My Coach F'ed Me Over - Advice?

She owe's you the scholarship! After you have recovered and tried to get back to form, then she has grounds to let you go.

Until then, morally she owe's you.

There is no rule, it's about what's right.

in division 2 you can not lose a scholarship due to injury. You can only lose it if you quit the team or if you graduate/drop out of school. But the coach can never say "You havent been running well so Im pulling your scholarship as punishment"....nono that cant happen.

FInd out what divison you're in and then contact your NCAA compliance officer and ask them what the rules are. It is their job.

Anytime a scholarship is reduced or cut, the athletics administration must give you a letter stating that you have the right to appeal. This is right from the NCAA manual. You will appeal and meet with a committee. If all the information is true that you said--you should get the scholarship money back

All universities have compliance people, AD's, student services, & other checks and balances to protect student rights. The problem is that few students know these people are there for their benefit and most are afraid of making waves and meeting with them. Do some investigation and start meeting with people exploring the rules and your rights at your particular level of competition and university. It also is a positive to get a parent-guardian involved in the process. It shouldn't matter, but it is surprising how much additional action is taken when a parent is involved in the investigation rather than just the student-athlete.

F that. What she's doing is typical. She figures you're well into your academic program and you won't leave. LEAVE THAT SCHOOL. And of course this would come from a female.

Kill 6 neighborhood cats, skin them, string them through their throats, and hang them on her porch like Christmas lights.

Let's not bring gender into this, sammyl; her being female has nothing to do with it, period. So please, don't be a troll in a serious thread.

Since you are an upperclassmen it would be unwise for you to up and move. There is a lot more at stake than your pride. Listen to the previous posters' advice (save sammyl) and learn your rights. Provided we are hearing the entire story, the coach has absolutely no authority to cut your funding. Good luck. Take action.

Maybe you don't deserve the scholarship.

We had a freshman who had a partial, and lost it half-way through his junior year while injured. I was happy, the kid was an idiot.

I am not saying that this is the case, but look at your situation in an objective manner before you appeal and make a bunch of enemies.

How did you get injured? Have you been in the pool/cross-training room/weight-room every single day? Have you been to every single XC and Track practice while injured? Have you been drinking and partying at night?

These are important questions. The afore mentioned kid who was stripped of his scholarship was claiming he couldn't cross-train, skipped about 75% of our practices, and was going out at night on a regular basis. We talked to him repeatedly, but it turned into one of those situations where he would secretly go out and tell his roommate not to tell. It got stupid. I was glad when he got stripped of his scholarship and cried like a bitch. He was injured for 2 and a half years. He still claims he got screwed over.

Objectivity will lead you to the truth. Are you deserving? If so, I think your coach is an idiot. If not, maybe ask if you can help out around the track office or something to keep your scholarship.

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I would recommend you explain to your coach the injury situation and that you're sincerely amped to turn things around this fall. Perhaps you could find some middle ground. Were you on full ride and now have none? I think the coach has to demonstrate that you were not fullfilling your end of the bargain to pull your ticket (even if you were injured, as long as you were good about rehab and taking care of yourself you're still in compliance as someone above had said). The first thing I would do would be to sit down with your coach and try to talk it out. It's not going to be a very productive coaching relationship if you win your scholarship back in a legal battle with her opposed to you having it. That won't be worth it. Discuss the options and what she feels your role on the team is versus what you think your role should be. It'll be tough to transfer as an upperclassman and if you're already attached to your team, you may not want to. Hopefully you'll be able to come to an understanding.

File the appeal like the previous poster said. I think there is a deadline.

But really, do you want to run for that coach that didn't have the balls to tell you to your face that she was cutting you? and if in fact, she then lied to you about budget cuts?

Step 1 - File an appeal as stated before

Step 2 - Retain an attorney and have him / her send a letter to the university stating that they have been retained for possible civil action against the university

My guess is that the university will find dollars for you. It may not be an athletic scholarship but you will get your tuition paid for. If indeed you were injured (presumably as a result of training for the school's athletics program) then being effectively "fired" would be a violation of your civil rights. The school will cave and pay before being subjected to litagation and bad press.

