So, to set up for my little rant, you must know the back story to this. I coach cheerleading...I've been a coach for the same high school varsity team for 5 years now. We compete and have been state champions the past two years in a row. At tryouts for our upcoming winter season last month, a boy showed up to try out. He was in 10th grade and had played football for the high school just weeks earlier. I found out later that day that he had quit football because he didn't like it and didn't get along with the coaches. I pulled him aside and spoke to him about why he quit and why he wanted to do cheerleading. He stressed to me that he just didn't want to play football so he never took it seriously and that when he was little he took dance and gymnastics. He loved to perform and wanted to give cheering a try. Over the next 3 days of try outs, I was shocked. He was doing better than most of the girls who were trying out. In the end, he made the team. Since then, he has worked just as hard as the girls and has really improved. He does not know it yet, but he will make the competition team and will be part of our "co ed" 2012 competition team.
Now, with all the said, I can explain the purpose of this post. Yesterday I bumped into the high schools boys basketball coach, who was also one of the football coaches. He pulled me aside and told me that the boy couldn't cheer because he was on a social suspension list at the high school. I was a bit confused, but told him I would look into it. He then started to get very stern with me and told me that the boy needed to be off the team. I again assured him that I would speak to the athletic director and take care of it, and even thanked him for making me aware of the list that I knew nothing about. Personally, as a coach I would never interfere with another coach's team. It is none of my business and who am I to tell another coach how to run their team. I was a bit taken off guard by the other coach's comments, but took it as a grain of salt.
I went back to the gym where my team was practicing and pulled a senior captain aside to ask her about this list and what that basketball coach had told me. She said she wasn't sure about this list, but the coach (who is also a teacher) had said something to her a few weeks back about the boy. Apparently, the coach said that if the boy cheers any away basketball games (the team cheers away basketball games and we take the same bus as the players, but sit together at the front of the bus...we do this for all sports), he wants her to make sure the boys is as far away from him as possible while riding the bus. My mouth fell to the floor. What an asshole!
I immediately called the athletic director to tell him about this. He was rather upset and said he would speak to the coach about it. I have no idea what will happen, but it better be some kind of disciplinary action against the coach. This is absolute bullshit. He's an adult and yet he is talking to high school students like he is one. "Keep him as far away from me as possible." What does he think would happen??? Does he think the boy is gay and his gayness would rub off on him or something!? He's not gay and anyone who thinks gayness "rubs off" of you, should be sent to a secluded island with the rest of the ignorant people in this world.
People wonder why kids are so rude and hateful these days....its because of people like him. Someone who is a teacher and a coach. Someone who is supposed to be a role model, yet says such mean things for no reason. Someone please explain to me what is wrong with people????
I don't care if I had the biggest shitheads in the world on my team, they are MY team and no one is allowed to talk about them like that. I'm very protective of my team!
Someone tell me, if the school does nothing is this considered sexual discrimination or slander? I mean, are there any legal battles that could be fought in this situation? I just want to have my guns ready to fire.
WOW. Shocked at this! I mean, if you were to get the kid's parents involved... I'm SURE they would do something! How crazy!
ReplyDelete