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General discussion

Some fun at a school sports banquet or cruelty?

by James Denison May 4, 2004 2:54AM PDT

I'll admit I chuckled at the description of the award, but I also felt bad for the kid.

short url

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.

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27 Posts
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Re:if it was my son
by jonah jones May 4, 2004 3:43AM PDT

the coach would limp for a very long time!

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the nutcracker award? nt
by James Denison May 4, 2004 3:56AM PDT
Wink
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Hey, Coach! What time is it when you give out an award like this?
by Dan McC May 4, 2004 4:01AM PDT

Time to go to the unemployment office!

What a jerk.

Dan

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Re:Some fun at a school sports banquet or cruelty?
by Dick White May 4, 2004 4:13AM PDT

jeezy, ... Those of us who have been active in organized youth activities (sports, scouts, church, whatever), know exactly who that kid is. We all had at least one in the bunch (and frankly, just about every one of the jerko kids came by it honestly from jerko parents, but that's a different rant...) but absolutely no! - such a "special trophy" is beyond the pale. Maybe the coach should be given the "azzhole award."

dw

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Adolescence is enough of an emotional roller coaster already....
by Josh K May 4, 2004 4:27AM PDT

....without jerks like this entering the mix. I hope the coach had a good laugh. Then I hope he lost his job. If the boy's father didn't open up a BOCOW on this guy, then he showed tremendous restraint.

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Re:Some fun or cruelty? -- Do the words 'emotional pain and suffering' give a hint?
by Dave Konkel [Moderator] May 4, 2004 4:35AM PDT

Hi, James.

Hopefully, a jury will see things the same way. First, the coach should be fired for not having a clue about "sportsmanship," and then the should sue him.

-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re: a reprimand is to follow
by jonah jones May 4, 2004 6:32AM PDT
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a reprimand is not enough
by Kiddpeat May 4, 2004 12:05PM PDT

A 13 year old? Coaches? They're scum!

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Sadistic Coach
by Sasha Tee May 4, 2004 10:23AM PDT

The coach is sadistic and should be fired before he damages another child. That coach is in dire need of professional counseling.

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My oldest daughter wrote;
by James Denison May 4, 2004 11:41AM PDT
if you ask me just the fact that they have a whole story about this just goes to prove how much of a whine baby he really must be. sure it wasnt all that nice of the coach to do that but you gotta learn to live with things like that, people arent always going to treat you the way you want to be and he's never going to learn that if they make a big issue out of something this stupid.
~niki

She's in college now, but did 3 sports a year for 4 years in high school. We've certainly attended enough of these sports banquets over the years. I thought she'd be more sympathetic when I sent her the article, LOL.
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He's going to discover it someday, but
by Kiddpeat May 4, 2004 12:07PM PDT

not at 13 in front of all your peers with adult approval of the judgement.

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Re:He's going to discover it someday,
by James Denison May 4, 2004 12:32PM PDT
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Cute cubs Papa Bear!
by Kiddpeat May 5, 2004 3:10AM PDT

What college?

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Thanks.
by James Denison May 5, 2004 11:16AM PDT

AACC

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Radio report: coach fired even though school district's lawyer did not know if it was legal. (NT)
by R Bibb May 4, 2004 1:43PM PDT
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breaking update...
by R Bibb May 4, 2004 1:49PM PDT

Update: the board voted to fire even though the superintendent had less stringent action in mind.

Based on the questioning of the attorney, this may be a story to follow.

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Seems like over reaction to me.
by James Denison May 4, 2004 8:17PM PDT

What's that going to say about and to whiners? That you can do it, you can get away with it, and if anyone even teases you about it, you can do them damage. The Coach should have been reprimanded. Hope he sues.

This whole thing is starting to remind me of SNL years ago when they had the "Whiner" family on it. Used to make my teeth ache to watch it.

I'm thinking maybe the whole thing was a team inspired joke award that the coach got caught up in, and the kid took it the wrong way. It's not unusual to have some joke awards at these sports banquets. Like some kid took a hard hit to the head during a football game so the others at the banquet give him the "cracked helmet" award. Some track runner tripped in an important race that season over his shoe laces so he gets the "golden shoe lace" award, or a cheap pair of velcro shoes "to avoid future problems". Coaches often get joke awards from their kids they coached that season too.

