HS Coach With Letsrun Ties Fired Over Runners Running With Their Shirts Off

Tom Davis is the victim of an overzealous power move to display authority instead of admitting that the rule being broken was nothing more than an annoyance to the people in charge.

This is a real life example of Dick Doobey coming down on Quentin Cassidy for handing in the athletes petition after the great midnight raid at our beloved Southeastern University.

It amazes me that when situations like this occur, the authority figures are never criticized for the rules they enact. There is no precedent for not allowing students to train shirtless. There's no law being broke. There isn't any logical reason other than the principal just doesn't like it...

The counter argument to this is that the coach didn't enforce the rule, and in some matter, challenged the authority on it, so he should be fired. I get it. It makes sense.

The problem I have with that argument is that it takes a kid being punched in the face and an extremely successful coach to be fired for people to question if the rules being made and enforced serve any real purpose other than to appease the opinion of a member of the "administration".

So while I think you can make the argument that Tom didn't listen to the law, I think the bigger shame is letting people like this AD and the administration fire a coach under the guise of "chain of command" when it's really to cover up the issue that running shirtless... isn't an issue.

SomeActualData wrote:

rojo wrote:

We also are removing any posts referencing Alan Webb as Tom's reporting on Webb has nothing to do with this thread.

Really? So Tom Davis can start his (now deleted) post on this thread by saying, "To every story are two sides," and end it by saying "And to those of you who will bash me for whatever reasons, I'd suggest getting to know where I come from as a person and who I am before forming judgments here," and yet you don't see how that is exactly what he failed to do in his editorializing about Webb?

Talk about irony.

I understand keeping a thread "on topic," but that's a legitimate connection. It looks like you're just defending your buddy.

+1

Wow, the coach gets fired over a rule that didn't exist before and the administrators refuse to allow due process. This is just horrible management practices by the AD, school principal and the superintendent.

Coach Davis is a victim of bad bosses trying to stroke their egos.

Let us keep in mind that there was no rule that the boy couldn't run shirtless. It was just an order. When asked if there was anything written down; they said it was an implied rule.

From what the Westwood Press reported, there wasn't a rule on shirts during practice before and that the AD just told the coach that some people (maybe him/the assistant principal) just didnt want to see them run shirtless.

Looks like the administration just discussed this issue on their own and made a decision without having input from the other parties that are directly involved. The kids that actually do the running should have had a say because this issue affects them the most.

"Technically he wasn't shirtless" was a bad argument, and one Tom should've known would cause trouble. Allowing kids to run shirtless preictably caused trouble. He shouldn't have been fired, but Tom definitely went about the issue the wrong way. You're not going to do much persuading by pissing people off.

Last post had it right. The rule, order, whatever you want to call it was wear a shirt. Kid is running without one but its tucked into his shorts. Tells AD that "technically" he's wearing a shirt. People are surprised he got fired? This clearly wasn't the first issue with an attitude like that.

If any student-athlete at that school had any sense, they would all practice shirtless every day from here on out. Track, Baseball, Lacrosse, whatever. Everyone should rally together and go shirtless. What are they going to do, suspend a few hundred students? And if so, who cares?

Stand up to the administration. How can the AD push a kid and not get fired but the coach does for this "situation". You simply can't train effectively in the heat with a shirt on. You'll overheat.

This is complete BS. As a Westwood High runner, I respect Tom a lot. He has taken us further than any other coach has at WHS EVER. We probably had one of the best turnraounds (under him) EVER too. It is unfathomable that he is fired because of this incident. Fogel has had a reputation for pullin crap like this and frankly, I question his benevolence. I guarantee we'll lose against Medfield unless we get Tom back. He is the MOTIVATOR and without him, 90% of kids don't even show up to practice.>>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

This thread is not Tom Davis approved

Tom is my coach and i run at westwood. Obviously this rule is rediculous and we tried to discuss it all but the adminstration never told us a real reason as to why.

