Track coach suspended for having practice on snow day

Something is going wrong with your country.

There has never been a better moment to say this, but what SNOWFLAKES. There I said it. Through my ultimate wit, I have found the perfect opportunity to use the word snowflake. The people complaining about the coach literally are snowflakes too, because it was snowing, and you get snowflakes from snow. I'm surprised I have ribs, and that I haven't made myself laugh to death.

This is poor.

What was the chain of reasoning here?

1) We've done a risk assessment in line with school's health and safety policies: travelling into school and activity within school present a level of risk that we're not happy to take. Having made and publicised this decision, any incident resulting from school activity may be uninsured and/or provoke litigation.

2) I'm the big guy in charge of this school: I say it's shut and any two-bit coach who thinks otherwise will feel my wrath.

This coach should have got a shout out, not an ass whupping. He's demonstrated resilience to the kids; given them a purposeful activity for the day; maybe allowed a couple of parents to get some things done when otherwise they'd be stuck on child care duties. A teacher/coach being disciplined for demonstrating decent values and providing some education...whatever next.

It obviously comes down to liability, anybody who doesn’t realize that is either trolling or not very bright.

If the school has made the decision that it is unsafe for people to travel to the school that day, it is done so for reason. This would indicate that they also feel it is unsafe for student athletes to travel to the school and/or another nearby location to practice.

This is not rocket science.

I wasn't trolling, and my friends tell me I'm reasonably bright. I fully grasp the liability argument. Also, I realise the linked article is tacitly supportive of the coach: there may be all sorts of previous events that contributed to the suspension that we don't know about.

However, prima facie, it looks like this is some some of ass-covering gone crazy. Plenty of people spend snow days watching netflix. This guy tried to provide an opportunity for kids instead. I suppose my point is that it's sad that this is where public sector management is at, rather than valuing what he did do.

I never cancel practice but if the school does I don’t have practice of course. I like to keep my job. I do cancel practice on average once a year when something is out of my control.

In my experience, it's rarely the lawyers who are unreasonably terrified of liability.

Voluntary is the key word. Snow storm in the morning cancels school and 40 degrees with clear roads in the afternoon. Are kids required by the school to stay in their house all afternoon? I assume they can drive to the movie theater to meet their friends which is probably further away than driving to the school for a voluntary practice.

americans are weak. they need guns to feel powerful and cant go out when it is snowing. pathetic really. on top they call other people bad names all the time and their countries shitholes

Predictor wrote:

Voluntary is the key word. Snow storm in the morning cancels school and 40 degrees with clear roads in the afternoon. Are kids required by the school to stay in their house all afternoon? I assume they can drive to the movie theater to meet their friends which is probably further away than driving to the school for a voluntary practice.

+1

at our school coach posts the workout online for a snow day.

most of us just text eachother and figure out the best time to run together. we drive to the park and run anyway. often here in ky its as you said: snow day in morning, 40 and clear in afternoon. You can still get plenty of work in.

You gotta be kidding!

Discus Morans wrote:

It obviously comes down to liability, anybody who doesn’t realize that is either trolling or not very bright.

If the school has made the decision that it is unsafe for people to travel to the school that day, it is done so for reason. This would indicate that they also feel it is unsafe for student athletes to travel to the school and/or another nearby location to practice.

This is not rocket science.

You are right, not rocket science, just lawyers and likeminded people like you pussyfying training.

americansweak wrote:

americans are weak. they need guns to feel powerful and cant go out when it is snowing. pathetic really. on top they call other people bad names all the time and their countries shitholes

Indeed.

rupture_01 wrote:

A High School coach was suspended for having a voluntary practice on a day when school and school related activities were cancelled due to snow. What do you guys think?

The coach should have been disciplined. Coach should know this.

The suspension is right !

The school district does not want to be sued by a student if they slip on ice or if they slide on black ice crash their car on the way to practice.

Lol at snow days

As a coach myself, I would not have held a practice, even a voluntary one, on a day where my school said it was a snow day and activities are cancelled. You are just asking for trouble and although it might seem that by making it voluntary, you are avoiding liability, there will still be a handful of kids who think they better be there because coach is watching. It's a subtle pressure some of them feel and it's not right to put them in this position. A suspension may be a bit harsh, and I hope it is only that and not the loss of his coaching positions, because he sounds like a passionate coach who is only trying to instill discipline into his team while keeping them fit. But he's gotta follow the rules, this isn't 1975.

One of the nice things about running is that you don't really have to get together as a team to do it. How hard is it to say "since practice is cancelled, just do (X workout) today on your own if you are able to do so safely"? I can understand why a basketball team might feel like they need to meet for practice, but it's easy enough for kids to get in a run on their own.

That said, firing the coach seems a bit extreme unless this is part of a pattern of behavior.

Could have a more trollish/click baiting thread title.