This is going overboard for some joke that unfortunately was pulled on a kid that was too sensitive to appreciate the attention and play it off. Everybody should have had a good laugh, including the kid and his parents, and left it there.

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Easy for you to say. You're not the 13 year old kid. :-( nt
by xerpor May 4, 2004 9:22PM PDT

.

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Yes, but I'm looking at the action taken against the coach.
by James Denison May 5, 2004 12:32PM PDT

Was it too much? Was this all his idea? Was it something "the guys" on the team wanted and he went along with it? Was it intended as good natured ribbing or for a deliberate hurt to the kid? I think we all agree that it's not a proper thing for a child his age, but did the coach deserve to be fired? Should he have been reprimanded instead? Maybe this coach has a history of humiliating kids that didn't perform as he wanted them to. Maybe he's actually a nice guy that made a bad judgement call and is sorry about it.

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Re:Seems like over reaction to me.
by Rolway May 4, 2004 10:59PM PDT

I don't know James. I can see your point, but to me, it seems like a pretty sick, stupid joke and can't believe a coach with any amount of brains would pull a stunt like that. There are other ways for a coach and team to work with a winer without subjecting a 13 year old kid to that kind of crap. I've never seen any Joke awards like that at this age level.

George

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Yes, the age level is wrong for that kind of public joking around. nt
by James Denison May 5, 2004 11:20AM PDT

nt

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He's just a little kid who wanted to get in the game.
by Dan McC May 5, 2004 12:34AM PDT

I'll bet those Iraqi guys were grinning under their hoods because they knew is was all good fun.
[/sarcasm]

Dan

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Not Analogious at all.
by James Denison May 5, 2004 11:27AM PDT

With inappropriate analogies like that, next time you'll think a boy splashing water at a girl in a kiddie pool is the same as driving some girl named Mary Jo off a bridge near Chappaquidick.

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The wanton carelessness toward the feelings of another person is the same.
by Dan McC May 5, 2004 11:45PM PDT

But I guess if you don't understand one you can't understand the other.

Dan

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Seems like extremely poor judgement to me.
by Kiddpeat May 5, 2004 3:16AM PDT

Teachers and coaches are supposed to be smarter than that. The School Board may be worried about what else this guy has been doing to the kids.

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Re: Seems like over reaction to me -- No, perfectly appropriate
by Dave Konkel [Moderator] May 5, 2004 1:02PM PDT

First, James, you're taking the coach's word that the kid "was a whiner." Even if that were so, the coach's behavior is intolerably cruel. he has no business teaching "sportsmanship" to anyone, because he clearly doesn't know the meaning of the word. As I said before, the lawsuit ought to be by the kid's parents for emotional injury, though I doubt that monetary damages would be provable. But the coaching profession is IMCO better off without this guy as a member.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Young coach (24) keeps job so far. On probation and loss of coach position and raise. Assigned a "mentor".
by James Denison May 5, 2004 1:13PM PDT
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2004-05-05-crybaby-award_x.htm

Image of Award and the father.

The coach will be ordered to make a public apology, banned from coaching and sent to sensitivity training.

....the vote to dismiss Guillen wasn't valid, according to Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.


Coyle, said dismissal would be too severe a punishment, said he would ban Guillen from coaching in Pleasantville schools and order sensitivity training and a public apology. Guillen will be ordered to hold the banquet again and give Philo the trophy other players received.

A veteran teacher will mentor Guillen, Coyle said.

Coyle will ask the board a second time for a five-day suspension without pay and forfeiture of a $3,000 pay raise due Guillen.

....A man who coached in a summer league in which Guillen played as a teen defended him before the school board, saying the crybaby term was used to motivate players.

Coyle said the coach had received a Crybaby Award as a teen while playing in a summer recreation league.

He wanted to honor Philo, who was a starter for most of the season on a team that won its league championship, not ridicule him, according to Coyle.

Guillen later called the boy to tell him he should not be upset about the award, since he had received same when young.

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