I'm not a pessimist - not that there's anything wrong with being one. But I admit to being fascinated by a youth sports list that others might find utterly depressing. It's an accounting - in eye-opening detail - of assaults committed by parents, coaches and players against sports officials.
If you think adult behavior in your neighborhood league is out of hand, skim this police blotter compiled by the National Association of Sports Officials. You'll feel better. Or perhaps a lot worse.
Some memorable incidents from the NASO list:
A parent body-slammed a high school referee after he ordered the man’s wife out of the gym for allegedly yelling obscenities during a basketball game.
A police sergeant and youth coach, angry after being ejected from his son's game, goes home and puts on his police uniform, waits in the parking lot following the game and then issues a traffic ticket to the game's umpire when he leaves the facility.
A high school wrestling official is headbutted by the losing contestant during a fit of anger that knocks out the official for more than 20 seconds.
What NASO doesn't do - I don't know of a resource that does - is track the number of assaults each year at youth sports contests. Until that information is available, it is impossible to say whether such incidents are widespread or simply well-publicized. Same thing regarding whether youth sports violence is on the rise or decline.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Kids and marathons
With the Marine Corps Marathon behind us and the New York City Marathon just ahead, I wondered: What do sports docs say about children and distance running? (Yes, we think about these things so you don't have to).
I imagined plenty of research on the subject and guidelines spelling out who is too young and who isn't. Not right. Instead, there's this advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"There is, at present, no scientific evidence that supports or refutes the safety of children who participate in marathons. There are no recorded data on injuries sustained by children who run marathons. Marathon training requires a gradual increase in total weekly mileage, which may be less than or equal to the total weekly distance that is generally logged by high school cross-country teams (35–40 miles). Regardless, a clearly devised weekly plan, ensuring that safe running conditions are in place, and the provision of proper education on endurance activities (including environmental conditions and appropriate hydration) should all be part of the training process. A critical environmental safety concern is the ambient temperature and relative humidity, because a child is less able than an adult to handle heat stress. Weather-related guidelines have been set for all marathons, and these guidelines should be strictly enforced by the medical director for all youth endurance events. Ultimately, there is no reason to disallow participation of a young athlete in a properly run marathon as long as the athlete enjoys the activity and is asymptomatic."
I have run in 12 marathons to date, New York and Marine Corps among them. I've seen - and been passed by - many high school athletes. I can't recall a younger child in my races. But then, by mile 20, I'm barely conscious.
I imagined plenty of research on the subject and guidelines spelling out who is too young and who isn't. Not right. Instead, there's this advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"There is, at present, no scientific evidence that supports or refutes the safety of children who participate in marathons. There are no recorded data on injuries sustained by children who run marathons. Marathon training requires a gradual increase in total weekly mileage, which may be less than or equal to the total weekly distance that is generally logged by high school cross-country teams (35–40 miles). Regardless, a clearly devised weekly plan, ensuring that safe running conditions are in place, and the provision of proper education on endurance activities (including environmental conditions and appropriate hydration) should all be part of the training process. A critical environmental safety concern is the ambient temperature and relative humidity, because a child is less able than an adult to handle heat stress. Weather-related guidelines have been set for all marathons, and these guidelines should be strictly enforced by the medical director for all youth endurance events. Ultimately, there is no reason to disallow participation of a young athlete in a properly run marathon as long as the athlete enjoys the activity and is asymptomatic."
I have run in 12 marathons to date, New York and Marine Corps among them. I've seen - and been passed by - many high school athletes. I can't recall a younger child in my races. But then, by mile 20, I'm barely conscious.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A pro athlete's take on youth sports
Here's my silver bullet for fixing the adult-generated problems that hamper youth sports: put professional athletes in charge.
A simplistic fix, of course. But the observation comes from a series of conversations with basketball players to tour golfers about kids, sports and the expectations of parents. To a person, the ones I've chatted with complain that sports for kids have become far too serious. As pros, sports is their job. They're opposed to turning sports into a job for 11 year olds.
