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All that anyone is concerned about is whether the kid will get to play in a damn game. What about the future of the kid, after sports when he will no longer contribute to a win on the court. Given his past, sports should be the least of the worries. Hopefully he will live a long and PRODUCTIVE life long after some ballgame that nobody will even remember in 2 years anyway. Schooling and parenting are supposed to set the direction of a kid for an entire lifetime, not just long enough to get him through his senior athletic season.
I agree 100%. I believe that any coach/administration who facilitate ANOTHER slap in the wrist are not acting in the best interest of the kid. Which leads me to question why these adults are in education? You will find that many adults are in it for their own ego stroke. If this kid is needed to win a few ballgames so the adults around the program can feel good about themselves...then thy shall be done. Never-mind that the cost of this adult ego-stroke is a kid's future.
Look, from the sound of it there is a good chance that nothing will work for this kid. But that is no excuse for the adults in and around the Elida education system to turn a blind eye and quit trying to fulfill their duties. Their duty is to TRY and educate this kid to the best of their abilities. This is a golden opportunity for this kid to be taught that there are REAL consequences to poor behavior. If the Elida adults fail him today, this lesson will be learned via law enforcement...when it is too late. Taking away the one thing he loves just might be enough to convince him to change his ways. And if it doesn't...at least you tried. But sadly...it sounds like we will never know if this could have changed this boy's life. The adults need their ego fix. Screw the kid they USE to meet THEIR needs.
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is it fair to the rest of the team who have done nothing wrong to make them play shorthanded for an offense that has been penalized and served by this athlete.
This would depend on your priorities. For those who believe high school sports is about wins and loses...they would answer unfair. For those who believe that high school sports has a larger mission that includes discipline, teamwork, consequences, etc...this is a shining moment to teach EVERY kid a life lesson about what happens to those who continuously break rules. We would answer that this is not only very FAIR...but it is the only acceptable result consistent with the mission of educating children and preparing them for life.
I'd argue the opposite. Is it fair to the rest of the kids on the team to learn the deviant lesson that repeat offenses, including stealing and cheating, have no major consequences? Not only is the adult ego stroke short-changing the student involved...it is sending a poor message to every kid in the district that deviant behaviors are all but tolerated at Elida. And if you can get away with it at Elida, why would you believe you could not get away with it later in life?
Edited by Dman, 01 March 2012 - 11:15 AM.