CASHMERE _ Shawn Morrison claims his resignation as the girls' basketball coach at Cashmere High is a sign of larger problems.
``I think there's a lack of understanding of girls' athletics in the community,'' Morrison said. ``The problem is, there are these expectations for the boys' teams to win. The boys' teams, due to tradition or whatever, understand what needs to be done. With the girls, unless success is seen right away, the coaches are questioned.''
Morrison, who was in his third season as the girls' basketball coach, resigned during the first week of January, citing pressure from the Cashmere School District administration. He was replaced by Jeff Kenoyer.
Morrison, whose record was 12-36 with the Bulldogs, said in an attempt to build a successful program, he encouraged his players to participate in summer tournaments and camps.
He said he had limited success in that venture and when some parents complained about the extra workload and his coaching methods, the school district administration failed to back him up. He said lack of support from the administration was the reason he didn't choose to finish the season.
``When coaches try to raise expectations, parents voice their concerns and the administration buckles,'' Morrison said. ``That's what causes the end of coaches.''
Karin Blomquist, a coach of both volleyball and softball here for six years, has seen five girls' basketball coaches during her tenure, agreed there is a different mentality between boys' and girls' teams at the school. The girls' basketball team hasn't had a winning season since 1981-82.
``The girls haven't seen success, so they don't know what it takes to get there. The individual sports have fared well, but we haven't been able to produce it in the team sports,'' Blomquist said. ``A lot of things just haven't jelled in the past. It's almost like the (coaching) job is cursed with the girls' basketball program.''
But Blomquist said the administration has always been supportive.
Athletic director Tony Boyle declined to comment on Morrison's claims of lack of support by the administration. He said Morrison resigned and stressed that the coach wasn't fired.
``I think we need to have the coaches, kids and administrators working toward a common goal _ to have the kids play to their potential,'' Boyle said. ``I think we've been working together.
``I think the kids will do what you ask them to do. We've got kids achieving in the classroom, on the field and in their test scores. It comes down to a matter of guidance.''
Morrison claims a rift between himself and the administration began last spring. He said the administration offered his job to Nate Duchesne, an assistant with the boys' basketball team. Duchesne has since left the school for another coaching job. Both Boyle and school district Superintendent Dick Langum have denied offering Morrison's job to anyone else.
``I felt a total lack of support by the administration. I felt I was being deceived and wasn't being treated fairly,'' Morrison said. ``I think it's a pattern that's been happening in the past with the girls' program.
``I'm not really bitter, I just want things to be better in the district. I worked hard and I think I did the best job I could. I'm not talking about this to sling mud or because of a vendetta, I want things to be better. I want to live here and raise my family here.''