Helmets are on the way for Roosevelt

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Roosevelt will start the football season safely, and on time.

The Gary Community School Corporation, in response to Roosevelt coach Kennedy Hannah's public plea for help, announced Wednesday that it would make sure the Panthers had all the equipment they would need in time for Friday's Gary O'Rama scrimmages.

Hannah had said Tuesday that his team had no usable helmets, and that "maybe seven or eight" could even be salvaged with repairs.

The school corporation responded swiftly, but put much of the blame on Hannah, who got a price quote of nearly $9,000 for new helmets, reconditioned helmets, shoulder pads and jerseys on April 16.

"Earlier in the year, in April, there was a $50,000 allocation given for everyone in the athletic department to order what they needed," said Gary director of communications Sarita Stevens. "Something happened and he missed the 30-day window, so that opportunity was lost."

Neither Hannah, nor city athletic director Earl Smith nor Roosevelt principal Charlotte Wright returned messages left by the Post-Tribune.

The release said Wright hadn't heard about the issue until "almost at the final hour."

"My question is why wasn't the principal informed?" Stevens said. "Why didn't the coach go to the principal before going to the newspaper? Or why not go down to the district before going to the newspaper?"

Hannah said Tuesday that he forwarded the price quotes "up the chain" at Roosevelt, but declined to specify with whom he actually spoke.

"It looks like this was a matter of miscommunications between staff at Roosevelt," said superintendent Mary Steele-Agee in the release. "…It is my understanding that resources were in place earlier in the year and all other athletic department (staff members) ordered what they needed during that time, with the exception of Coach Hannah.

"The job of the staff is to ensure that students have what they need both academically and athletically."

The school corporation said that Riddell, the company that supplies and reconditions the football equipment, will have all the helmets and other needed gear ready by Friday's O'Rama at Roosevelt.