‘Crowd Carries Ball for Coach’

There must have been some exciting times around Ocean View High School and the Huntington Beach Union High School District offices recently, according to your article “Crowd Carries the Ball for Ousted Coach” (April 10). Since the writer editorializes in a news article in favor of Jim Harris, the coach in question, perhaps it might be pertinent to point out a few realities so far ignored in the uproar:

- The obligation and duty of the school district is to provide education, not basketball.

- Harris has a contract with the school district as a physical education instructor, not as a coach, and his performance as an instructor is not in question.

- Neither the state nor the school district has established a program of athletic scholarships that, in essence, pay students to move in pursuit of winning athletic programs. Harris hasn’t the franchise to offer private athletic scholarships to out-of-district students, but he is providing room and board for imported “hired guns” from Lynwood at his home in El Toro, somewhat beyond Ocean View’s attendance area.

No matter how many registered voters sign petitions, the point is that Harris’ duty is to teach physical education and incidentally coach interschool sports at the option of the administration. If the petitioners are really serious about winning basketball at any price, why not form a professional team for 17- and 18-year-olds, hire Harris as the coach/recruiter and move this whole problem out of the school?

Our taxes here in Huntington Beach are paid to provide education for children of residents. Let us hope that the administration and the California Interscholastic Federation maintain their present stand. Recruiting scandals are bad enough at the college level, without seeing them filter down to the high schools.

JOSEPH A. STRAPAC

Huntington Beach