Billy Andrade, the PGA Tour golfer, was particularly firm on this point. He told me his parents were pretty much removed from his golf life as a kid. They didn't attend all, or even most, of his tournaments, and he felt no pressure from them to succeed on the golf course. Turning pro one day wasn't on any of their minds. Now, he said, some parents see sports as vocational training. Put a club in a child's hand at age 5. Raise a millionaire. "The problem lies in the money." he told me. "If there were no prize at the end of the rainbow, would families be doing these things? I doubt it."
The more Billy Andrades speaking out, the better for youth sports. So the Positive Coaching Alliance, an admirable organization, has it right by enlisting many former and present pro athletes to speak about kids and sports. On its advisory board sits a who's who of past and present pros: Jack Kemp, Bill Bradley, Jennifer Azzi, Shane Battier, Larry Brown and Phil Jackson, among others. This video, featuring Jackson, is terrific.
A simplistic fix, of course. But the observation comes from a series of conversations with basketball players to tour golfers about kids, sports and the expectations of parents. To a person, the ones I've chatted with complain that sports for kids have become far too serious. As pros, sports is their job. They're opposed to turning sports into a job for 11 year olds.
Billy Andrade, the PGA Tour golfer, was particularly firm on this point. He told me his parents were pretty much removed from his golf life as a kid. They didn't attend all, or even most, of his tournaments, and he felt no pressure from them to succeed on the golf course. Turning pro one day wasn't on any of their minds. Now, he said, some parents see sports as vocational training. Put a club in a child's hand at age 5. Raise a millionaire. "The problem lies in the money." he told me. "If there were no prize at the end of the rainbow, would families be doing these things? I doubt it."
The more Billy Andrades speaking out, the better for youth sports. So the Positive Coaching Alliance, an admirable organization, has it right by enlisting many former and present pro athletes to speak about kids and sports. On its advisory board sits a who's who of past and present pros: Jack Kemp, Bill Bradley, Jennifer Azzi, Shane Battier, Larry Brown and Phil Jackson, among others. This video, featuring Jackson, is terrific.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A high school runner's lament
I've never met Gabriel Weiss, but I'm already mightily impressed by him. Gabriel is a junior at a Jesuit high school near Dallas. He is a cross country and track athlete. And he is a thoughtful young man who, on the subject of kids and sports, expresses himself well. Last week, Gabriel wrote a piece for the Dallas Morning News about why he continues to play competitive sports. This paragraph stopped me.
"The games have been played the same since my grandfather's era, but a different mentality has taken over. The motivation beneath the helmets of football players and other competitive athletes is heavily influenced by scholarships and intense pressure from coaches and parents. The emphasis put on lengthy practices, which begin long before the season, transforms many high school sports into an almost full-time job. Can this high-stakes, pressure-infused way of playing possibly enhance the game, or is this tainting the true meaning of sports?"
The adults (myself included) may think we've disguised our ambitions and expectations for our kids in competitive sports. As Gabriel points out so well, most of us haven't.
Thanks to Doug Abrams for pointing out Gabriel's commentary.
"The games have been played the same since my grandfather's era, but a different mentality has taken over. The motivation beneath the helmets of football players and other competitive athletes is heavily influenced by scholarships and intense pressure from coaches and parents. The emphasis put on lengthy practices, which begin long before the season, transforms many high school sports into an almost full-time job. Can this high-stakes, pressure-infused way of playing possibly enhance the game, or is this tainting the true meaning of sports?"
The adults (myself included) may think we've disguised our ambitions and expectations for our kids in competitive sports. As Gabriel points out so well, most of us haven't.
Thanks to Doug Abrams for pointing out Gabriel's commentary.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Chasing the college sports dream
Many teen athletes aspire to play sports in college believing it will be exactly that - play. They arrive at Liberal Arts U. And reality sets in. Before long they've discovered that college sports -particularly at Division I - are a job, a highly competitive, physically draining, poorly paid job.
