Oakton Players: 'You're Not Firing Our Coaches Without A Fight'

Oakton High School's softball coach Ray Gordon is apparently no longer at the helm of the team.

And his players, who have made the Virginia AAA Northern Region playoffs each year since he became head coach three years ago, aren't happy about it.

Many of them took to Twitter and email over the weekend to protest Gordon's departure, which became public after a team practice on Saturday, according to an email to Patch from a softball parent.

Players say the team's two assistant coaches — Chris Corridon and Ricky Medina — were also let go.

They've been blasting messages with the hashtags "PlayforRay" and "ProtestFull," a reference to Oakton High School Athletics Director Pat Full.

"YOURE NOT FIRING OUR COACHES WITHOUT A FIGHT!#protestfull," read a Tweet from one player, _Alana_96, on Saturday.

"This is totally messed up!" another student tweeted.

Player Alana Peters told Oakton Patch "we have not officially met with or been informed of our new coach."

She said the team has a meeting scheduled later Monday.

Alumni — including former captain Emily Corridon '12 — have also come out to show their support.

Corridon's father, Chris, had been an assistant with the team for years before he was also let go on Friday, she told Patch.

She called Gordon "truthfully the best coach I have ever played under."

"I have participated in a lot of sports growing up and at Oakton and have had a lot of wonderful coaches, but Ray is an extremely rare person to come by. He is unparalleled in his coaching abilities and gives so much more to the girls then what is called upon him," she wrote.

She said the team and parents were hurt and confused by the way things were handled.

"The girls, parents, other coaches, and people around the county that have heard about this conflict are in disbelief that someone so special to the program has been released. I can't even begin to tell you how much Ray has given to the program. He even planned his wedding around the softball season this year!" she said.

Parents have sent emails to Oakton High School administrators, wondering why the change came so abruptly in the middle of the season — apparently right before the team's Friday game — and why it was communicated so poorly to players and parents.

The method, they wrote, seemed to be to "fire first and ask questions later."

Patch could not immediately reach Gordon or Full for comment. Patch is awaiting more information from Full later Monday.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

Stay up to date on all Oakton news with our free daily email newsletter.