Racial Slurs and Unsportsmanlike Conduct
 

Are other states experiencing these types of issues?

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/...512010362/1002

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/...512010323/1007

It's been 30 years since blowing the first whistle and I have to say things have gotten worst with the parents.

Today's environment at all levels seems much more competitive. Used to be 7 and 8 year olds the parents watched the kids play and were happy. Now parents act like every game is the Super Bowl.

If youngsters are suppose to look to coaches as mentors there is a grave problem. I have had players apologize for the acts of their coaches. That is not to say all coaches are poor examples, in fact, a majority of them are good examples. But one bad act by one bad coach gets amplified.

And those coaches who exhibit their disdain for officials incite parents into their rage and it grows like a snowball rolling down a snow covered hill.

Ed,
unfortunately I agree with you 100%. I gave up pop-warner games over 5 years ago. I may fill in a one weekend to help out but not a weekly thing anymore. I loved working with the younger kids. Teaching some of the rules and groofing around with them. But all it takes is one stupid parent or coach to freak out and yell something stupid....

Editorial in Local Paper about Incident
 

Editorial
Coaches should be accountable


After a football game between Lanier and Pratt ville high schools got out of hand on Oct. 14, resulting in fights and an exchange of angry words between the coaching staffs, students were suspended and the schools were fined. Those punishments were more than justified.

But apparently nothing was done to punish the coaches involved, and that is not justifiable.

According to a report by game officials, coaches from Prattville High School used racially charged language to describe players or coaches on Lanier's team, and coaches from both teams used foul language that would make a sailor blush.

Despite those allegations by its own officials, the Alabama High School Athletic Association failed to take action against any coaches.

AHSAA Director Dan Washburn wrote in a letter to the principals of the two schools that there "was poor behavior and language exhibited by coaches on the field." That's putting it mildly.

But Washburn's further comment in the letter that it "cannot be determined who said what" is perplexing, because one of the game officials specifically cited Prattville head football coach Bill Clark as one who used "profanity and racially charged language" toward the Lanier coaching staff. The report by the game referee said that three officials heard Clark refer to Lanier coaches or players as "monkeys."

Beyond the allegations of embarrassing cursing and racially charged language, it is clear that game officials believed that at least some of the coaches involved and even the principal of Prattville High School behaved in ways that helped to pour fuel on the fire instead of trying to calm what easily could have become a dangerous situation.

"The behavior and language of Prattville's head coach Bill Clark and their principal nearly incited a skirmish between Lanier's coaching staff and themselves," said the report by a game referee.

While the AHSAA might not be able to take direct action against a principal, it certainly should be able to do so against Clark.

Judged by wins and losses, Clark is an outstanding football coach. But his alleged behavior raises questions about whether he should have anything to do with coaching young people.

Other than perhaps that exhibited by the game officials, there were few examples of proper behavior here. The Lanier coaches failed to keep their players on the sidelines, for example, and they apparently responded to the racial remarks with heated language of their own. But the alleged behavior of some Prattville coaches and even the principal was particularly reprehensible.

While game officials did not cite the principal for using racist language, they did say he used a "string of profanities" to berate officials and contributed to an already tense situation.

There are at least two bodies that have not lived up to their responsibilities to ensure that those who work with young people maintain their decorum and provide positive examples.

The first is the Autauga County School Board, which should demand that both the Prattville principal and head football coach at the very least apologize to the student bodies of both schools. The board also should consider suspending them for a considerable period. The board should make it clear publicly that any future behavior of this kind, especially the use of racially insensitive language, will not be tolerated.

About one out of four Autauga County students is African American, but that really is beside the point. The school board owes it to all students, regardless of race, to show it will not tolerate racially insensitive language from school officials.

The other body that has dropped the ball in this situation is the high school athletic association. Even if the coaches who used racially insensitive words could not be identified, AHSAA should have suspended Clark because he is the man in charge of the team whose coaching staff made the comments. If he did it himself, as at least one game official maintains, he certainly should be suspended.

By acting only against students and schools, AHSAA sends the message that it is an old-boy network that will let coaches get by with behavior that would get any other public employee fired.

AHSAA should look closely at its policies to ensure that coaches are being held to at least the same standards as players and schools. In fact, they should be held to much higher standards than players. Based on this situation, that does not appear to be the case.

My Editorial
 

I was born in Selma, which is about 30 miles away from Prattville. My brother and I traveled back this weekend visiting relatives. (We were a little ways down Autauga County Rd 15.)

Racial relations seem very strained. Though actions were civil, with limited respect, blacks and whites seemed to be happy to keep in their segragated groups as much as possible.

Perhaps because of this, my brother and I were going out of our way to make sure we gave a friendly hello to everyone, holding doors when we could and just being extra friendly. I think a little unconsciously, we especially did so for the people of race other than ours. When we helped one lady in a store with a few items she had dropped, we seemed to have gotten looks of astonishment from her and the clerk.

Throughout the weekend we were met with warm smiles and friendly greetings by all, black and white. It was a very pleasant visit.

I state all of the above only to say that the small things don't always get noticed, but they are extremely important. It sounds like five guys made a difference in this incident being discussed.
<b><i>Excellent job guys.</i></b>

alabamabluezebra, if you know the guys, please tell them thanks.

SC Ump,

One important issue was never mentioned in any of the articles - the crew that reported the incident was contracted by the school using the racial language. They were not under contract with the other school. The crew had no reason to misrepresent the actions occurring in the game and will probably lose the school's contract next year because of the incident.

Re: Editorial in Local Paper about Incident
 

Both head coaches and the princple should have been punished.

Coach's wife chims in
 

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/.../1006/ARCHIVES


Clark's coaching call divine


I have sat silently by and watched as this newspaper
has made several attempts to destroy the reputation of
Coach Bill Clark. I happen to know him better than
anyone; I am his wife.

As I write this response I am quite sure it will fall
on deaf ears because only negative comments about him
ever make the news. He and I truly believe that his
calling into coaching is of divine nature. He has a
true love for his players of all colors. Anyone that
knows my husband personally knows that these
allegations against him are nothing but false.

The problem is only people in Montgomery who do not
know us personally ever have a voice on this matter.
Get to know him, ask the people of Prattville about
him, talk to his players. You will then find out what
kind of man he really is.

He has received notes from players (both present and
past) calling him their second dad or the only dad
they've ever known. He has helped many of his players
receive jobs, scholarships, and has even given our
money to support them long after they have graduated
from Prattville. These are players of all colors.

I know what we believe. I know how we have raised our
own children in matters of racism. We can hold our
heads up high and know that we answer to a higher
authority, one much more important than the editor of
the Montgomery Advertiser.
Jennifer Clark
Prattville

REPLY: I for one would hope that Jennifer Clark is correct. But I'll never know. If Coach Clark's calling to coaching is divine, we will also need to accept that his God knows exactly what transpired. It's not for me to judge.

This just goes to show that we have not advanced very far in this country. Of course we do not live in the days of segregation and Jim Crow laws, but the attitudes have never changed. That is what we call America.

Peace