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.
No comments:
Post a Comment