Ouch.
PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. — The coaches of a middle school basketball team who humiliated one of their players by giving him a “crybaby award” will likely face disciplinary action from district officials.
The 13-year-old boy’s coach called him just before last month’s team banquet and told him to make sure he attended because he was getting a special trophy, the boy’s father said.
At the event, the boy watched as all of his Pleasantville Middle School teammates received trophies or certificates.
He was then called up to receive his award, and a coach told the crowd that the boy was being honored because “he begged to get in the game, and all he did was whine.”
The trophy had a silver figure of a baby atop a pedestal engraved with the boy’s name, which was spelled incorrectly. Family members said the teen — an honor roll student — was so embarrassed that he stayed home from school on the following Monday.
Edwin Coyle, superintendent of the Atlantic County district, said he would recommend that the unidentified coaches receive some type of punishment. He planned to address the matter at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.
“I was very upset and dismayed that our coaches would take an opportunity to belittle or lessen the self-esteem of our athletes,” Coyle said.
Of course, what the kid could have done is to remind his coaches that they coach a middle school basketball team for a living.
I mean, making sure 13-year old boys can shoot lefthanded layups before forcing them into the shower — as a career choice — what would that trophy look like, I wonder?
I heard this on the radio yesterday. My son was listening in. He asked what I would have done in those circumstances. I don’t remember what I said, but it had something to do with a hot poker, vaseline and rectal surgery.
“Edwin Coyle, superintendent of the Atlantic County district, said he would recommend that the unidentified coaches receive some type of punishment.” SOME TYPE OF PUNISHMENT??? Like what? Writing “I will not do that again” 100 times on a blackboard? A slap on the wrist?
Why weren’t these coaches suspended—immediately? If a student had done this to a peer instead of an authority figure adult doing it to a student, surely that student would have at least been suspended… and probably expelled.
I certainly hope that the school board realizes what a powerful message they will be sending in deciding how to handle this matter appropriately. (Can you say “zero tolerance policy” applies only to students?)
I’d a decked the S.O.B. right there at the banquet. Just as he was handing it to my son.
Then I’d have sued him the next day for “hazing” and inflicting “mental anguish and cruelty” on my son.
Then I would put sugar in the gas tank of his car.
Then I’d start plotting to get even.
Check out this story about a high school kid whose coaches wanted him to pitch till his arm fell off:
On one occasion, when Garrett’s father asked the manager why he was letting Garrett throw so many pitches, the response was terse: “I’m trying to win a ball game here.”
The worst was yet to come. After throwing 155 pitches in one game, Berger wanted out. Nobody was warming up in the bullpen. So finally he removed himself from the game, claiming his “leg hurt.” When Berger reached the bench, his pitching coach threw a plastic pitch counter at him and scoffed, “There’s your pitch count.” His head coach benched him for the next two games.
On June 5, 2001, Graduation Day at Carmel High School, Garrett Berger was drafted by the Florida Marlins with their first pick, the 60th overall. On August 12, he signed with the Marlins for $795,000 (not quite a million dollars, but then throwing 155 pitches can cost a young man a lot of money). Shortly thereafter, he blew out his elbow while pitching in the instructional league. Berger had a torn ligament and a fractured bone: the same injury, basically, that cost John Smoltz the entire 2000 season. Kim Berger is convinced that her son’s injury is directly related to all those sliders, all those pitches he threw for the greater glory of Carmel High.
That’s just beautiful. “I’m trying to win a ball game here.” What’s important is not some kid’s future but whether Carmel High can make the playoffs.
Sure is nice to know that not everything has changed since I graduated from high school – in 1969.
The trophy for the coach would be a gold-plated douche bag.
Bloody hell. I really like that detail about the coach telling the kid’s parents he was going to get a “special trophy.”
I’d love to see the school dig through those coach’s pasts and see if one of them received a “crybaby trophy” in junior high.
–|PW|–