher of over 30 years say, "a year from today, I'll probably need testimonies from people after getting up here today!" I mean, could the red flags be waving any higher at this point?

Backstory for the reader:

Around this time last year, I wrote an article about PEM teachers giving the school board an ultimatum. More than 100 teachers stood up and said they needed to see "more support from the school board" calling them "out of touch, unsupportive, and highly motivated by personal agendas."

A huge issue that was raised during said ultimatum AND to be completely transparent, the main reason I took an interest in the story, was a required apology to a long-time coach and teacher at the school. Even if an apology did happen, which I'm unsure of, clearly the issues here were not resolved.

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If you live in the area, I'm sure you've heard by now that Ben Peter, head varsity softball coach and phy-ed teacher of 20+ years, was let go on October 14th. AND, all the other softball coaches resigned after the decision was made. My Facebook feed is filled with people that are completely devastated by the news.

Back to the board:

While watching the meeting, I was hoping to hear something, literally anything, to explain why you were even considering letting him go. Instead, when it came time to vote, you called for a "private meeting." WHAT?!

Now, here I am confused, wondering what in the heck is going on at my former school. I have not the slightest clue why he was actually let go. There are rumors making the rounds, but I can't speak to that. All I can give you is my opinion based on my personal experience. Think of this as MY testimony a few days late, not that it would have mattered much seeing as SO many people came to his defense and it didn't seem to matter to 5 of you...

Hey, Samm here - 2006 grad and part of the last Elgin-Millville class before the consolidation with Plainview. I was one of the first to have Coach Peter as both a teacher and a coach, and while I always loved softball, he made me love it even more.

Hands down, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for. He genuinely cares about his athletes. I still remember him making me sit out of gym class to ice my arm before games - dealing with tennis elbow at the time. Hated every second of it, but it was what my arm needed and he knew that!

When I started fast pitch, it didn’t matter to me where I played. But when he told me I was going to be a first baseman, I made it my mission to be the best damn first baseman you’ve ever seen.

Was he tough? Abso-freaking-lutely. Would I change that? Not a chance! Don’t you want someone coaching your kids with so much passion for the game that it pushes you to play your heart out, just to prove you belong out there? Watch any sports movie - The toughest coaches always end up with the most successful teams.

I get that not one coaching style fits everyone, but if there’s a coach who checks most of the boxes, it’s him. And honestly, his 20 successful years, a huge crowd of supporters, and a bunch of upset people who don’t want to see him go says it all!

And while we’re at it, if you’re a parent with a kid on varsity expecting equal playing time for everyone, please stop. I know it’s tough - we all think our kid’s the cat’s pajamas - but that’s not reality. In the real world, they’re not always going to get a seat at the table. So why set them up with unrealistic expectations? Teach them to work hard, prove they belong, and earn their spot.

I’ll wrap it up here because I think I’ve made my point and then some. What’s going on at my alma mater right now? Honestly, it’s embarrassing. I’m not exactly proud to be a former Bulldog at the moment (though technically, I was a Watchman, but you get what I’m saying).

Sincerely, a disappointed former All-Conference, All-Section, All-State First Team softball player -- who wouldn't have earned ANY of those titles without Ben Peter!

To watch the school board meeting, click here to go to their YouTube page. 

Listen to Curt St. John and Samm Adams in the Morning weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5