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Jay Coach Elijah Bell Stepping Down
October 27, 2010
Elijah Bell, athletic director and head football coach at Jay High School, will step down at the end of the year.
Bell has led the Royals’ football program for 21 years, with a 108-93 record. This year, Jay is without a win at 0-7. They have been outscored 262 to 47 points this season, including three shutouts.
The Royals have made the state playoff series seven times under Bell’s leadership, most recently the quarterfinals in 2007.
Bell was a major player in the formation of a new rural school classification for small schools like Jay in an effort to make the chances at a state playoffs more equitable for smaller schools like Jay. He advocated such a plan since about 1990.
“I’m very ecstatic,” Bell said after the new classification was approved this summer by the Florida High School Athletic Association. Bell served on the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee that drafted the proposal. “We’ve been working on this a long time in the pursuit of equality for small, rural schools.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
38 Responses to “Jay Coach Elijah Bell Stepping Down”
also to sally: umm… I really dont think Coach Bell is a bad influence, actually I think he is a great influence, NEVER EVER EVER Coach Bell was mean to me, or ever ever told the boys to be mean to the the future of Jay, I know every single player on that team, I am friends with every single player on that team, even the ones that quit, and I havent seen none of them being mean, EXCEPT with the band, see your boys never left the stinking band alone, they would call them names, etc. and Im for sure coach bell didnt tell them to do that, wanna know why? because coach bell was the ONLY ONLY ONLY coach that helped band. Man im a girl and even I had to deal with coach as tough or tougher than coach bell, still I didnt quit, haha imagine a girl like me 5 foot 6, and those boys, 6 foot 2 or 3 QUITING BECAUSE THEY WERE BEING CUSSED AT??? WOWW!!
You know Coach Bell led us to many victories. This year half the team quit on him, and thats not how a royal should act, if those players were a true royal and really loved our team, they wouldnt have quit. Coach Bell not only helped the football to championships, but he also helped the band, he always had a place for us to practice, if the players had the football field he would let us use the baseball field. I know Coach Bell was probably a little abuse on his coaching, but thats how you know he really cares, if he was laying around, drinking a little water here and there, not paying attention to the players, then we wouldnt have 7 trophies on our halls, and come on those big boys quit casue of a little cussing? I bet they do that themselves, if they are not use to toughness now how will they ever deal if it later? by punching? or by hurting? Coach Bell not only thought those boys how to be players but he also thought them how to deal with people like him, how? he would cuss, spit or whatever he did, and they would just ignore or say “okai” now if it was in true life and somebody did that and your boys didnt know how to crontrol themselves, they would probably fight, and eventually they would start a fight with the wrong person, a gang member, a murder u never know. So think what coach Bell did for those boys, think how many Friday nights, and afternoons he gave up for those boys, if he wanted he could have resigned wayy earlier, but he didnt because he trutly loved our team, so think twice before you throw stones, like the bible says ” Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone” come on people there is nobody in this world without a sin.
I played for Coach Bell from 1999-2002. Never was I “abused” or “mistreated”. The problem is that kids are now very soft and this will not help them in the future. Parents are to blame here for spoiling and giving them a sense of entitlement when it is not waranted. Coach Bell was tough, but fair, he got young men ready for life after football. Again I would like to reiterate that I am a former player of his, and have alot of respect for the man. Between my father and playing football for Coach Bell I was prepared for when I served in the military for six years and served in the Middle East. Unfortunately, it seems that kids now are not getting the tough love from their parents that they need. Now in Jay they will not get it from their football coach either. The tragedy here is not that the kids were “abused” but that they are not being properly prepared for life.
While I am not arguing one side of the fence or the other I will say that the criticism does not come weather you are winning or losing. Coaching and teaching in Jay is like being in politics. You have to watch what you say and who you say it to. It’s not only about being a teacher and a coach in small town America. There are far too many people that think that they should have a say so in many things and the fact is that they should not. There are many aspects of our culture that only occurs in Jay. If winning was the only factor of the equation then Terry McClure would still be at Jay. The truth is that the guy knew how to win. The parents hated him. The players that loved the game enough to push through loved him. In the end he made his players love the game even more. Maybe Jay should call him back. I don’t know if the girls’ basketball has had more than 1 or 2 winning seasons since he left. Go Becky!! Watch out if you make the wrong ones mad, you may be the next to go. Heck in Jay you can molest your students and get promoted to cheerleader coach, even if they don’t have a clue what a cheerleader is. In many places not only do you have to pay a fee to play sports but you also have to buy your own uniforms as well as do certain fund raisers. As far as I know in Jay if you want to play all you have to do is show up for practice. How fortunate are the kids and families. Maybe that is a lot of the problem…. the parents are still a bunch of spoiled rotten kids that want to spout off and have a fit if they do not get their way. Get over it people!!! School and sports are supposed to build character and teach life lessons. I personally think that the coaches or teachers that push you the hardest are the ones that get the most out of their students. I’m sure Miss Bush would agree. Without sacrifice and ambition then greatness can never be achieved. That is a great quote! Grow up parents, try growing a set, and telling your kids how it is. Then the faculty does not have to be the bad guys for pushing your child to strive for greatness when the time comes. The only other hope is to let them blow on someone’s flute for “Coach Pettis”.
