Detroit Free Press article of interest...
 

From Mick and I's neck of the woods........
St. Ignace coach wins box battle | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Sorry to read that it went down that way but I do side with the coach and it was unfortunate it came to what it did.

Before any of you cite the rules, let me be blunt. In this instance I will go by the spirit any day over the letter.

Me too, but to be honest, the comment in the article about the occasional official or player tripping over the wheelchair makes me cringe.

I work with a guy who's sister played for her.

I don't like it. I don't like the idea of someone other than the head coach being allowed to stand. Dealing with timeout requests from coaches are hard enough; having an assistant standing with the head coach requesting timeouts while sitting would only make it harder.

If this lady wants someone else to stand then that is fine with me, but the other guy who stands gets all the other duties of the head coach as well including requesting timeouts, verifying that his players are properly equipped, being responsible for bench personal, and very importantly dealing with the officials.... If the school wants to hire the lady as the head coach and list her as the head coach on the team roster they can do that as being the head coach does not require the use of the coaching box.

At the pro summer league I did stats for in 2006 & 2007, one of the coaches now has to use a wheelchair and nobody gave him any trouble over it. And the sidleines in that gym have veryt tight clearance. Of course, the fact that the local official assignor also runs this league might also have a role in how the officials handle this, too ;)

There's a very good chance that I will work for this coach in the Regional Final that I have been assigned. I am anxious to read the thoughts on this matter.

I am not unsympathetic to the lady coach, but we have some sidelines around here that simply will not accommodate a wheelchair. It's a matter of physics.

As for the main issue, why does anybody have to "utilize the box?"
I can't see having both of them in it. She asked how many timeouts she had left and they gave the answer to her husband. This is a big problem?

Sounds like much ado about very little to me.

I'd just answer the assistant coach if an assistant asked. So obviously these officials were trying to make a point, which seems a bit disgusting to me.

I would probably do the same. It could have been worse. If they were truly treating her as an assistant, some officials probably would not acknowledge her question at all.

And exactly how many days of your life have been spent in a wheelchair? How many days of your life have you had some OOO treat you like a pile of dog crap in order to win their little turf war???

This was ridiculous on the officials part. No excuses.

zebra44,
Looks simple enough to follow Uyl's rules.
Congratulations on the Regional final.
Have fun with it.

This always gets me. I try and treat everyone in a game that I officiate how I want to be treated. Its how they act that determines how I will be towards them. I will treat all coaches and players with the same respect that most officials only reserve for the HC and captains. Why does it have to be that way? If an assistant is acting cordial why just glance them over like they do not exist. That type of thinking only sets us back. Why should we punish others over past bad experiences with different people. SImple holding an assistant coach position does not make them useless, no matter how much we might joke about it.

What could the husband do standing in the box that she couldn't do from the wheelchair?

I think this is an over-simplification of how many officials treat assistants. If assistants are clearly being helpful to their team I do not see many officials not talking to them. What often happens is that assistants want to argue situations or calls and that is not acceptable in my opinion. Or the assistant wants to talk when the head coach is talking directly to the officials. I do not know about you, but I am not going to have a two on one conversation when the head coach is the only person responsible for that information. I am not sure any of this took place here, but I do not know many officials simply dismissing assistants without some level of provocation.

Peace

There's a JV boys coach here in a wheel chair. His assistant does not stand, but the HC does not have a booming voice so timeout requests tend to get augmented in heated moments during the game. The only time I saw the assistant stand was when the HC was requesting a TO, AC stood up to mirror.

I don't see why she can't be the HC. She can move about in front of the bench in her wheelchair as she pleases and request a time-out from it without any problem. There is absolutely no rule requiring a HC to be standing while requesting a time-out. While it may help an official observe the request because the person is more visible, that task can certainly be done from the a sitting position. One could claim that she would be at a small disadvantage in this situation, but then so would any HC who is short. Do we think that tall coaches have a significant advantage when they are standing up? I seriously doubt it.

Therefore, I have no problem with her being the HC. However, I would not allow her husband to also utilize the coaching box and request time-outs. One or the other gets those rights, and I don't care which, but not both.

Lastly, there is NO rule which states that an assistant coach cannot address the officials or ask questions during the game. I would answer any question that she posed.

We have a local coach in a wheelchair. His assistants do not stand up...ever. He rolls around in his bench area. The times that he earns a technical, he goes to the end of the bench and sets his brake. When he wants a time-out, his assistants call for one with him- while seated- and he has his players trained to ask for one if we don't see him. We have never had a problem with this. All it takes is a little common sense.

I didn't know Nevada is patched in Michigan:)


Edit: Ok, just read your post, you big softy!

I agree with everything that Nevada said. There is no reason for the MichiganHSAA to make the stupid ruling that it did in otherwords logic was not used when finding a solution or a ruling. I will admit that it appeared that the officials did have there head's stuck up where the son does not shine when it came to logic, good manners, and respect.