I've written about some of these students in my book about youth sports and how they've, in some ways, been hi-jacked by adults. It's called "Until It Hurts," and will be published by Beacon Press in April 2009. (Self-promotion, yes). Sunday's New York Times has a good piece by Jere Longman raising similar issues. Jere tells the story of a hotly recruited high school basketball star who landed an athletic scholarship to the University of Connecticut, an elite women's hoops program. In a short time, she realized she was in the wrong place, spending all her time doing something that was not making her happy.
This post, and Jere's story, I'm sure, are not intended as knocks on college sports. The point is that these stories end happily only when the motivation comes from within, not from a coach, a parent, et cetera.
I've written about some of these students in my book about youth sports and how they've, in some ways, been hi-jacked by adults. It's called "Until It Hurts," and will be published by Beacon Press in April 2009. (Self-promotion, yes). Sunday's New York Times has a good piece by Jere Longman raising similar issues. Jere tells the story of a hotly recruited high school basketball star who landed an athletic scholarship to the University of Connecticut, an elite women's hoops program. In a short time, she realized she was in the wrong place, spending all her time doing something that was not making her happy.
This post, and Jere's story, I'm sure, are not intended as knocks on college sports. The point is that these stories end happily only when the motivation comes from within, not from a coach, a parent, et cetera.
Friday, October 17, 2008
A coach's controversial prayer
Should a high school coach be permitted to initiate team prayer before a big game? Or any game? A federal appeals court decided no. After three years of legal battles, the coach is seeking review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Interesting case, which brings into play the First Amendment rights of the former football coach, East Brunswick (N.J.) High School's Marcus Borden - and the competing rights of the players to be spared official team prayer.
In 2005, Coach Borden acknowledged leading prayers during team dinners and in the locker room before several games. School officials ordered him to stop, citing school policy, and he resigned at midseason. The coach filed suit and the case has been in the courts ever since.
The odds are against the case being accepted, as they are against any single case being heard by the Supreme Court. The panel hears just 700 of the 8,000 petitions it receives each year. Borden is expected to learn before the end of the year whether the justices will hear the case this term, according to the Asbury Park Press.
I don't know the former coach's religious affiliation. Whatever it might be, it almost certainly wasn't shared by all players on his team. Praying privately, off in the corner of the locker room, is a wonderful thing. So is praying at home before the game or dinner. Coach, why insist on group prayer when this is the inevitable result?
Thanks to USA Today's "Prep Rally"
Interesting case, which brings into play the First Amendment rights of the former football coach, East Brunswick (N.J.) High School's Marcus Borden - and the competing rights of the players to be spared official team prayer.
In 2005, Coach Borden acknowledged leading prayers during team dinners and in the locker room before several games. School officials ordered him to stop, citing school policy, and he resigned at midseason. The coach filed suit and the case has been in the courts ever since.
The odds are against the case being accepted, as they are against any single case being heard by the Supreme Court. The panel hears just 700 of the 8,000 petitions it receives each year. Borden is expected to learn before the end of the year whether the justices will hear the case this term, according to the Asbury Park Press.
I don't know the former coach's religious affiliation. Whatever it might be, it almost certainly wasn't shared by all players on his team. Praying privately, off in the corner of the locker room, is a wonderful thing. So is praying at home before the game or dinner. Coach, why insist on group prayer when this is the inevitable result?
Thanks to USA Today's "Prep Rally"
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The problem with drug testing
A few years back, it seemed the national mood favored mandatory drug testing for high school athletes. New Jersey, Texas and Florida all adopted limited programs and more states seemed likely to follow.
That never happened. Now Florida is abandoning its program.
The reason - at least, the primary one - is a surprise. Not enough kids were testing positive for steroids. In Florida last year, only one out of 600 players tested postive for a banned drug, and both the player and his coach vehemently challenged the result. Texas tested 10,117 students from February to June, and reported just two positives.
