Please tell me we haven't sunk this low......

johnson2113 · Post by **johnson2113** » July 16, 2005 12:30 am

Throughout my years playing sports we had a few kids like this, whether they played, or were just managers, everyone usually helped them out and enjoyed the team spirit they possessed. Never did anyone a coach, a player, noone think about doing something that stupid.

I read an article in SI, about a football team that was losing bad. So the coach and the opposing coach agreed to let him and score a touchdown.

I've heard of parents, not aloud to go to their kids game becuase of their actions, this guy needs worse than that I hope they throw his ass in jail

Sam · Post by **Sam** » July 16, 2005 12:44 am

There was an e-mail I got a while back....actually got it several times.......... I have no idea how true the story is but what I remember about is, it is about a father that had a son that had Down's Syndrome and he loved baseball.....Some kids had a pickup game and I forget the whole story but they let him play and score a run. They never made fun of the boy and even helped him out by missing catches and other things....

Like I said ...I have no idea how true that particular story is or was but I call dibs on this bozo....

I will be surprised if there is not some action taken either a lawsuit or something....but the guy deserves to go down and go down hard!

DonnaKayDunbar · Post by **DonnaKayDunbar** » July 16, 2005 4:10 am

There was a handicapped kid in my class, from kindergarten all the way to our Jr. yr in HS (I changed to a private school - better chances at scholarships) who drove me nuts... he'd ask me to marry him, and just generally was a pain, but I was nice to him, and thats why he thought of me as his friend...

Anyway, point is... he had a brother who ran track and had joined the military, and Eric had always admired his brother, so even though he has Muscular Dystrophy and walked with crutches, he tried out for the track team... and they put him on the team... not that he was really able to win races, but because he was just so DETERMINED to be part of the team, and he always had such a positive attitude, I've never seen the kid mad

I would go to track meets to scope hot runner guys and just hang out, and I'd usually talk to Eric about the races and such for the meets.

The final track meet of our Sr. Year, (me in my school, and Eric still in the school I started at) was a pretty big deal... it was his last chance to run a race, and while his track coach had put him in before, and Eric tried his hardest to win, he had always been left in the dust... what with the crutches and all... I went to the track meet, as usual, and Eric told me he was running the final leg of a relay... stuck me as odd because you'd think the team would want to win.
But I told him I would cheer for him, as I always did.

When it was finally time for his race, he took his mark and waited for the other runners to get to the mark and hand off the baton, but the other racers simply did not run... the picked up Eric and carried him to the finish line so that he could win one race... the single race where his brother was able to come to see him run... it made the front page of the news... a picture of the disable track runner who had never even come close to winning a race... being lifted by the other runners and taken to the finish line... people who he had perhaps met a few times before... who had heard about his story... and gave that kid his dream.

THAT'S what sportsmanship is about...

I've seen Eric a handful of times now and then, and he still asked me to marry him every time I've seen him. The last time I saw him I gave him a small scrapbook from his races... including the front page of the news on the day he won a race...

tikitatas · Post by **tikitatas** » July 16, 2005 8:48 am

DonnaKayDunbar wrote:There was a handicapped kid in my class, from kindergarten all the way to our Jr. yr in HS (I changed to a private school - better chances at scholarships) who drove me nuts... he'd ask me to marry him, and just generally was a pain, but I was nice to him, and thats why he thought of me as his friend...

Anyway, point is... he had a brother who ran track and had joined the military, and Eric had always admired his brother, so even though he has Muscular Dystrophy and walked with crutches, he tried out for the track team... and they put him on the team... not that he was really able to win races, but because he was just so DETERMINED to be part of the team, and he always had such a positive attitude, I've never seen the kid mad

I would go to track meets to scope hot runner guys and just hang out, and I'd usually talk to Eric about the races and such for the meets.

The final track meet of our Sr. Year, (me in my school, and Eric still in the school I started at) was a pretty big deal... it was his last chance to run a race, and while his track coach had put him in before, and Eric tried his hardest to win, he had always been left in the dust... what with the crutches and all... I went to the track meet, as usual, and Eric told me he was running the final leg of a relay... stuck me as odd because you'd think the team would want to win.
But I told him I would cheer for him, as I always did.

When it was finally time for his race, he took his mark and waited for the other runners to get to the mark and hand off the baton, but the other racers simply did not run... the picked up Eric and carried him to the finish line so that he could win one race... the single race where his brother was able to come to see him run... it made the front page of the news... a picture of the disable track runner who had never even come close to winning a race... being lifted by the other runners and taken to the finish line... people who he had perhaps met a few times before... who had heard about his story... and gave that kid his dream.

THAT'S what sportsmanship is about...

I've seen Eric a handful of times now and then, and he still asked me to marry him every time I've seen him. The last time I saw him I gave him a small scrapbook from his races... including the front page of the news on the day he won a race...

Wow . . . you sharing this story made me know, as Brad says, that there are lots of us who "fight the good" fight!

Cubbie Bear · Post by **Cubbie Bear** » July 16, 2005 9:01 am

If the mentally disabled never got an opportunity to play baseball, we would have no Yankee's or Cardinals

Glorfindel7 · Post by **Glorfindel7** » July 17, 2005 12:36 am

This story REALLY sickens me

. The whole purpose of this type of league is not to win but to play (winning is nice, but it's not the only thing). We should leave the winning to the professional teams that are being paid to win.

This coach should not only be banned from coaching ever again, I think I like the scenario of having him stand in front of a ball pitching machine

Actually it probably wouldn't hurt him that much because he obviously doesn't have any balls.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » July 17, 2005 1:23 am

Cubbie Bear wrote:If the mentally disabled never got an opportunity to play baseball, we would have no Yankee's or Cardinals

UH you Forgot the Dodgers

chalksoperations · Post by **chalksoperations** » July 17, 2005 7:55 am

I heard this yesterday on the way in to work and meant to post but got short on time and had to get going.