I would tell you to get yourself ready to race. If you are not going to be ready to race then you should have it yanked.

All you guys think you are GODS because you have a scholarship.

I was a College Athlete and I am a Head Mid Major Track & Field Coach.

Get a passion. You should not tear a calf if you are prepared.

Apploigize to your coach

Hey, it's good ole Chip O'myshoulder McGee! Howya been? I see we haven't been able to lay off the sauce, but, hey, it's your passion. Oh, and I send my apploigies to you regarding your diagnosis of assholitis, that is a duzey.

Keep in touch,

BSA.

Retaining an attorney should NOT be your first course of action if you ever want to be a happy part of this program again. There will be too much tension between you, the coaches, and the other athletes, regardless of whether you win your scholarship money back (which you might). Instead, TALK to your coach. Tell them you know you haven't contributed as much as expected (due to injury or whatever, it doesn't matter) but that you CAN. Set some incentive goals for XC that if you meet, you can retain some of your previous money. Athletics is a business. If you can show results, they'll show you the money. Coaches have to do what's right for the program. Right now they don't think that's you. Rather than proving them wrong in court which won't win you anything you'll want to keep, prove them wrong on the roads. Come back and BE the athlete they gave a scholarship to. That is your only viable recourse other than getting people fired which is rather short-sighted until you know all the facts. Talking with your coach should be first (it makes no sense to appeal the loss of the scholarship before discussing it with her since you didn't object when it was first brought up). She obviously still wants you on the team so explain to her your value and then back it up. Lawyers are the easy way out and no one wins...unless you enjoy being a point of resentment on the team.

Huh? What you are suggesting is ridiculous. Where is his leverage? I'm all for doing things the "nice" way but you have to have a hammer to back up your point.

Look at it this way, you work for a company. Through no fault of your own you get hurt on the job and miss a few months of work. When you return to the office, your boss suddenly says, "I'm taking your paycheck away because I want to hire a younger worker to take your place. I respect you enough that I really want you to continue working here...for free." No one with any self-respect would accept such terms.

The coach is trying to take advantage of a rather mousy kid who likely won't rock the boat. College XC programs are not above the law. The threat of legal action would preserve this kid's tuition funding and the college could and should make that happen. I can't believe you would advise someone to get stomped on simply to preserve team harmony, school spirit, and a bunch of other nonsense. In what universe does that bulls**t take precedence over this kid's future outside of sports? Make the university pay for the EDUCATION they promised regardless of where the money comes from.

Myopic fool!

Ok, have it your way. I have seen this situation before, however, and its often easily resolved by a simple discussion. Why weild a sledgehammer when a screwdriver will do the job and is less likely to blow holes in the boat.

BTW, I'm not saying she SHOULDN'T take any legal action. Just that it shouldn't be the first option.

Good luck...you'll get the money, though I don't know if it'll be worth the cost.

There is no legal action that you can take. If you had your scholarship yanked in the middle of the year due to an injury that would be different.

A scholarship is a 1 year contract and if you don't perform for ANY reason the coach has the right to take away your scholarship.

It is a shitty position you are in but there isn't anything you can do about it. Sorry

Lauren,

This is going to come across as cruel and insensitive. But you should listen, because it is the truth. Your 25-minute 5k running but doesn't deserve a scholarship. Maybe if your running improved several minutes, you could deserve one. But right now I don't think that being the 2004 Miss Turkey Trot really qualifies you for monetary compensation, let alone help for college.

Frankly, if you are serious about this, get your butt in gear, and start running more than anyone tells you you should, eat right, and let this setback become a motivating factor in your life. Otherwise you'd might as well get pregnant and live in a trailer with a drunken boyfriend wondering why you didn't get the life you thought you deserved.

Contact your college compliance officer or the NCAA directly.

As I understand it, scholarships are one year; Steve Spurrier at South Carolina yanked a few scholarships from football players.

Her high school times looked good. She was all-state.