In regards to Tom's manner to the team, the results he produced were unmatched and he was the greatest coach to pass through the track program and school. Not just that, but he taught us about committment and dedication and that is something anyone who has been coached by him can take and apply to any aspect of our lives. the team has appreciated everything he has done for us and it is unfair that he has been fired

i graduated the year before tom became the coach, but like someone already posted he is very arrogant and in the many situations i have had with him, he thinks that he runs the world and no one is as good as him. personally i am happy he got fired.

As for the team before Tom arrived, there were at least 2 sub 5 milers, and the best 800 was close to 2 mins. I'm not taking anything away from him, but the reason the kids has such big improvements is in part of the coach before him. I excelled under the former coach and had multiple PR's each season. I have never met anyone who was as involved in track and cared about his team as the previous coach. He was dedicated and took time to help everyone, even girls that needed help. People said he was too strict but it was only because they didnt see track as a real sport and didnt understand his love of track. Even though some current runners may be upset about this fire, if you ask them about the former coach, they cannot deny the fact that he helped them to get where they are today.

11podon wrote:

Tom is my coach and i run at westwood. Obviously this rule is rediculous and we tried to discuss it all but the adminstration never told us a real reason as to why.

In regards to Tom's manner to the team, the results he produced were unmatched and he was the greatest coach to pass through the track program and school. Not just that, but he taught us about committment and dedication and that is something anyone who has been coached by him can take and apply to any aspect of our lives. the team has appreciated everything he has done for us and it is unfair that he has been fired

My very good high school coach was fired/resigned in the middle of my junior year. I know what you're going through. Still, Tom didn't help the team's situation at all. If the administration is on a power trip, you're not gonna make it better by disrespecting them. They have all the cards. You have to be more subtle. Do y'all have a swim team? Does soccer or basketball eve err play shirts and skins? Give the AD good reasons to allow you to go shirtless. If all else fails, practice in singlets. Still sucks, but it's better than a cotton tee shirt. Younjust plain aren't going to beat a prick in power by making him more angry.

There is no doubt tom has the technical ability and running experience to be a superior coach. I do agree the former coach did a lot for this program and he was incredibly dedicated to the team, taking his own extra time and his own money to support the team if needed. Having been coach by him for 2 years, i did see improvements in times along with my teammates. However the issue is not about the differences two coaches.

There is no fair reasoning for tom to be fired, no matter what you personally thought of him.

1. It's a bad rule. Kids should be allowed to run shirtless when it's hot.

2. The coach's reaction was out of line (making a derisive remark then telling the AD to back off--seriously?).

3. The coach and the AD both seem to have a huge chip on their shoulders.

4. That's no sufficient reason to fire the coach.

5. I feel bad for the team.

6. Who has an attitude problem now? Tom, not Webb.

Comment from one of the current members of the team...this isn't from me, i came across it

ok you guys know shit about this situation. i’m actually on his spring track team. He had so many chances. The principal and other school representatives warned him and he doesnt listen. They had enough with his antics and finally fired him. He PROVOKED the kids and only trains his top 5. Im not one of the star athletes on the team and he doesnt even care about us. He deserves to be fired for not being a good coach. all though he made our team state champions it was only because the same 6 guys ran all the events. No one else gets a chance to succeed. As a track runner whos skills arent appreciated…i’m glad he’s gone

The previous coach was a nice guy but he was also an idiot when it came to training. Those kids you mention would have exponentially better had they been coached by tom and the previous coach was only holding them back. Also, raise your standards; there is nothing impressive about saying you coached two kids under 5 mins in the mile out of a whole track team.

I think people are missing a key point to this situation. The athletic director(karl fogel) punched a football player in the face and was not fired. Coach Davis was fired because, well there is really no clear reason as to why he was fired, but it was a result of a confrontation over the shirtless issue with karl. There is something clearly wrong with this situation. The administration thinks they have control over everything we do. I don't know if it has been mentioned but their "rule" on shirts extends beyond campus, we are not supposed to run shirtless any where in town either.

im also on the team and it was clear that if you showed up to practice (everyday like we are supposed to), and were willing to work hard, then you were given as much attention as anyone else.

Rile up the parents to rally in the team's favor by scaring them with stories of overheated h.s. football players that die every year from heat stroke. The parents are the ones paying the "pricks in power" salaries - if they complain, something might get accomplished.