Various explanations are offered for positive results near zero, from overstated concerns about drug users in high school to doubts about the testing itself. This from USA Today: Former Penn State professor Charles Yesalis, who has been following doping issues for three decades, says, "Unless the kid has an IQ at room temperature, you wouldn't expect them to get caught. There's all this information out there all over the Internet on how to circumvent these tests. And a lot of these programs have loopholes, including the fact you aren't testing during the summer."
That never happened. Now Florida is abandoning its program.
The reason - at least, the primary one - is a surprise. Not enough kids were testing positive for steroids. In Florida last year, only one out of 600 players tested postive for a banned drug, and both the player and his coach vehemently challenged the result. Texas tested 10,117 students from February to June, and reported just two positives.
Various explanations are offered for positive results near zero, from overstated concerns about drug users in high school to doubts about the testing itself. This from USA Today: Former Penn State professor Charles Yesalis, who has been following doping issues for three decades, says, "Unless the kid has an IQ at room temperature, you wouldn't expect them to get caught. There's all this information out there all over the Internet on how to circumvent these tests. And a lot of these programs have loopholes, including the fact you aren't testing during the summer."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Youth sports and the money crunch
You may have read how the underfunded high school sports programs in Mount Vernon, N.Y. were saved earlier this year by the beneficence of "Remember the Titans" star Denzell Washington. The actor donated $100,000 to help keep schools sports afloat.
The Wall Street meltdown, housing collapse, loss of tax revenues, et cetera, have exacerbated an already difficult situation and many school systems are scrambling to make ends meet. Even, it turns out, the relatively affluent ones. The Washington Post's Preston Williams has a nice summary of school sports belt-tightening, real and contemplated, in the capital city's Virginia and Maryland suburbs.
With gas prices still high, some schools are insisting that kids find transportation to games, tournaments and other team events off campus. Others are looking to parents to pay for items - equipment and uniforms - that used to be covered by athletic department budgets. Williams writes, "Last year, the Virginia AAA Northern Region added a round of football playoffs, in part to make more money. In the spring, the division decided to no longer hold its boys' and girls' regional basketball semifinals and championships at the Patriot Center at George Mason University. The cost was prohibitive, so the tournaments will be played at Robinson Secondary School. It's a prestige hit, but a money saver."
No doubt, similar things are going on all over the country.
The Wall Street meltdown, housing collapse, loss of tax revenues, et cetera, have exacerbated an already difficult situation and many school systems are scrambling to make ends meet. Even, it turns out, the relatively affluent ones. The Washington Post's Preston Williams has a nice summary of school sports belt-tightening, real and contemplated, in the capital city's Virginia and Maryland suburbs.
With gas prices still high, some schools are insisting that kids find transportation to games, tournaments and other team events off campus. Others are looking to parents to pay for items - equipment and uniforms - that used to be covered by athletic department budgets. Williams writes, "Last year, the Virginia AAA Northern Region added a round of football playoffs, in part to make more money. In the spring, the division decided to no longer hold its boys' and girls' regional basketball semifinals and championships at the Patriot Center at George Mason University. The cost was prohibitive, so the tournaments will be played at Robinson Secondary School. It's a prestige hit, but a money saver."
No doubt, similar things are going on all over the country.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Latest post from BW's "Working Parents"
This is my latest post from BusinessWeek's "Working Parents." This time, I'm writing about medical research - recent and not so - pointing out that children are at risk from not enough sports play just as they are from diving into sports too early and too intensely.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Kids on the sidelines
Sometimes, youth sports research can be shocking. Not in this case.
A medical study published this month concludes that "physically inactive adolescents have more emotional and behavorial problems than those who are physically active." I see millions of parents nodding in agreement.
Boys who reported less than one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week had more symptoms identified by researchers as anxious/depressed and withdrawn/depressed. Girls had similar issues, and also complained of sleep problems.
