Coach's Behavior

[Larks]

Official will not pursue further action against coach
Lakota East's Walter Vickers apologized for post-game behavior toward referee at a Middletown game.

LIBERTY TWP. — The investigation into a Lakota coach accused of threatening a basketball referee is closed, according to state and Lakota officials.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled Lakota handled the situation appropriately and Lakota East Coach Walter Vickers apologized sufficiently for post-game behavior and comments Jan. 30 at the Lakota versus Middletown game at Lakota East High School.

Referee Eric Lindsay had complained that Vickers pointed at him and then approached in a threatening manner.

After the game, Lindsay said, Vickers goaded him to fight outside.

"No further communication or action is needed," wrote Henry Zaborniak Jr., assistant commissioner of the OHSAA. "The OHSAA considers the matter closed."

East Athletic Director Jim Rouff said Vickers had been jumping up and down excitedly on the court, and though he was wrong for pointing at the official, he said Vickers did not attempt to strike Lindsay. Vickers wrote an apology letter for speaking to Lindsay after the game.

"The accusations against me were unsubstantiated and frivolous," Vickers wrote in a released statement. "This was the second time this official has worked one of our games. I find it contentious that he would think he can evaluate my teaching and coaching, which is something I have been doing for 25 years."

Lindsay issued a statement Wednesday that said he believes there was enough "shame and embarrassment" brought on from the charges.

"Taxpayers will now be made to feel that their concerns will be taken seriously and that coaches will not be protected when they step out of line," he wrote. "I feel we have been successful and I have no problem moving on."

Georgetta Kelly, director of human resources for Lakota, said the district has closed its investigation.

During the investigation, she said the district realized it needed to improve its policy for handling complaints.

"We looked at a complaint tracking system," she said. "What we're going to do now is centralize complaints that come into the district."

[Jurassic Referee]

Being a martyr can be expensive. Prohibitively so in some cases.......

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo. That ain't gonna happen though until the great majority of officials get together and say "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness...and that's enuff of this sh!t!"

[stmaryrams]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo...

The worst part is they just revamped the system to include the officials votes as a part of the eligibility for post season games.

What we need is a system where we (as officials) can give a sportsmanship rating to coaches. Something that would have clout. I would guess that Technical's and ejections would suffice as is.
The Columbus City League schools ask officials to rate each site on several topics such as site manager's helpfulness, coach, players and fans sportmanship. This provides feedback to the the district on issues that need to be addressed that may have not come to the ejection of a coach, player or fan phase.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Being a martyr can be expensive. Prohibitively so in some cases.......

Ohio needs to blow up their present system completely imo. That ain't gonna happen though until the great majority of officials get together and say "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness...and that's enuff of this sh!t!"

JR:

The OhioHSAA will never (sorry for using the "N" word J. Dallas) overall its present system. The coaches, athletic directors, and principals have a strangle hold of the OhioHSAA. The ironic part agout the whole situation is that the OhioHSAA does not charge any of its member schools a membership fee. A substantial portion of its funding for its operations come for the annual registration fees that it charges its sports officials. Based on the amount of mone that the OhioHSAA rakes in from its sports officials, its registered sports officials should have a 50% say in the running of the OhioHSAA. I am afraid that it will take an official who is a lawyer who has the financial resources to sue the OhioHSAA for officials to be taken seriously in the OhioHSAA.

MTD, Sr.