And you think you’ve got troubles...
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Unhappy with what’s going on with your team?
The Hillcrest Huskies of Midvale, Utah, were unhappy that their coach blamed them for a 34-19 loss. Complaining that the game wasn’t fun anymore, the players decided to take a stand: Twenty-two of them walked out of a Tuesday practice. Turned out it was the last thing they did, because the school district essentially locked them out.
Two thoughts crossed my mind:
- You don’t walk out on your teammates. If anything, you rally and pull in the same direction, in spite of your coach.
- High school is a place of learning, and a peaceful, organized ‘demonstration’ isn’t necessarily a bad Civics lesson.
The proper action probably should have been to confront the coaching staff at practice in the presence of an adult third party, air the concerns and let the chips fall where they may. A team has to be able to communicate, trust each other and live with contrary opinions without repercussion.
I am reminded of a demonstration that took place at my alma mater 28 years ago. Students staged a sit-in to support a counselor they felt had been wronged by the administration for some such thing. There were no suspensions, no expulsions; the students made their point, the administration listened and responded, and everyone went on about their business afterward.
- Martin Henderson