This is the opposite end of the spectrum from the concern raised often here - children struggling with overuse injuries - but it is equally troublesome.
The study appears in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the scientific journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
A medical study published this month concludes that "physically inactive adolescents have more emotional and behavorial problems than those who are physically active." I see millions of parents nodding in agreement.
Boys who reported less than one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week had more symptoms identified by researchers as anxious/depressed and withdrawn/depressed. Girls had similar issues, and also complained of sleep problems.
This is the opposite end of the spectrum from the concern raised often here - children struggling with overuse injuries - but it is equally troublesome.
The study appears in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the scientific journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
The wish list
It pays to ask - sometimes.
Our request to interview Sarah Palin about youth sports (and her hockey-mom identity) continues to be ignored by the McCain-Palin Campaign. Could this explain the ticket's recent slide in the polls?
On the other hand, the sports editor of the Rapid City Journal, Andrew Cutler, sent a nice note in response to Monday's post about the newspaper's high school blog. (I'd invited myself as a guest on the blog's no-frills "Three-Minute Drill" video segment). Andrew found our blog entry and emailed that I was welcome to join the panel "anytime you are in Rapid City." I'm checking the calendar.
Our request to interview Sarah Palin about youth sports (and her hockey-mom identity) continues to be ignored by the McCain-Palin Campaign. Could this explain the ticket's recent slide in the polls?
On the other hand, the sports editor of the Rapid City Journal, Andrew Cutler, sent a nice note in response to Monday's post about the newspaper's high school blog. (I'd invited myself as a guest on the blog's no-frills "Three-Minute Drill" video segment). Andrew found our blog entry and emailed that I was welcome to join the panel "anytime you are in Rapid City." I'm checking the calendar.
Youth sports on the radio
Twice in the last year, I've been a guest on the The Athletes Parents Show, an hour-long radio interview and call-in program on many of the subjects covered here. The host, Mickey Hiter, is a fine interviewer and an even more impressive judge of quality guests. I offer this observation because upcoming shows feature four youth-sports talking heads recommended by this blog.
Here's Mickey's lineup:
October 11 Track Mom
Guest - Dr Lorraine Williams
October 18 Real Baseball Intelligence
Guest - Ben Hyman
November 1 Sports 4 Kids
Guest - Jill Vialet
November 8 Athletes and Authors Summer Academy
Guest - Ansel Sanders
The program airs Saturday morning (noon, Eastern time) on Nashville's WNSR Sports Radio 560. If your short-wave radio isn't working, it also streams live over the Internet.
Here's Mickey's lineup:
October 11 Track Mom
Guest - Dr Lorraine Williams
October 18 Real Baseball Intelligence
Guest - Ben Hyman
November 1 Sports 4 Kids
Guest - Jill Vialet
November 8 Athletes and Authors Summer Academy
Guest - Ansel Sanders
The program airs Saturday morning (noon, Eastern time) on Nashville's WNSR Sports Radio 560. If your short-wave radio isn't working, it also streams live over the Internet.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Decades after Title IX, girls still gaining
The surge in girls participating in sports is old news. In fact, decades old. But now and then it's worth reflecting on how far we've come, thanks largely to the passage of Title IX. I'll do that today, with an assist from the National Federation of State High School Associations, which recently released new stats on girls and boys playing prep sports.
In 1972, the year Title IX took effect, boys playing high school sports outnumbered girls by 12 to 1. Twenty years later, the edge had shrunk to fewer than three boys for every girl. The 2007-2008 stats from the NFHS show girls comprising about 42 per cent of high school athletes.
More from the NFHS's recent stat package:
-Most popular sports among high school girls (by number of participants): Basketball, track and field, volleyball, softball and soccer.
-Girls sports that gained the most players last year: Competitive spirit squads, soccer and cross country.
-Number of consecutive years that the number of girls playing prep sports has risen: 20.
And a barely relevant, if quirky, footnote. There are two states that boast more girls playing soccer than boys. Congrats to the ladies from Florida and Hawaii. (Maybe the guys in those warm-weather states are all on the football field).
