A Coach’s Dilemma 603.3
A high school football coach once wrote to tell me his team was going to the state finals, but he was troubled. An English teacher had just caught three of his players cheating on an exam they had to pass to remain eligible. He told the coach he’d passed them “for the good of the school.”
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The coach realized if his players hadn’t passed the test, they would have been ineligible. According to league rules, all games in which they had played would have to be forfeited, and his team would be disqualified from the finals.
The coach asked me, “What good would it do to report the ineligibility?” The players who committed the act would be devastated, and the ones who didn’t would be unfairly denied their shot at the championship. Parents, players, and others would be furious, the English teacher would get in big-time trouble, and he, the coach, might lose his job.
“Wouldn’t the greater good be accomplished if I just kept quiet?” he asked.
Of course not. Although it would take great moral courage to do the right thing – play by the rules and let the chips fall where they may – I told him that’s precisely what he should do.
There were many stakeholders (people who would be affected by the decision) involved in this situation, and the coach was duty-bound to use his teaching platform to send an unequivocal message about honor and integrity. Failing to do so would deprive another team of its right to go to the finals. Looking the other way would undermine his credibility.
It’s a high price to pay, but as the years go by, the decision to pursue the path of honor would be an enduring gift to his players and community.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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Comments
It's easy to say I would do the right thing if I were in that situation. But then I remember my tendency to keep my mouth shut when I’m unsure of what to do. Having never been in a situation like that, I can only hope I would do the right thing.
Posted by: Joel Kalmen | January 29, 2009 12:48 PM
Incredibly tough situation.
Posted by: Ted | January 29, 2009 4:13 PM
The coach did not have a choice. If he had not reported the problem, it could have come out later, causing even more severe repercussions.
The only thing a coach can do is make his position clear very early in the season. If that is a strict no-tolerance policy for cheating, substance abuse, academic ineligibility, etc., he has to make that clear. The only problem is that having made that commitment, he is bound to it and may tie his hands in dealing with any situation that may fall into a gray area. For instance, if a student is suspected or accused of cheating, does that merit the same treatment as actually getting caught?
Posted by: Westernfan | January 30, 2009 5:35 AM
It was the English teacher who ducked responsibility. Actually, the coach is off the hook because the players were eligible since they passed. Did the teacher really do it for the "good of the school?" Probably not. He or she did it because of a lack of moral courage. Would the reaction of the community be to support the teacher? If not, is not the community to blame?
Posted by: Darrell | January 30, 2009 6:19 AM
The coach should report the incident. However, I would work to change the rules that require all past games to be forfeited at the time of ineligibiltiy. Why not monitor struggling students to ensure they don't put their team and school in a situation that puts an entire season of hard work and accomplishment in jeopardy?
Posted by: Phil McCormack | January 30, 2009 6:40 AM
Character matters, and there is no honor in a cheap victory. Imagine being part of a community in which students of exemplary character have earned a state championship in football--or in speech and debate. If I were choosing a school for my children, I would select one with a climate that supports character development over one that offers championships at any cost. Over the years, the culture of character has a profound influence on the students and the community—and on the nation.
Posted by: Joan E. Schmidt | January 31, 2009 7:52 PM
The fact that this is deemed a "dilemma," and that we are even considering what the proper course of action would be is in-of-itself disturbing.
As a wise man once said:
"Character is revealed when the price of doing the right thing is more than we are willing to pay."
Posted by: Craig | February 3, 2009 11:19 AM
In football and in life, win and lose with grace and dignity. There is no other way.
Posted by: Porkmandelardo | February 3, 2009 7:23 PM
I agree with Craig, that we are even debating what action is correct is very troubling. Look at the world of professional sports and we can see the end product of this argument. Why are we surprised when professional athletes think they are above the law when they are merely expecting to be treated they way they always have been? As I told my nephew when he got in trouble at school, "It's time to man-up and accept responsibility for your actions. You will need to apologize to your coach, your teammates and anyone who supports the team. If you fail to do so I will recommend to your mother that you not be allowed to participate in sports any longer." This is the way I was raised and it's a great part of what is missing in today's world.
Posted by: James | February 18, 2009 6:34 PM
Yes, the coach should do the right action of being responsible and accountable for the moral fiber and the character of the team. If we as a nation can't pursue the right thing in the classroom, heaven help our students.
Posted by: larry | May 2, 2009 1:22 PM