Hockey coach suspended for letting players skip tourney ceremony for exams

[jds 20]

http://www.thestar.c...-for-exams?bn=1

Geesh!

[bigdmac 12]

Absolutely unbelievable, that's a serious embarrassment on the leagues part. These kids should be praised for choosing school over hockey, and so should the coach for allowing it to happen. That league sounds like an complete joke, and after hearing this I would be hesitant to allow one of my kids to be represented in a league like that.

[chippa13 1844]

So what it comes down to is some league bureaucrat is pissed off that he didn't get a phone call before the team was a no-show.

But, the release added: “The team has twenty-three players, four coaching staff and seven executive members. As the branch representative at a prestigious tournament held in our province, we would expect at least a representative of the team at these functions.”

[Chadd 916]

That's why you always submit those notices in writing or via email. You need to cover your ass.

[wrangler 157]

This sounds strange enough to make me wonder if it's the whole story. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the result of a behind-the-scenes pissing contest, based on just about anything.

[Stoop 1]

Ye

This sounds strange enough to make me wonder if it's the whole story. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the result of a behind-the-scenes pissing contest, based on just about anything.

Yep, that league has stepped in it now. It seems hard to believe, so I'm also trying to look for clues that could explain their actions. What the league should be saying (and sort of is saying in its press release) is that it's not a sanction based on the student players missing the ceremony, but based on the fact that the coach, or even one of his assistants, didn't show.

The article (particularly the headline) definitely tries to sentionalize it as punishment for kids picking books over hockey: "A volunteer coach in Newfoundland says he’s appealing his one-year suspension and a $2,000 fine to his junior hockey team after several players chose to study for exams and skip the opening ceremonies of a tournament." That makes it sound like a few players from the team chose not to go, leading to punishment. But actually no players or coaches or anyone went. right?. All because of exams?

Now, maybe the "we just wanted one representative" line is just covering their butt after the fact, I don't know.

And of course, even if it is reasonable to require one representative to be there to hear about rules and schedule, a one year suspension (from coaching, right? not just from the tourney?) and a fine is an absurd penalty.

[jds 20]

This sounds strange enough to make me wonder if it's the whole story. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the result of a behind-the-scenes pissing contest, based on just about anything.

It's in the press.It must be true.

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[215BroadStBullies610 435]

It said that there are no rules pertaining to teams missing the ceremony. I can see the fine but suspension? How many of those players will be able to make a living playing hockey? Yes, someone from the team should have contacted the league. I don't dispute that. Based on the story though, it seems like this was the first time. Issue a fine with a stern warning. To have the head coach miss an entire season is unreasonable. Someone must have an ax to grind. All of this is sending the wrong message about education by the way.

[Jason Harris 31]

I just checked the distance between St. Johns and where the tournament was held at Montague on Prince Edward Island. They're 1400 kilometers apart and listed as a 22.5 hour drive, so maybe they took a bus or had worked out group travel on the same flight. Or maybe the coach was more concerned with the team bonding aspect of traveling, even if they were only an hour apart.

Either way, how daft would the league organizers have to be to attempt to punish a coach and team for putting education first for amateur players?