Cancelling The Season

The Sayerville War Memorial High School football program is in trouble. Seven members of the football team have been accused of sexual assault of their freshman teammates in what is being described as a “hazing ritual”. The Superintendent has cancelled the remainder of their season and is considering the abolition of the program. Some of the parents are vehemently opposed to the Superintendent’s actions, others support him. The local and national media are weighing in on the decision as well, as local prosecutors decide whether to charge the students as juveniles or adults.

Déjà vu.

When I was a high school Principal I would meet with my varsity football and basketball players (male and female) a few days before the start of their individual seasons. I would look each one of them in the eye and make my expectations clear. I wanted them to realize that playing varsity sports is not a “right”, but a “privilege”. They had earned that privilege by the hard work and dedication they had displayed to make the roster. They needed to understand that when they put on our school’s colors and went out on that stage they were ambassadors, representing all of us. They would be representing all of the students, teachers, parents, and administrators, past and present that had any connection to our school. They had a responsibility to represent us well. I wanted them to understand that their visibility could be a blessing or a curse. The fact that our school was literally a twenty minute drive from the nation’s Capitol potentially gave us a national stage. We were in a major media market. The Washington Post was our local newspaper. If they represented us well, it could go a long way in improving the perception of our school. If they represented us poorly, it could very quickly destroy all of the progress we had made in changing the culture of our school, and the perception of our graduates. They needed to understand the power of the press, and the consequences of their actions when the press is present. 

I would also tell them I expected them to be role models for the other students. I expected them to be the best students. I expected to see them get to class on time. I wanted them to be the best examples of our basic beliefs of “respect, service, and excellence”. Finally, I made sure that each of them clearly understood that any suspension would result in an equal number of lost games. Consequently, a three day suspension would be three games not played. A five day suspension would cost them five. 

I expected my coaches to give our athletes the same message, but it was important for them to hear it from me as well. Culture is driven by expectations, and expectations are driven by the leaders of the group.

In October of 2009, my football players got into a fight on the field that got so bad the game had to be stopped. The fight continued as the visiting team tried to get on their bus. Fans got involved. One of my players threw his helmet at the bus. The police had to use pepper spray to subdue some of my players. There were arrests. Someone could have been killed.

As soon as we sorted out the facts, I suspended four players and requested an expulsion for one. I fired all of the assistant coaches and accepted the resignation of the head coach. I then met with the players and told them that what had happened was unacceptable, and the rest of the season was cancelled.

Some of the parents were vociferous in their opposition to my actions, as well as some in the media. Some of the parents and teachers supported me, but not nearly as loudly as those that did not. I actually got a phone call at home from the Superintendent who asked me to reconsider, but did not order me to. He did tell me that if I decided to stand by my decision, he would support me, and he did. The Washington Post and the broadcast media were all over it, and one columnist in particular was very critical, especially after I refused his request for an interview.

We resumed our football program the following year. I continued my preseason speeches. Never again did we have any character issues with any of our athletes again.  They made us proud, in all sports, and I was proud of them.

Cancelling the season in Sayreville was the right thing to do. Character can be built by playing football, but the games should never be more important than the life lessons that the players need to learn.

There are some things that should never be tolerated, including violence and sexual assault. If cancelling some high school football games can ensure that students are not subjected to those things, cancel the games.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The Time is Always Right To Do Right”... even if it is in the middle of a football season.