Naming Our Stadium
By Ray Adair • Oct 18th, 2008 • Category: Lead StoryHistory
Last year, with the opening of the new Lincoln High, Mr. Richard Minor and a group of other community members began their effort to name the new stadium in honor of an individual who was a former football coach and teacher at Lincoln High. He was told that naming facilities at Lincoln would not begin until the second year and the process included holding several meetings to gather input from the community.
Next Steps
On October 9th, Sheila Jackson (school board member who represents Lincoln) attended a meeting and shared that a facilities naming committee had to be established and gave information on the how it would be composed. At a meeting held October 16th, she shared that same information with the committee Mr. Minor established and advised the group that a meeting will be held on October 23rd at 6pm at Lincoln High. At that meeting, members of the naming committee will be selected. The committee composition is as follows:
- SDUSD Board Member ( or individual representing that Board Member)
- A current Lincoln student
- A current Lincoln parent
- An alumnus representing each of the six (6) decades of Lincoln
- Two (2) community members
As subsequent meeting dates are established, they will be posted on this site.
How Can You Get Involved
All meetings are open to the public. Once the naming committee is selected, they will preside over the meetings and gather input from the community as to what they would like to have the stadium named. You are encouraged to attend the meetings to have your voice heard on both the selection of the committee members and the naming. Additionally, we are providing an opportunity for you to leave a message with your input. At this point, we do not know what weight your input will carry with the committee.
Contact Info
You may choose to contact Sheila Jackson directly by phone 619-725-5550 or e-mail SJackson@sandi.net . If you would like to contact the original group established by Mr. Richard Minor, they can be reached at dstephns@cox.net .
If you would like to leave a message here, please post a comment. If you have a question, please call
619-725-5550.
I think Ms Singleton should have the Gymnasium named after her… one day I was being picked on by one of the girls in our gym class…we were playing basketball… I was doing well dribbeling the ball away from the ‘tall girls’..(I’m only 5′ tall)…they didn’t like that I was doing well , I guess… and she intervenened in a way that still made me keep my dignity… and at the time… made me see that a teacher was just like me… she’s not too tall either.. I’ll never forget that…
she also showed me by her example that I had so much to offer… part of who I am is due to her love and kindness…
God bless You Ms Singleton.
Maria (Pacheco) Serpico
As an concerned alumni of Lincoln High School and a PROUD HORNET FOR LIFE! I would like to voice my opinion on the naming of the Lincoln High School Football Stadium after Coach Victor N. Player, Jr.
It is all too well documented how his influence and training on the football field has led many athletes going on to college and to the pros. But what I want to speak about is the impact of his influence in the classroom and in the lives of the students that he taught and how that has impacted the most on the community.
I had the pleasure and the honor to speak at Coach Player’s funeral. I also have had the pleasure to speak to many of the alumi from the Class of 1978 as well as other classes, upon hearing of his passing. It is without a doubt that his influence has been the catalyst for many to go onto college to better their life and to give back to the community. Many have become teachers, coaches, administrators, doctors, nurses, lawyers. We have alumni who are working for the city, the state, for the federal government, in the all services of the military. These are people who have used his influences to better their lives. Who are responsible for their actions. Having stepped up as a parents. Not to run when times are tough. But stay grounded and be ready for the next trial or obstacle that comes your way. To look at the community and see what you can give back; how you can help bring others up on your way up. He taught about how when we see a child in need, hurting and reaching out – to step in and help, mentor the next generation. it is your way of paying the community back. Not to settle for things in life, but to work hard and achieve your dreams. These are messages that Coach Player taught us. These are the message we should want our children and future Lincoln Hornets to strive for. He is someone to be looked up to. And when you mention his name years down the road, I believe his legacy will continue to provide that inspiration. And I believe he deserves the honour of having the stadium named after him.
Terry Harvey
Class of 1978
PS.. I would like for Mr. Richard Miner, and Robert Dean (LHS Class of 1987, current Head Track Coach at San Diego High School). to be on the selection committee when the it meets on October 23rd. I believe they would represent us well.
You have men who sought after Coach Player’s advice on how to raise a family. And what it took to be a man in today’s world. He pushed us beyond our limits, knowing that if he did it on the field and the classroom, then we would use this experience in life when times were rough, we would not give up. That is the characteristics of a leader
I graduated from Lincoln High School in 1973. Although I am female Mr. Victor Player has touched my life not only in the sports world but also dealing with life problems. I was voted best athletic female during that year but my contacts with Mr. Player came from my extra curriculium activities such as assistant head cheerleader, pep squad, head of hurdle crew, and believe it or not being Vice President of my class.
Being involved in these activities brought me in closer contact with the teams and therefore coach Player, whom was a 1st class coach. When you’re able to actually be close by you can see the true dedication of a person because their eyes don’t lie. Here lied a person that was very serious about his team and his students. He was a great teacher but you can tell his passion lied with his team. He guided those young men to great heights on the field and some to great careers. Although Marcus Allen was often mantioned there are many others like Soledine Martin, David Lewis, Harold Steele and many others. Not only did he help those guys on the field but I can personally say he helped a lot of people with personal life problems because he was a person you can talk to and felt comfortable to open up to. He was a well rounded person and he was serious about his job and family. He let us hold our class meetings in his home from time to time when we had no where to go.
Coach player was a coach that I never heard anything negative about even when he had to discipline you because you knew you deserved it. He was a very fair man. I believe Lincoln High School would be honored to name their Stadium after Mr Player, I don’t know anyone else who deserves it more. I would be honored to know my School that I graduated from has class enough to notice that a man has integrity, pride, is hard working, and has contributed enormous amount of progress in your athletic department to have it named after him. This would do me Proud…Marion Smith Evans
I think that the stadium should be name after Mr. Victor Player , as a third generation to go to Lincol from 84-88, my mother and her sisiter and now the fourth generation cousin attending Lincoln. I think he would be very proud.
I believe the stadium should be called Sammie Ely Field because of the strong influence that that man has on the community.
I believe the stadium so be called Marcus Allen Field for the simple fact that he was the most prized possession Lincoln had. For him to worked so hard to represent us on the college and national stage level it is only right to repay the dedication he has to Lincoln High by naming the wonderful field after the wonderful player Marcus Allen.
Having served Lincoln(66-78) as teacher, coach, advisor, and track, football(with Mr. Player), and basketball volunteer, I concur with the sentiment that Mr. Player’s time and energy spent for Lincoln’s students should be memorialized by naming the home stadium facility, which he never enjoyed but definitely deserved, in his honor. Back in the day, we would have exclaimed, “Right on!” Then and now, “Praise God for his life!” No disrespect to Marcus Allen, whom I also had the privilege of serving.
As a proud HORNET Class of ’86. I concur with the sentiment that the new stadium should be named after Coach Vic Player. I had the pleasure of having Coach Player as my history teacher . He always stressed the importance of academics first and sports second. He was firm, but fair. If you didn’t pass, you didn’t play. Coach Player was more than a coach and teacher, he was someone you felt comfortable going to if you had questions or concerns. He never turned you away and always gave good, sound advice. Coach player’s dedication, attitude, morals and values is something that should never be forgotten. Coach Player may not be with us in body, but he lives on in spirit. What better way to honor a man who played such an important role in the lives of so many both past and present, than to name our beautiful new stadium after him…..A Hornet 4 Life…Shawnette Brand-Lawton
i think we should name the stadium after the first coach that recieved a football CIF in all of LINCOLN history
I would like to thank you all for remembering my father. But it is time to let him rest. He was a great man and father. If they name the stadium after him that’s fine. But if not, it will not change a thing.