Punishment of Athletes

* Re “Newbury Park Kicks Off Five,” Dec. 23.

Let me get this straight:

The administrators of Newbury Park High School schedule their basketball team to play a tournament in Sin City (Las Vegas). When some of their young, inexperienced charges fall prey to temptations designed to tempt the most sophisticated, they are removed from the team--punishing not only them but their teammates, the school itself, the student body and fans.

Where I went to school, we would have had to run four or five laps around the track every day after practice until we, as the offending group, recited about 10 verses of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” to the balance of our teammates.

Even today when my old classmates get together for an athletic event at my alma mater, it can turn into a Dead Poets Society among us ex-jocks.

This school system could use a little of this type of discipline instead of the knee-jerk reaction shown in this case.

MIKE HANNIN

Newbury Park