Friday Night Fights

Friday nights across America are filled with the sounds of cheers from fans all over as their favorite high school teams meet on the gridiron in spirited competition. Young athletes compete against their arch rivals to conclude their week, with some dreaming of the day they can play on the collegiate level, or in the case of 1.2%, in the pros.  While high school football can bring a level of passion and excitement among adolescents, when emotions run high it can also lead to everlasting pain, which is what took place a few weeks ago in San Antonio.

The photo above highlights referee Robert Watts, who was blindsided in an attack by two players from John Jay High School. Michael Moreno and Victor Rojas were given instructions by an assistant coach to hit the referee after he missed some calls and, according to the players, used racial slurs directly towards them. The assistant coach, Mack Breed, has been placed on administrative leave. The players are now suspended from the football team, with possible assault charges pending.

This goes beyond whether or not Breed ordered the "Code Red" (go watch "A Few Good Men" for that reference), and it's not about whether or not the referee actually used any epithets. This is about accountability, plain and simple. As a former athlete, I understand that you must follow the direction of the coaches, but only when it's in the best interests of the team. How is any of what these young men have done justified? It is not, and ultimately, the decision to carry out the attack rests on them.

Whether it's government, our occupations, or even with coaches, our first and foremost obligation is to do what is right and just. We are to obey the precepts of God above those of man, and in this instance, there is an accountability that must be upheld, and it is something that the athletes have to comes to understand.

When it comes to making the tough choices in times of high emotion, it is the foundation on what we believe in that will force us to make the right decision, or else.

No Control, No Peace

 

 

Yesterday a report came out from the Associated Press that the University of North Carolina was charged by the NCAA with five Level 1 violations in an academic probe. A 59-page report was released by the university, providing a detailed summary of the allegations ranging from student-athletes receiving access to courses that non-athletes did not receive. The two greatest allegations that occurred within the formerly named African and Afro-American Studies department were as follows (credit to ESPN.com)

 

 

• There was a lack of institutional control in failing to "sufficiently monitor" the interactions between the AFAM and the academic support departments, and athletes received "preferential access" to AFAM's irregular courses.

• Academic counselors "leveraged" relationships from fall 2002 to summer 2011 with AFAM faculty and staff to provide athletes with benefits such as suggesting assignments, turning in papers for them and recommending grades. In addition, 10 athletes exceeded UNC's 12-hour limit of independent study credits countable toward graduation between fall 2006 and summer 2011 due to misidentified "paper classes."


Although there were other charges such as a lack of cooperation from the staff, no coaches were involved in the transgressions. The key words that stick out for me is "lack of institutional control," because it suggests that those in charge were willing to compromise their core values in order to help these student-athletes get ahead in their academics. Now we know this is hardly the first time this has happened within an institution of higher education, but it seems that there is a common theme among these schools that suddenly find themselves in hot water with the NCAA (who isn't exactly a model organization, but that's for another day).

Whether it was from illegal payments to Michigan's "Fab Five", to the altering of grades at numerous universities, the theme that seems to take place is compromise. A compromise of doing what is immediately beneficial for what is best for the student. I remember the outcry when the school teachers in Atlanta were convicted for altering students' grades, and what has occurred here is even worse. As an educator, it saddens me to see when these administrators decide to sell long-term growth for short-term gain. When it comes to academics + athletics, some administrators are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their ultimate objective. Not to ensure that the student graduates and becomes a productive member of society, but to gain a victory on the gridiron, the basketball court, or any other sporting endeavor.

Lack of institutional control is basically the result of forgetting this one Biblical command in Luke 22:26 "But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves." Leaders have to understand that when they are given this special assignment, they must govern and rule as one who serves. History has been littered with stories of schools, churches, and government which has fallen due to lack of control. Therefore, an atmosphere of greed and short-sightedness becomes the standard, and everyone involved suffers as a result.

To quote Helen Lovejoy...