Paul Rowland Named Coach of New Baseball Program

Paul Rowland has been named head coach of the new baseball program being organized at DeKalb West School.
Jeff McMillen, member of the booster group which made the selection, says Rowland will do a great job. “We have settled in on picking us a head coach, Paul Rowland. We had three good applicants for the baseball program. The board did select the coach which consists of myself, Jeff McMillen , Tim Davenport, Bennie Curtis, and Clark Oakley. There was a lot of time put into this selection. We all came to an agreement in the end as to what we thought was in the best interest of the school, the kids, and everybody involved. We feel like Paul will take this program forward. He’ll have a winning program. We’ve got some guidelines we’re trying to put together in a coach’s handbook so he’ll know what we expect from him, and what he is to expect from us. I think it will work great.”
The board of education, last month, gave approval for the new baseball program, on a one year trial basis. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from both DeKalb West and DeKalb Middle School will make up the team called the “Dawgs”. The program will be supported through fundraisers and public donations. No funds from the school system are being allocated for it
Rowland and his assistants will serve without pay as volunteer coaches. McMillen says Dewayne Martin will be an assistant coach.
Meanwhile, McMillen says students interested in being a player on the team may pick up an application form today through Friday at their schools. Forms must be returned by this Friday, November 20th. “On Monday, November 16th through Friday, November 20th is your opportunity to sign up. Forms will be passed out at DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb West School. Those forms have to be turned back into the school by Friday, November 20th. From that point, we will contact each person who signs the form to let them know of the times and dates of the tryouts. We’re really shooting for right after Thanksgiving to get this done. We want a team picked because we’ll have to do some fund raising through the parents to get our equipment and do the things that need to be done to make things work. We hope to have a team picked and in place by the first or second week in December.”
McMillen says the the season will start around March 1st and go through the end of April. “We’re shooting for possibly a twelve to fourteen game season and a junior varsity team of maybe six to eight games and more if we can get it into our schedule. We’re looking to have eighteen to twenty players on the team. The age groups are sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. We’ve already had schools contacting us about playing us so I think we’ll be able to fill the schedule okay but it will be up to the school and principal to fill that schedule. That’ll be their job.” All home games will be played at DeKalb West School and parents will be responsible for transporting the students to and from the games.
Again, McMillen says the program will be supported by donations. “Funding is going to be the issue so if anybody wants to make a donation, we’ll be glad to take it. We’re not going to beg to try to get people to give but we believe this will be good for the kids. Our goal is to run a good, clean organization, something that the school system is very proud of.”