Was the Penalty Too Severe?

Very interesting dilemma at Toronto's Chaminade College over the unfortunate incident involving a handful of members of the senior football team.

If you didn't read the Star story, Chaminade forfeited its game set for Thursday against Don Bosco. Bragging rights on the line with both Catholic schools unbeaten.

The reason?

Some of the players were involved in mischievous activity while on a trip to Michigan last weekend. No drugs. No booze. No porn. No foul language. No breaking the law. Turns out, if what we're told by the school is accurate, a microwave oven was broken on the day the team was leaving the hotel.

As a result, the entire team gets penalized by the principal and coach - and it was more than 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was forfeiting a game against the rival, which raises the question: Can anyone just decide to throw in the towel for a game - or does the league have to now deliver some sanctions too?

Many people think the penalty is too severe. Boot a few guys out for a game, but not the entire team. The principal, who was upset and likely fearing the larger embarrassment once the story got out, told me he even tinkered with pulling the team for the year as a means of sending a strong message about discipline.

He runs the school. He decides what's best. Maybe there's some politics thrown in as well to make the board, the community, parents and the team take note. I don't know. Lots of people, yes parents too, are blaming me because of the Star story. Just one huge problem with that theory: the story was written after the decision was made.

There are many who believe the school went too far, even if the players agreed with the decision - and were also told to zip up and say nothing. Others claim the team got off easy - especially when the Catholic Board is so strict about discipline. I think the big boss had to send a clear message that there is more to this than a football game. It's representation of a school, a team and individuals. But tarring the entire team with the same brush, and I've heard the comment that players sink and swim as a team, may have been a bit heavy. I can just imagine what the decision will be if something else happens.

Comments

[J M]

That is why they the big bucks! Sometimes decisions are made to teach all a lesson that deals with the big picture. In the future, they make think twice before they act!

[J M]

Sorry, my post should have said "make" the big bucks!! J M

[Morris]

I would say so. What's the Principal trying to do, win points to be the next Superintendent?

[Mr. Johnson]

Penalize the players involved and not the entire team. Got to like that team building stuff, spoil it for the innocent. So much for the heavy stick approach.

[Blair Emmerson]

Well done Mr. Principal. Send the rascals a message. Staff give of their time to go with students for football and risk the possibility of anything even though these kids are supposed to be taught responsibility in the Catholic school. They break the rules, they all pay. One game is not enough.

[Bonzo]

Give them all detentions and make them write the names of the bad boys on the chalk board. That way the entire team is involved in the re-healing process.

[Mr. Harrison]

Ridiculous. Boys will be boys and it doesn't matter if they all wear a tie and shirt and school uniform. I an just imagine the penalty if they were caught having an alcoholic beverage.

[Mr. Harrison]

The Principal did the right thing. Who is in charge and what kind of message is being sent to these young people - you can go away and have fun and break things. Not in my book.

[B. Henry]

I would like to know what the parents of these scoundrels are going to do. Likely wave it off. They should be handing down the punishment as well.

[Rudy]

Wo9nder if the Principal and the coach were good boys in there teen years. I know, times are different now. Not too sure what kind of message is being sent here. Seems a warning to the team and pay for the damage would work.

[Father]

I agree that punishment needs to happen but I wouldn`t want my son to be the subject of disciplinary action if he was not at fault. I don`t buy`this stuff about `the team`. Deal with the problem areas and bring in the parents.

[Dober]

Bit too severe for breaking a microwave that was likely a Walmart special or am I missing something.

[Peel Fan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't damaging property that is not your own considered to be criminal mischief? It seems to me that there was "breaking the law."

The principal made the right decision. Anyone with a passing familiarity with high school sports understands the concept of collective responsibility.

[Peter Wong]

No middle of the road here. Either hand down the rule and stick with it - pull the team for the entire season - or give them a warning and let this go.

[J. Power]

When you see some of the ridiuclous verbal abuse by teachers and coaches on students, the microwave is nothing. How about Principals sticking their neck out and dealing with coaches too. And I am not pointing any finger at Chaminade here. Many Principals are tame and weak and scared to penalize a coach.

[Louis DeMarco]

Seems like the school is taking this a bit to the extreme. Suspend the players involved. That sends a message and warn others. Bad move to point the finger at everyone on the team.

[Luigi Aquino]

Boys, boys, boys. Let`s get serious now. Come on. What`s next, send the kids to church and speak to the clergy for their sins. This is a minor issue that can be dealt with some tact and internally. Now that the world knows, people will be watching to see if the action taken is effective. If not, then whatÉ

[R. Samuel]

This is all about juvenile delinquency and how kids get a chance to go away from home and figure they can do what they want. Some spoil it for others. No matter how many staff the school sent, it likely would not have mattered. I feel bad for the teachers and coaches who gave their time and got this in return. I feel bad for the good kids as well. If I was Principal, I would request the parents of those doing the damage to come to the school for a meeting with the team. Forfeiting the game may be too much.

[Turner]

Good job Toronto Star. You did the right thing by writing about this and Grossman is right in raising this for discussion. People may not like it but there is more to sports than just the score. This stuff needs to be exposed. It`s like a bug that needs to be exterminated. Players need to know who is in charge but I am not sure about the overall punishment.

[concerned]

I think the microwave damage is a little vague, especially for the penalty. Which players were involved?? Were they the so called stars of the team???? Were these players suspended (from school) for any of these actions (from what I can gather there were no suspensions), because as an administration team, there should be action taken on the players.
If the microwave incident happened at the school would these students have been suspended, absolutely! The students on a trip are to abide by the Code of Conduct of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, even when they are not on the school premises.

The decision to forfeit the game was the easiest decision to make....... The team gets punished (so the caoch and the principal look like they've done something)...... They do not lose any players for the rest of the year (starters or bench players)...... The big game against Don Dosco never happened so come playoffs its like they never met.

Thank you to David Grossman for posting the article and discussion, but there are too many questions left unanswered that are important to any who wants to give an opinion. Hopefully David looks a little further.

[Johnnie McKoy]

Did I read that right, a poster referring to a broken microwave as "criminal". Maybe they should take the kids to court and then throw the kid(s) in jail too. Don't know which is more ridiculous, the mischevious stuff by the kids or the comments from some people. There are far more serious things happening with kids and schools and the conduct of coaches that should be addressed.

[P. Baker]

People, people, settle down. You folks are soounding more childish than the kids who, we are told, did some harm to a microwave. If they broke it, pay for it. Those players should have some form of punishment and the parents need to be brought in to the picture. But don't throw the baby out with the dirty water. Great lesson in penalizing the entire team. Time people grow up.

[K. Sinclair]

If "Peel Fan" wants to address this as severe, wonder how he/she would deal with coaches who swear at players. Is that not verbal assault, or something like that, and could some hot shot lawyer not link that with something in the Criminal Code. So, let me see, just paralyse the entire school sports system.

[P. Edwards]

It's possible, and very likely, that both teams will meet in their regional final. It's a shame that the players were not identified but let's remember they could also be minors and you know that this country likes to hide the names of minors who are juvenile delinquents. This Code of Conduct stuff is a pile of manure. If schools followed that the way they should, there would be more students watching games than playing.

[Bailey]

Football teams are always the target in schools. I wonder if they would have made such a fuss if it was a badminton or field hockey team? Not so sure.