this was in today's paper
Quote:
Not good enough 'They want me to be 10 yards back,' says Zwolak
Cathie Coward, the Hamilton Spectator
Cardinal Newman's senior football coach Matt Zwolak used duct tape to hold padding around his wheelchair in order to meet referees' demands.
By Tony Fitzgerald
The Hamilton Spectator(Oct 15, 2005)
A quadriplegic football coach was able to spend the last game of the season close to his players despite continuing to be deemed a safety hazard by officials.
The local referees association refused to officiate any football game Cardinal Newman's Matt Zwolak coached unless he met their demands that he pad the wheelchair and stay nine metres from the field of play.
Zwolak wasn't happy about the restrictions, but complied, using duct tape to hold the makeshift padding in place.
"The (goal) post cemented into the ground in the field of play is more of a safety hazard than me being one-yard off the sideline," Zwolak said.
"The difference is it's padded. I'm willing to do that but that's not good enough. They want me to be 10 yards back."
He says somebody should ask Hamilton Tiger-Cat coach Greg Marshall if he would be at a competitive disadvantage if he were forced to stand 10 yards back from the sideline.
"Ask the officials if the side judge was placed 10 yards off the field and then argue it's not a competitive situation," he said.
As the senior football game between the Cardinals and St. Jean de Brebeuf Braves progressed yesterday, Zwolak rolled up and down the sidelines, just as an able-bodied coach might pace up and down. The Cardinals are finished for the season after their 24-6 defeat to the Braves.
Kevin Mickleboro, the referee in-chief, and member of the Hamilton Football Officials Association (HFOA) executive, repeated the group's stance that it is a safety issue.
"Our No. 1 concern is the players' safety," Mickleboro said. "Any safety issue we can be satisfied with must go to the school board.
"They seem to think it's not a safety issue, but when we asked them to waive our liability, they refused."
Mickleboro said the only conclusion they can reach is the board agrees it is a safety issue but doesn't want to be the only one in a lawsuit.
The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board is on record supporting the coach's bid to be on the sidelines with his team. It said the former McMaster Marauder linebacker has enough experience to be able to avoid any oncoming players.
One of the players in yesterday's game didn't think a coach in a wheelchair was as much of a threat to their safety as the track along the outside of the Brebeuf field. "The coach was all padded up, but that track over there is really dangerous," said Nick Poloniato, one of the Braves' offensive stars. "I'm more worried about that."
Zwolak, who was left a quadriplegic in a 1999 cycling accident, could still file a Human Rights complaint.
Francois Larsen, a lawyer with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, says he has a legitimate grievance.
Larsen said a coach in a wheelchair should be allowed on the sidelines just as an able-bodied coach.
Tom Vellesi, president of the HFOA, anticipates that Zwolak will file a human rights complaint next season.
The loss to the Braves yesterday eliminated the Cardinals from the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic Athletic Association playoffs. They have one game remaining in the schedule.
"I've stated my position," Zwolak said. "I'd just like to see it over and done with. The story should be about the kids and not a disabled coach on the sidelines. I wasn't able to think about football until six minutes before kickoff. That's unfortunate. I feel I wasn't able to give the kids their due. After today, I'm not going to say another word. We'll just let it play out."
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