Name change of field for Horton rebuffed

Name change of field for Horton rebuffed

City avoids setting precedent in decision

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion Athletic Boosters Club is proposing to honor a longtime girls softball coach by renaming a field in his honor, but may have to settle for erecting a plaque instead.

Sean Gray, who coaches softball at Marion High School, brought the idea to the city’s parks and recreation committee about renaming the field where the team plays after Coach David Horton, who is retiring.

“He poured his heart and soul and his life into improving the program every year, and fighting for the needs of that program so that we can grow,” Gray said.

Gray said Horton has built the Marion girls softball program into a well respected program with a statewide reputation.

In 21 years of coaching the program, the Lady Patriots have appeared in 19 tournaments overall — 13 consecutive — have been conference champs three times, runners up four times, been to the semi-finals four times, been state runners up two times, and won one state championship.

Horton has won 372 games as coach.

“That averages out to about 18 wins a year,” Gray said. “And you are looking at playing 26 to 28 games. The Lady Patriots are well respected because of the program Coach Horton has built. You can ask any coach and they know they are going to face a pretty good opponent.”

More importantly though, Gray said Horton’s off the field accomplishments are even more impressive.

“He treated all of his players like daughters, loving them and holding them to higher standards and expectations,” Gray said. “He has taught girls lessons that reach far beyond the field of play and gave players confidence to respond when things don’t go their way by getting up and trying again.

Gray said the program would not be where it is today without Horton.

“I could go on and on about how great Coach Horton is,” Gray said. “I’ve worked with probably a dozen coaches in my time and there is not one who touches the stuff he teaches off the field. On the field stuff is great when you win games. But it is the off the field stuff that makes a difference. That is why we want to do this.”

Mayor Frank Fogleman, whose own daughters played for Horton, said that while he also thinks highly of Horton, as mayor he is concerned about the precedent it could set if they rename the field.

“I think David is a wonderful coach,” Fogleman said. “I can think of nobody better to recognize. But putting my mayor’s hat on, I think it is a slippery slope to go down where we start naming things after people. I think it puts the city in an awkward position. So I am reluctant to go down that road.”

Councilman Cliff Wood agreed.

“I agree with everything Sean said about Coach Horton,” Wood said. “But in the 24 years I’ve been here we’ve tried not to do that because we don’t want to set a precedent. I can see how things could snowball where we would have to rename every street and every corner. I’m not sure that is in the best interest of the city.”

Parks and Recreation Committee member John Traugh said the city has already named things in people’s honor and pointed to John Roberts Field and Brunetti Park.

“The city has already gone down that road,” Traugh said. “Other than David is still among us, we’ve already done this.”

Fogleman said the Brunetti’s donated the land for the park and that it was the school who named it by the time the city acquired it. “I’m not trying to be argumentative,” Fogleman said. “It was a different time and a different era. On Brunetti, I don’t know that anybody specifically made a request.”

Gray questioned why the city wouldn’t want to name the field for Horton.

“I can see what you are saying,” Gray said. “But is that a bad precedent? Don’t we want to honor people who care about the city? I understand what you are saying. But I don’t know why we worry too much about what might happen. If somebody gives 29 years to the school district here and accomplishes all these things, is it a bad thing to name something after them?”

“That’s a fair question,” Fogleman responded. “I certainly don’t want to argue with your idea. But when all the fields are names and there is a sixth deserving person, who do you bump?”

Fogleman suggested erecting a plaque to Horton instead as a compromise.

“Something elevated on a base with a bio that would be there for everybody to see and consider,” Fogleman said. “I could go along with that. I think the world of David. But it’s complicated. I like the idea but with my mayor’s hat on I just think it is a slippery slope.”

Fogleman offered to have the city assist with the concrete work on the base.

Gray said he would run the idea of a plaque by the booster club when they meet in August.

“Naming the field would be great,” Gray said. “But if a plaque is our only option, I think that would be great. I think it is a good compromise to honor him.”

The Parks and Recreation committee will recommend the city council agree to let them erect a plaque at the field.

“I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” said Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rawls. “I will echo what he (Gray) has said. David has touched a lot of kids’ lives. He has made the softball program very well respected across the state.”

Photo submitted

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