Our 4 (almost 5) year old is autistic and this is something I've thought about. When he was born I knew I wanted to stress the importance of being thoughtful and respectful of those different than he is, and to never treat them differently than any other person you know. Of course, just a couple short years later we realized that HE could be the one on the receiving end of treatment like this. He has been fortunate so far to be around adults that understand and are very caring for him and others with his condition.

This coach failed on so many angles. Putting aside the abuse factor, which is in itself sickening, he failed everyone around him. What he had right in front of him, if he had taken the time to notice, was a fantastic opportunity to show the kids (and parents) something more important than winning.

This child could have done any number of things with his time - stay home, watch tv, play games...anything. What he chose to do was to do his best to be as much like everyone else around him, regardless of the obvious differences. Any little reward this coach could have shown him would have made a memory this kid could have had with him for the rest of his life. Showing his teammates that hard work, guts, and dedication will reap rewards that last much longer than some dusty trophy. I'm not absolutely sure, of course, but I would bet this child had more motivation and heart than most any other kid there. He could have been used as such a good example as to what the true meaning of spirit is, but instead he was cast aside.

Every child deserves a chance to play baseball, if they want to. NO adult should every take that away. I consider this a birthright that everyone has. I am involved in a program on a local level that is a very special thing. It provides the opportunity for all kinds of special children to play on whatever level they can.

www.miracleleague.com

I believe it would be a benefit to everyone if, as part of his sentence (if found guilty) would include some degree of exposure to the Miracle League.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » July 17, 2005 8:02 am

ragtopW wrote:It is sad to see this poor Coach, He will carry
his Stupid Mistake for the rest of his life....

Lets make it so he doesn't carry it for any longer....

actually Wayne, you want him to carry it.. for the rest of a very long, miserable life. The same theory as behind a knee-capping: moments (and lessons) like these are treasured and remembered in his limp...... every time the weather changes

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » July 17, 2005 8:04 am

ragtopW wrote:
Cubbie Bear wrote:If the mentally disabled never got an opportunity to play baseball, we would have no Yankee's or Cubs

UH you Forgot the Dodgers

Brown Eyed Girl · Post by **Brown Eyed Girl** » July 17, 2005 11:25 am

I think much of the problem lies with the ludicruous salaries athletes are getting paid these days. What kind of example are they setting for our youth...and their parents? What ever happened to "for love of the game"? It's all about money, money, money.

I have always made a point of making sure my students have career goals..and that they understand the importance of education early on. Other than 1 who wanted to go into the military and 1 who had his life planned out from jr. high thru grad school

, most of them wanted to be a pro athlete. School wasn't important cuz they were gonna play sports and make a lot of money. My response was always, "what if you arne't good enough?", to which they would just say they would play another sport. I'd keep saying my what if line, they'd add a sport until they ran out. I gave them stats for how many folks really ever make it, talked about career ending injuries etc. What was even funnier is that MANY of these kids weren't even involved in sports at ANY level...yet they saw this as their ticket out.

I never tried to discourage their dreams...but tried to get them to have a back up plan. If we don't teach them that when they're young, they will never learn and education will never be important.

People seem to think that physically and cognitively handicapped kids dont' have feelings. WRONG. They want to do the same things that their peers do, even if they don't quite understand it. They want to hit a ball, catch, run, play tag etc. I think one of the best decisions I ever made was to team up with the PE and adapted PE teachers at my school to teach our severely handicapped kids. Those teachers got another adult to help with the kids, I got an extra teacher to help with hands on, meaningful language lessons teaching verbs, adjectives, prepositions, following directions etc. It was always a challenge...and always a thrill when the kids learned a new skill. We'd do this 1-2 times a week for the year, then take the kids to Special Olympics. I never left SO without crying, but they were always happy tears. It is a very emotional event.

I encourage EVERYONE to attend Special Olympics at least once in their life. You will see just how much participating in activities that the "other" kids do means to these kids...and you will see just what these kids are capable of. IMHO, I think every coach, no matter if it is peewee, tball, little league etc, for every sport, should be required to attend/work at a SO event. Then maybe their eyes would be opened.

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » July 17, 2005 11:44 am

I heard on the radio yesterday (and I HOPE the report is wrong) that if this C.S.er gets convicted, his "punishment" will be that he won't get to coach these kids next year.

THAT'S IT!!!!! HE WON'T GET TO COACH THE KIDS NEXT YEAR, AND NO FURTHRE PUNISHMENT.

God Bless the American justice system.

How about just releasing him into MY custody for, oh, let's say 10 MINUTES!

I TRY to understand lots of things, including different people's differing opinions. Sometimes I understand them, sometimes I don't.
But if I live to be 1000, I'll never understand the mindset of these SICK, MISERABLE BASTARDS that intentionally abuse defenseless children or animals.

There aren't too many things that make me cry these days. This definately DID.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » July 17, 2005 4:08 pm

Garry,
I called first "dibs" on the bozo....I promise I will leave enough of him left for you!!!

Perhaps a permanent tattoo on his forehead ... "I want to hurt handicap children!" or some such, should be awarded to him for punishment or forced to wear shirts Dayglow lime or green shirts with such or similiar logo.

Question: Does anyone know if the parents have considered or is there not any legal action they can take? It is a crime to hire a "hitman" What is the difference in this case? It damn well could have caused serious bodily harm, not to mention the physical pain or the mental trauma it could have done to him.

If this bozo were to get any jail time ( should get serious prison time in my opine) I have no doubt it would not be pleasant for him at all.