Hmmmm…..take some lessons from a teacher whose group has grown leaps and bounds since she came on board at Jay High School. It’s called tough love, encouragement and the “right” kind of discipline.
Coach “Pettis” ….kinda has a ring to it. Go Royal Pride Band!
nothing wrong with tenure, just means you can’t be arbitrarily fired, can still be fired for cause
SO, why do teachers get tenure? I don’t know about you, but I can be fired at any time if I don’t perform! I have seen teachers that were a joke among parents and teachers that couldn’t be dealt with since they were tenured. What is that about???
REGARDING:
“The coaches yelled and cursed, but I never saw abusive actions”
Whereas others might consider people cursing their children abusive.
to each his own
While Coach Bell may have not Been the finest football coach our school has ever had, I do believe he was a great athletic director. He has always made sure every sport, not just football, had the funds and supplies we needed. He supported all of our jhs atheletes, and gave up alot of his life not only for our schools athletics but also for the rural schools league. His job wasn’t an easy one. Thanks coach bell!
Really yeaaa….was that even remotely a proper quote, must less a proper sentence….JayMom…please check your spelling. If people want to be taken seriously, spelling and grammar go a long way. Why do you think people make fun of you for being from a small town and bash the education received from a small country school?
As for Bell….good riddance.
We had tough coaches when I went to school, and I watched them as they practiced. The coaches yelled and cursed, but I never saw abusive actions. So many rumors about abuse have been spoken about over the years! I do agree that parents tend to over-protect their kids these days, but a coach should not be allowed to abuse a child-and yes they are children. When a teacher acts in a way that would bring DCF into your life if you acted the same way, it is past time to go! This has nothing to do with a losing season, it has to do with trying to improve our school system.
Whether the Jay Royals were winning or losing, Bell maintained the same character flaws. It’s just less obvious to those who didn’t have kids in the program when the team was on a winning streak.
The spotlight is on Bell at the moment, but light needs to be broadened to the academics to the lazy union protected teachers who care more about themselves than the students. That light needs to be switched on by the media but its union liberal biases shades its integrity.
Everyone has their opinion about coach Bell.He in my opinion is one of the best coaches Jay has ever had and if they are looking at any we have now to move in his position we gonna be losing a lot longer.When we were winning he was great now he’s somehow a villian.Well all I can say is if they planning on cleaning out coaches they need to go through the whole staff starting with ole Dale and check all the teachers out cause their are still some there that shouldn’t be around.
He never done half the things that have been said
Let’s get the facts on the table. Kudos to those parents who have finally made a difference to get rid of a tyrant. At any other school Bell would have never lasted. Breaking players fingers, demanding that players hurt small kids, paddling players for mere pleasure (without required documentation) and f-bombing players on a regular basis should convince any normal person that this coach should never be around children. JHS deserves someone that can be tough and hard without abusing children. Every parent has the right to question any activity that they themselve would not have their child exposed to in their home. Jay folks it is time we stop compromising our values and turning our heads. Jay deserves the best and should demand the best from those people who should be role models and leaders for our children.
I agree with Jen’s post…. Although I am not from Jay, I attended the Jay – Flomaton game and was more than touched by the dedication the boys and the coach showed. Although only days before over half the team quit, they showed much class and I was impressed. It is true, if you are winning they love you and if you are losing, you are terrible! I have never met Coach Bell nor ever witnessed any of the allegations about him but I will say this… IF he were not tough on them, they would all be losers. That is how you build character—that is why the military boot camps are so successful. I think that some of these parents have life “in a blender”… meaning somehow, somewhere their thoughts and ideas have gotten all mixed up! I feel that that is why, sadly, children are so lost today. When we teach them to quit or are not hard on them—they grow up misled and lacking basic life skills leaving them unprepared the REAL WORLD…
Wonder why he decided to announce this before the end of the season? Looks like he would have had more respect for the boys that had stayed on the team.
Jen. Your post is probably the most logical one I’ve ever read on this site.
