Editors’ Note: Junior Ben Rajewski and other players read this letter at the Monday night school board meeting.

I would like to thank the School Board for this chance to speak on behalf of our team. The content of this speech has been prepared by members of the Lawrence High basketball program.

We are utterly disappointed in and thoroughly shocked by the actions taken by the administration of Lawrence High in firing OUR basketball coach, Mike Lewis.

We are confounded by the decision. OUR coach is an outstanding basketball coach. He adapts both offensively and defensively to ever changing game situations. OUR coach thoroughly prepares us for each opponent with both skills and knowledge to be victorious. His steady, calm demeanor on the sidelines is an example to us as players on how to conduct ourselves on the court. OUR coach is humble in defeat and, more importantly, OUR coach is humble in victory, a quality we witnessed many times this season.

Coach Lewis is a great man and a great role model for us, his players. OUR coach acts as a father figure for multiple members of the team who do not have another person in their lives who could assume that role. OUR coach holds family values in high regard, a virtue that is clearly evident in his own family. His wife, Kristel Lewis, is unselfishly supportive of this program and has done so much for our team family. His children, Kate, Luke and Mac, look up to the players on the Lawrence High School basketball team.

At the beginning of each season, OUR coach lays out a hierarchy of importance for the team. At the top of the hierarchy is FAMILY, just below that SCHOOL, and under school, basketball. Before we can lace up our shoes, we need to make sure the situation at home and the situation in the classroom are taken care of, and then and only then can we play basketball. OUR coach makes sure that WE are treating our community with respect, and maintaining a good standing in the classroom. He always checks up on our grades and is the first one to tell us if we need to make a change in our studies.

OUR coach holds each one of his players accountable for his actions, making sure that we are learning to make smart choices and representing ourselves, our school and Lawrence in the best way possible.

OUR coach is dependable and we know he is always there for us. He said to us that if we ever need a place to stay, to call him and let him know. Even if it is one in the morning, he will share his home. He has been a National Honor Society reference for players on the team and is willing to do anything for his family and his players. OUR coach has touched the lives of many people in this community through his coaching, teaching position at Southwest Middle School, and through his continual work with basketball camps for young players. Working with Coach Law from Free State this past summer, OUR coach provided the opportunity for middle schoolers to learn and have exposure to the game through a city wide basketball league.

It has been said by the administration that they want our program to move in a different direction. For the 2013-2014 basketball season, OUR team returned three players with significant varsity experience. This undersized, inexperienced, guard heavy team went on to post a record of 17 wins with only five losses, claim a Topeka Invitational Tournament title, take second place at the Blue Valley Shootout, defeat perennial powerhouse Rockhurst High School, and hand Highland Park its first loss in two years. Four years ago, this program had a 4-17 record; from there the records have only improved, with two twelve-win seasons capped off by this year’s 17-win season. If that does not constitute movement in the right direction, we are not sure what does. None of these accomplishments would’ve been possible without OUR coach. To win a state championship, we need OUR coach.

As the leader of our program, OUR coach has put us in a position to bond with one another and to create team chemistry, a major contributor to our success this past season. He has helped us in the recruiting process for college, talking to coaches and sending out highlight tapes among many other actions. When Justin, Solomon and Tae came to our program, he welcomed them with open arms and integrated them smoothly into our system. OUR coach makes us feel comfortable on the court; he is in touch with his players. If we came off a tough and physical game, he devises a practice to recuperate our bodies while further progressing our skills; in contrast, he knows when we need to be pushed hard.

After the passing of Kermit Aldrich, one of our coaches, OUR coach talked to us as a team and each and everyone of us individually to make sure everything was all right and to know that he had our backs. We have his too. At this time we would like everyone who is here to support OUR coach, Coach Lewis, to stand.