Sometimes You Have To Do The Right Thing....

Recently, I discovered that a decision I had made way back in February had generated some criticism by some parents in a flurry of circular emails, of course none of which were cc’d to me. The fact that I was criticized does not bother me too much; it happens all the time and as Principal I expect that there will always be some who disagree with what I might say or do. What troubled me was their apparent reasoning for the criticism. Here’s what happened. At the end of the winter sports season the local basketball referee’s association selected our boys’ basketball team to be this year’s recipient of their annual sportsmanship award. At the time, I wondered about their choice given that there were at least three incidents during the season where one of our players demonstrated unsportsmanlike behavior toward a referee. However, I figured it was their choice and I was still proud of the team and our coach. My view changed after the tournament game against Cape Cod Academy. Our coach, who has been a colleague and a friend for close to forty years, criticized the officiating in the media which is a clear violation of MIAA sportsmanship rules. He knew it was wrong and, as Principal, I had to address his behavior with him. Ultimately, he was unhappy with the way I dealt with the violation and resigned as varsity coach. That was unfortunate, but I now felt very uncomfortable with our selection for the sportsmanship award especially since our coach’s actions amounted to an egregious unsportsmanlike affront to the officials. After discussing the matter with our Athletic Director, Scott Thomas, I decided to decline the award. My decision was not meant to punish the boys on the team, or anyone else for that matter. I felt that based on what had happened, we simply did not deserve that recognition. It was as much a message to the officials, players, parents and fans alike that we take sportsmanship seriously at Chatham High School. It was a tough decision to make. I upset some parents and players. I lost a valued coach and a friend. I am sorry for all of that, but sometimes you have to make the right decision no matter the cost.