There is a gentleman who had been the girls' varsity coach at three different high schools in the Toledo area over the last 20 years and he was an outstanding wheelchair basketball player. He did his thing just like anyother coach but he did it from his wheelchair.

MTD, Sr.

What am I missing here?
 

This is a case that just makes me scratch my head and wonder how there can be officials calling games absent any common sense.

Unless I'm missing something, and I think others have asked already...Why, exactly, can't she be a head coach? Is it the "standing in the coaches box" issue? Where does the fed or the state of MI require someone stand to call a time out?

Discipline the officials on the game and move on. I wish her well in the post season.

I'm with Rich here. Having had a father in a wheelchair for many years, there is no way I'd want that thing too close to a sideline, especially if it juts out from a standard bleacher seat or chair line. This could be a heckuvan injury waiting to happen (player, official and coach herself alike).

The "Who gets to call timeout?/Who's in the box?" questions are no-brainers. You have somebody with a severe physical handicap and you make reasonable accommodations for it (hello, Americans with Disabilities Act).

But back to the wheelchair. The coach's chair should be mandated to be flush with any other chair/seating line (including wooden bleacher seats). If necessary, she can sit on said bleacher. Collapse the wheelchair into the space next to or behind her. It shouldn't be a major problem to pop it out for any "traveling" needs (i.e. to the locker room, restroom, etc.). Her players can come to her during the game. That would be sensible accommodation on her part (especially after she's been given due consideration, as mentioned in the previous paragraph).

Wow! Do you have a heart? This is such a minor issue and you go on a rant like someone shot your dog.

I have had the occasion to officiate for a JV coach in a wheelchair on numerous occasions. He also has coach AAU. Had problems with the AC in one game on the other team. Told that he would need to stay seated, he started whining about back problems. I glanced over to the other bench, and he shut up. He later got a T, though.

Obviously the concern of the officials may have been "What about the other team's AC?" To that I would probably address that in the pre-game and get the opponents on the same page. "The AC will stand in order to request timeouts. Do you have an issue with that?" All other coaching duties can remain with the HC in the wheelchair. That is what 2-3 is for. Nowhere in the rules is there something that deals with a HC confined to a wheelchair. Too bad it had to come to a ruling issued by the state when common sense could have prevailed.

I think the ruling is good.
The ruling takes the guess out of the equation for the next games' official(s).

In VT, there are some waivers granted by the state principals association for things such as mouthguards & concussion headbands. Your point is well taken.

She was the HC before becoming paralyzed. She retained her job after the surgical accident as she rightfully should have been allowed to do. Being a HC doesn't require the use of legs. The Michigan High School Athletic Association has provided the necessary guidance to handle the situation.

What's so stupid about the ruling? The AC gets to stand to coach the kids. He gets no other HC privileges.

I just had a game in which the HC was in the wheelchair. The coaches in her conference and district have gotten used to it, and they were of no opposition when she requested that her AC would stand and request the timeout when they wanted to request one. We three officials had no problem with it either. Of course, I had no problems with making whatever accomodations because I am a person covered under the ADA as well, and I don't think my partners wanted to mess around on that topic (because they know very well that lecturing about the rights and privileges covered under the ADA is part of my day job!).

Read my post completely and some of the others who have posted who, like me, have officiated games where one of the teams was coached by a HC in a wheel chair. The HC in the wheel chair was able to do his job without any special considerations. I am going to catch a hell of a lot a heat for my next comment and that is this: Of all of the HC's in wheel chairs, it was only HC of the female persuasion that complained she couldn't do her job and needed an AC to stand. I am not condoning the unprofessional conduct of the officials in her game, but if other HC's in wheel chairs can do their job without special considerations, so can she.

MTD, Sr.

Mark, Sr.,
The Lady coach complained, or asked the State association ?
The Men coaches asked the State association and were turned down ?
Did the State association act on it's own or per request ?
Tell me the rest of the story, I don't know it.

After re-reading the article I don't see where she complained she couldn't do her job. The official asked her a question and she answered it. The official could just have easily had said "You have a choice, if you want the AC to stand then he is the HC, if you want to be recognized as the HC, then the AC cannot stand." Now maybe you are privy to some inside information, but based on this article I see nowhere that she did something wrong or whiny, other than confronting the officials after the game.

BTW, I once had a male HC with a broken leg who asked if his AC could stand to call for T-O's. We had no problem with it and neither did the opposing coach. And no one thought he was whiny.

And, I once had a coach with laryngitis who asked if his assistant could act as head coach. No problem.
...Yeah, I had to politely remind of that a coupla times. :)

Assistants do not get to stand. The head coach can use the box if he wishes. If this lady who can't walk wants someone else to stand then that person must be the official head coach. The lady can still be listed as the head coach on the roster and she can still make all the decisions and stuff.

This is all caused by some wheelchair using lady wanting to complain. She can be in the box in her wheelchair. She can sit on the bench and never use the box. Both of those are fine options for her. If she wants someone else to use the box then that guy is the head coach.

Apparently not in Michigan.
Did you not read the article?