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By JOHN BASSETTI

By John Bassetti

Sunday, July 8, 2001


By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUBBARD -- Flagmen, stock boys, waitresses, laborers, lifeguards and landscapers.
Those are some of the jobs area high school athletes have during the summer.
Matt Clark and Brandon Wood fit the mold by working for the Hubbard park department.
But what do some coaches do? Like Reid Lamport?
Lamport, a teacher-coach in Poland, is also a pastor.
In his position, Lamport oversees 100 worshippers in a church that is open 12 months.
"It keeps me pretty busy," said Lamport, who guided the Poland High girls softball team to the Division II state championship game last month.
Pastor: A teacher of children with learning disabilities at Poland Middle School the last five years, Lamport is pastor of the Church of the Rock, also located in Poland.
When he first started teaching, Lamport painted houses in the summer. Now he's busy with family, the church and summer softball.
Jessica Lamport, 16, is on her father's traveling softball team and the high school squad while his son, also named Reid, 15, recently completed his baseball season in the Little B League.
If he's in Detroit or Buffalo for weekend games, he'll return home Saturday to be available on Sundays; other coaches take over the team.
Church of the Rock is a year-and-a-half old.
Expansion: "It's just been planted. Now, we're looking to purchase land and expand. We're using a building in Poland, but a campaign to build our own place is on the horizon."
Lamport said he prepares a sermon weekly although the Rock's associate pastor, former YSU quarterback Mark Brungard, also preaches and delivers once every three weeks.
Their church is guided by the bible.
"We believe that the bible is the inherent work of God. If you come, you'll hear God's word. That's where the power is and we believe that's where the truth is. A lot of times, we'll try to make analogies between life and sports to put the bible on people's level."
Athletes: Clark and Wood, both Hubbard High athletes, spend their weekdays cutting grass and doing general maintenance at several parks in their city.
Clark, a senior-to-be, lettered in football last year as a linebacker. He's also a three-time letter-winner on the wrestling team. Last winter, Clark missed qualifying for state by one match in the 189-pound class.
This is his first stint with the park department. Duties for the 17-year-old Clark entail mowing, upkeep and litter pickup at Mattinat, Waugh, Myron and Hillcrest playgrounds.
As a painter last summer, Clark coordinated football season conditioning with his work schedule. He's doing the same now. But, with mandatory summer sessions just around the corner, the job will be history.
Contract: He said his contract with the park department to work 300 hours is arranged to allow a break before triples start.
"My last day of work is July 28 and triples start the week after that. They're straight through from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m."
Clark said he hopes to become an elementary teacher.
Wood doesn't have the same conflict because his sports are basketball and baseball.
His job is the same as Clark's although Wood's employment is through a summer youth jobs program.
Late last summer, Wood worked a month or so in telemarketing.
"I just like being outdoors," he said of this year's position.
Colt loop: Also 17, Wood played mostly in the outfield during his junior season on Hubbard High's baseball this past spring. This summer, he was a member of the Midland Title Colt League team, playing for manager Frank Staley.
Wood, who was born in Wheeling, W. Va., but moved to Hubbard as a freshman, will work for the park department until mid-August before starting his senior year.
In basketball, the 5-foot-9 Wood played guard, mostly on the junior varsity team.