Comment on Region Meet Questions. Didn't allow it there, but posting most of it here. Redacted school and region, but went ahead and let this former coach vent:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Region Meet Questions":
Lets go ahead and put them on blast. It was the XXXXX team, but things get very intresting here. Remember how they didn't post their results until way after the UIL had recieved them? And how they put multiple names in each box including the alternates? Now I wasnt born yesterday, hell I dont even coach anymore. But they were trying to "bamboozle" us, by putting alternates in the relays ( which may I say that officially the top 4 in entry should be the teams relay.. So no need with the trickery)
Second funny part about it, is why does the boys 200FR final only say there were 15 finalist? And this guy was supposed to be in the consolation, yet the final his name wasnt even in there? Now thats the part that really upsets me. Why?
Who was the meet director and who is the Coach and or Coaches that decided this would be okay? We preach to these kids to play by the rules, and yet we'll do anything to gain the upper hand. This starts with 1st the coach, not just shame on you but you shouldn't coach if you lack the integrity to play by the rules. This generation more than anything needs to understand things in life dont always go planned, yet if you stay focused and play by the rules good things will happen. I'm considerably upset by this. This one relay, alterated more than just respectability. This alters quite possibly other kids the chance to of possibly swimming at the state meet, this alters scoring and possibly someones title chances.
All around, shame on everyone involved. You play games, but we arent dumb region X-XX. Play us for fools, we'll treat you like one.
Sure sounds like there was a whole lotta intentional gymnasticatin' misinterpretating goin' on there at that fancy pool.
ReplyDeleteJUST SAYIN'...
Well, it took us ( a couple of officials) about five minutes to see what school it was and which swimmer. Here's what's funny, we said, "which coach and school would be most likely to do that?" So we checked that school first, and BINGO. No surprise there. It's a pathetic misuse of trust. We as officials trust swim coaches because they usually have incredible integrity. Our sport suffers when incidents like this take place. I hope the coach involved reads your blog, Button, because his reliability rating has plummeted, and next time he wants to pull this, there will be a little asterisk (in everyone's mind) beside his name and school.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the post last week, I didn't think much of it. I thought typical coach, but than I read this and it made me think twice. This former coach is right, starting with teaching the new generation respect. We live in a world where we as parents try and give our kids everything we didn't have, or the things we couldn't accomplish and it has enabled them to seek easy ways out of things. The thing that caught my eye the most though was, what do you tell possibly the other two relays who should've been at the state meet? There is no doubt all the swimmers work hard, but what's the message your sending? Even if they don't know the truth, they were cheated. Some of them possibly at a chance of a lifetime, as a parent we can help teach them that sure things don't always work out. But the real message I'm afraid is being suggested is, hey just do what they did find the corners and cut them.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note I did my own investigation because it got me curious, for the sake of the kids we won't name the school or region. But let's look at it, what is the coach accomplishing with this "trickery"? He has "big dog" on his team, but that's it. Than 3 relays, so what if everything works out they won't even be top 3, top5 is more like it. But does the coach have a win bonus, or a top 5 bonus he gets if he finishes there?
I can also see this possibly through the other coaches eyes, maybe he was doing what he thought was best for his boys to give them the experiences. But it doesn't excuse the leader-decision maker of that team breaking the rules for an experience for his team.
Former coach- I understand your frustrations, I can only hope someone this weekend will protest one of their relays. Not to embarrass the boys, but to teach everyone a lesson. Let the coach be embarrassed so that he know everyone knows the mistakes he made. Hopefully even enough coaches direct him towards making the right choice and not even let that swimmer swim all 3 relays. But most of all thank you for your rant, I view things on this differently now and quite possibly may even send a letter to tisca and UIL just to voice my displeasures.
Hey button, you think if there was a sticky situation like this in football it would have played out like this? Lol I don't thi so
Stat of the day, the coach at that school didn't just do it with one swimmer but two of them..... It may not be as big of deal as I put into the investigation but here it is.....
ReplyDeleteFirst parents from that region stated the coach had planned on taking them both out of 1 individual, and swim them in all relays. Well what they were told was there was difficulties, and he "forgot" to take them out. So they allowed him to.( after you submit them don't you have to approve them?)
Second, the coach states you don't know the facts so stay out of our business. Kind of stand offish if you ask me, but than again I'd probably be pissed if I got cheating too.
Second funny
I talked with some of the coaches in the Region. They were appalled that it was allowed to happen. The ref gave the swimmer a medical "false start", but that should not have allowed him to swim a fifth event.. UIL wouldn't step in because it was called a "judgement " call.
ReplyDeletethis is all so sad to me. Most of these kids will not go pro and will not make the olympics or even the finals at olympic trials. What has always been important about swimming is the character traits it teaches you; for instance: discipline, hard work pays off, that if you cheat on the set, you cheat yourself so in the end it hopefully teaches the kids integrity. You also learn life is not completely fair - some kids have more talent than others. But that is true in every avenue of life. So, when a coach decides to bend the rules...AND, the swimmers and parents allow it to happen - they have all undone some of the major character and life lessons of the sport. At the same time, they have not only cheated themselves, they have cheated others.
ReplyDeleteI just say it's all sad....
Tainted 3rd place finish? So the 4th place team really deserved 3rd right? Hell if you look at it kinda cock eyed, the 5th place team shouldve been 3rd. That is if you do that math, but why do the math. Just get it in good with the refs, and get medical false starts. Way ta go coach, you failed us all
ReplyDeleteSo, if the Team in question won the 400 free relay at State 5A, and that relay should have never made it out of Region 4-5A because one or two swimmers were in their 5th event, then does that mean Southlake Carroll really won the Boy's 400 free relay at the Texas 5A State Meet?
ReplyDeleteThat is just one of many Teams that were, likely, affected by this situation.
Yes, that is what it means. But Carroll won the chip, so it doesnt hurt them as bad as it did region 5-5a when the 4th place team in the 400FRrelay shouldve been called up to the state meet. But they didnt even get to swim in it, possibly for some of them there only chance to ever swim at the state meet. Its sad those kids worked just as hard as other kids. Yet were cheated by a slithering coach, who has his own "agenda"
ReplyDeleteIf it had been soca that did this, I GUARANTEE the UIL would have handled it differently.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you one reason this may have been done by said coach. You take away the illegal relay, which Southlake then wins. Big deal, you say, Carroll didn't need the points to get state. But then, "the big dog" doesn't win swimmer of the year, Singley does. Said coach blew the rules for the swimmer of the year title. There is no such thing as a victimless crime.
ReplyDeleteisn't swimmer of the year still chosen by individual event power points? i've never liked it and ranted about it in the past. unless there's been another changes, relays wouldn't have been a factor.
ReplyDeletelooks like aaron greene was 4a swimmer of the year without being on strong relays.