LIBERTY — Longtime track and field coach Charlie Floyd expressed disappointment that he was unable to host a track meet at Amite County High School and took his concerns to the Board of Supervisors last Thursday.
Floyd recently made a presentation to the school board, which took a telephone poll after the meeting and voted — though never officially in a public meeting — against the track meet 3-2. It’s unclear how each trustee voted in the poll, which wasn’t recorded as an official act of the school board.
Floyd brought one of his former athletes, LaPorchia Wells, who previously ran track for Jackson State University, to the supervisors meeting.
“Me and some of the other parents came to Coach Floyd and asked if there was something he can do to help with the cost to alleviate some of the burden the parents may have with raising money or something,” she said.
“Some parents want their kids to participate, but they’re not able to do that. What I did, I said we’ll get this junior Olympic track meet here and raise money for the Southwest Mississippi Roadrunners,” floyd said, referring to a local running team. “I don’t touch the money.”
Floyd said he knew the Board of Supervisors could not take action, but he wanted to let them know he was unable to have a track meet at Amite County High School and he disagreed with that decision.
“We went over to the school board, met with the school board and they turned us down. I was going to bring Olympians here. I coached two Olympians, one gold medal winner, Tori Bowie,” he said. “We were going to come in with the kids and give them hope. And that really disturbed me they turned us down and couldn’t have a track meet.”