First of all, those kids that quit this year……their dad’s would have never been allowed to quit when they played no many how many times they were spit on or hit. You can’t just quit when things get tough. Second of all, my husband played for a coach in the 70’s that was 10 times meaner and tougher than Coach Bell and he knew not to run home and tell his dad he was being “abused” because his daddy would have been worse to deal with than the coach. He had to go through the “Make a Man” drill (much worse than running around the field!) for missing practice because he went to his grandfathers funeral! Now days, kids miss practice because their uncles, aunts, sister had surgery! The difference is not how coaching is done but rather parenting…kids are soft and parents want to fight all of their battles. Not just in sports but even in the classroom. If JHS were winning, he would be a great coach. When you win… the kids are great, when you lose.. …the coach is horrible. NEVER THE KIDS FAULT. The problem lies in the fact that parents don’t see it when their kid is not the star. We make enough all-star teams so all can be an all-stars because we don’t want to “hurt these babies feeling”. The problem here is not in coaching but in parenting. The scary thing is that these “kids” that quit because their feelings are hurt are going to be in charge of this country when I’m old! I guess if we ever go to war with Russia and these kids are running the country, we’ll just surrender and let them put us in consentration camps….the easy thing to do! I would LOVE to know how many kids Coach Bell has gone and bought clothes for and bought Christmas. Those are the things that show a persons true character……not always the winning.
Karma?! Who are you the Dali Lama? Seriously, the team needs to be coached and lead by a man who is willing to praise and much as discipline. Do what I say, not what I do is not the way to go. You need to get down in the trenches with your boys and show them how it’s done. You need thier respect, not fear. Go Big Blue!
10 years ago there was an effort made to get rid of Bell, I hate that it took this long. He has ruined more young men than he has helped, many of our finest have injuries that could have been prevented with proper coaching. Bell cares nothing for his players, to him they are his own personnel whipping boys. He has been abusing them for as long as I can remember, my daughter cheered and the players would gather at my home, many nights I listened to horror stories about how they were being treated by a person they should have been able to trust. How many times did the players list his home for sale in the shopper? It wasn’t a joke, they wanted him gone!
Some interestings details when all are backed up with fact check. There is a bit that will nock your socks off. Later
PLEASE…….Let you child play under BELL and see what you think about how he treats the players! Until that happens it’s best to keep your mouth shut. Karma does come back around. Before you judge you need to watch what you say, because one day it may be your child that this happens too.
There is never any good that will come out of child abuse. Sports can teach children so many necessary life skills, but being cursed, hit, spit on, and demeaned does not teach anything but cursing, hitting, spitting and demeaning..Children learn what they live. We don’t need that kind of a teacher in our school.
This is directed to Please. Do you live in Jay? Have you been around kids who have played for Bell? I don’t believe you had your eyes open, if you can answer either of those questions with a yes. BTW, you need to know the facts and not just think you do! Go back about 6 years ago, some players quit! Find out what the player who wanted to go back and play had to do! Also find out why the young men quit this year. Would you like to run laps around the football field including the bleachers, because you lost a game? Maybe the coach should have been the one to run! Also if another teacher at JHS had done the things Bell has, they would have been long gone! In fact, a basketball coach who coached the girl’s to state twice and brought home the the title once was removed!
In response to Please, Bell has influenced more than the boys playing football. He coached the girls softball team and was replaced as coach. I guess you think it is appropriate for teachers to be rude to the kids they coach. What about showing the kids a little respect?
It’s about time!
So many years ago “Brown’s Clowns” would have said “Quiters never win and Winners never quit”.
To Please— In the real world if your boss cusses you or spits on you, you can quit your job or get the law to take care of it. In the this case the boys decided to quit. Maybe they should have gotten the law on their side. On the other hand some grown ups would take care of it by knocking out that person. If these boys would have done that they would have been thrown out of school for disrespecting the coach, which is exactly what the coach was teaching the players.
JAYMOM………..I COULDN’T AGREE MORE WITH YOU! HIS LAST DAY CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH!
Coach Bell is a fantastic coach!!! Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions, if you think you can do a better job than he did stop talking trash and get up and do it!
Please, Is a person supposed to be cussed at everyday? No, not at home and definitely not at school. Hats off to those players who quit, they finally saw the light. If Bell was any type of a good person or cared about those boys, he would have stepped down long before. And yes, I will always defend my child if they are being treated like that by a teacher/coach. I feel for your child if you don’t.
Jay Mom- I hope you are there to defend and take care of little Johnny for the rest of his life because you’re raising a wuss. Those players that quit should have never choosen football in the first place. Drama seems more appropriate.
It’s about time !!!!!!!! We have faught for this for years and finally it has happened. Sad that it has taken so long, with Bell’s mistreatment of the kids, he should have been made to leave long ago. My opinion, he shouldn’t be allowed to coach or teach again, he should be fired. But, I guess you can’t win them all, now that’s something Bell knows a thing about, LOSING. He lost a lot of players this year that could have been good for the team, but because of his ways they left. Glad he’s gone!
Great coach, great job!
We are very proud of Coach Bell for everything he has done for Jay High School.
I am a Northview Graduate and a former NHS football player and an EWHS football player. I would like to say that it was an honor to play against a coacxh the caliber of Coach Bell.
Not sure what happened but Coach Bell has been there for Jay Football a long time. I commend him for his years of dedicated service and wish him the best.