Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Coach Fired for Winning?

The coach of a girls' high school basketball team in Texas was fired yesterday. He was fired for winning. 100 to 0! I've been following this story for a few days. People who were present testify that they were running up the score.

This was a Christian school which put the drubbing on a private school. The type of private school for kids who struggle in a traditional learning environment. I know this type of school-my sister-in-law taught at one in Ohio for a couple of years. These girls are not necessarily unintelligent nor unathletic (although this particular group seems to be); they usually have learning disabilities which aren't apparent to most of their acquaintances. Suffice it to say, they probably aren't exactly brimming with confidence to begin with.

Can you imagine losing 100-0? From what I hear, they actually took it pretty well. Anyway, Bravo to the Christian school for firing the coach who ran up the score on these girls. And shame on the coach for refusing to even apologize. Probably he just wanted "to see what his girls could do." Well, to me that's unacceptable, and a symptom of a broader problem I see in high school sports in America. And from a Christian school! What kind of impression will the other girls take of Christianity from this blow-out?

Again, I'm pleased that the administration of the school handled this well, controlling the damage as much as possible.

~Abu Tulip

1 comment:

said...

From what I understand, the principal of the winning school felt so bad about the sitatuion that they offered to forfeit the game. Upon hearing this, the now fired coach went on a tirade and called the kids from the other school a bunch of wimps, or something to that effect. I'm not saying the fact that they purposely ran up the score was good, but maybe if the guy had kept his big mouth shut he would at least still have a job.