Hi- My name is Johnny Lee Staples. I would guarantee you since I came to Yazoo City in 1968, over 1/2 of the people here do not know my first and middle name. I have always been referred to as Coach or Coach Staples. I take that as a compliment, a gesture of love and respect. Along with it comes a great deal of responsibility, commitment, and expectations of a different standard.I graduated from Rosa A. Temple High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1964. If it were not for a wise and loving mother, family members, principals, teachers, coaches and a closely knit community, I would not be here today. I graduated from what was known as Alcorn College on a full football scholarship with a bachelor's degree in Physcial Education and a minor in Science. I migrated to Yazoo City in 1968. I taught and coached basketball, football on the Junior High School level for 28 years. In 1984, I organized and coached high school tennis for 12 years. In 1999, I organized a bus ministry for my church (Mt. Vernon M.Baptist). For ten years I picked up and delivered children and adults. In 2000, I retired from the Yazoo City School system. I became an advocate for better schools within our system. I petitioned our city council to start appointing qualified people to our school board. In 2001, I started and taught at the first school held in the state's youth detention centers. In that same year I was appointed by the city council as the first educator ever to serve on the Yazoo City School Board. After serving 4 of a 5 year term, I resigned to return to what I love most, teaching. The city council had assembled a board that truly understood the importance of educating our children. It was a diverse and qualified board. The night I retired, Mrs. Berry, Superintendent of Education said something to me that I could not get out of my head. She said and I quote, "You know, Coach Staples, one of the biggest problems we have in education is that we do not have enough outside help." Those words she uttered awakened me at 2:30 a.m. the following morning. I sat at my table, prayed and asked God to show me and guide my hands and mind for some answers to questions I already had.
After putting pen and paper together like a child with a new Christmas toy, I took it to Mrs. Berry's office that morning. She viewed it for a while. I explained it to her and she said, "Coach Staples, that is a great idea. How can I help you?" With her input, staff, teachers, parents, coaches, community, church, and business leaders, I present to you the birth of Focus on the Children, protecting our inheritance - a model city. In 2007, I was the first program director and athletic coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club. I am currently a volunteer at the Federal prison.
Coach Staples