In 1972, the year Title IX took effect, boys playing high school sports outnumbered girls by 12 to 1. Twenty years later, the edge had shrunk to fewer than three boys for every girl. The 2007-2008 stats from the NFHS show girls comprising about 42 per cent of high school athletes.
More from the NFHS's recent stat package:
-Most popular sports among high school girls (by number of participants): Basketball, track and field, volleyball, softball and soccer.
-Girls sports that gained the most players last year: Competitive spirit squads, soccer and cross country.
-Number of consecutive years that the number of girls playing prep sports has risen: 20.
And a barely relevant, if quirky, footnote. There are two states that boast more girls playing soccer than boys. Congrats to the ladies from Florida and Hawaii. (Maybe the guys in those warm-weather states are all on the football field).
Monday, October 06, 2008
Live from South Dakota
Last weekend, I spent a few hours sampling high school sports blogs from daily newspapers around the country, from the Salt Lake City Tribune to the Charlotte Observer. Granted, an unusual exercise in web surfing, but well worth the time. As you'd imagine, the coverage and chat are quite formulaic - scores, recaps, coach quotes, which star athletes have accepted scholarship offers to which powerhouse schools. Then, for something entirely different, there's the Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal and its weekly "Three-Minute Drill." I can't decide whether to award these youth sports bloggers a prize for originality (certainly not for set design), but I do plan on tuning in again. Think of if as the "Washington Week" of prep football.
Gentlemen, is that empty seat in the front reserved for me?
Gentlemen, is that empty seat in the front reserved for me?
Friday, October 03, 2008
Required reading this weekend
Olympic and Paralympic Athletes at Risk for Overtraining, Excessive Mental Demands.
Who's pushing them beyond physical and emotional limits? The grownups.
PIAA needs to get on its game over officials with criminal past
The Harrisburg Patriot News urges background checks for school sports officials in Pennsylvania. A followup to last week's Youth Sports Parents post.
A soccer mom packs a loaded handgun at her 5-year-old's games
And it's not Sarah Palin.
Who's pushing them beyond physical and emotional limits? The grownups.
PIAA needs to get on its game over officials with criminal past
The Harrisburg Patriot News urges background checks for school sports officials in Pennsylvania. A followup to last week's Youth Sports Parents post.
A soccer mom packs a loaded handgun at her 5-year-old's games
And it's not Sarah Palin.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
The rough side of youth football
The Indianapolis Star reported last week on a physician who was booted from his coaching post in a youth football league for allegedly kicking a player, causing the 8-year-old to suffer a bruised pelvis. The incident also cost the coach his real job with a local orthopedic group. Apparently it's tough treating young patients when the local newspaper is detailing how you might have kicked a kid.
The altercation (and media coverage) touched a very raw nerve. I'm sharing some of the emails about it that came to the Indy Star Web site. None of the writers attempts to justify what the coach did. But some argue that public reaction is overblown. My point: Is there a single kid on this team who will want to play football next year?
Comments:
"It must not have been that hard as the child finished the practice and was able to play in the game the next day. I will say again I do not agree with the action, but the incident was over blown and used as an excuse to get rid of him."
"So are you saying that if it was YOUR child this man kicked in the pelvis, you would not have complained?"
"When will the Center Grove area realize that this isn't "West Texas" or "Friday Night Lights"...I am a coach and understand the importance of youth leagues and involvement...but kicking a child? Seriously? I heard of a situation recently in which a Center Grove youth coach was sneaking an earpiece into a defensive player's helment in a 5th/6th grade game....."
"I am sure you are a good mom and a nice lady, but with all due respect...you are part of the problem. YOu actually typed "it must not have been that hard". Are you serious?? Whether you think it was or wasnt "that hard"...the medical exam performed later declared that it was "that hard!!"
"Everyone of us has made a mistake from time to time. This man is actually a good person and I'm sure he'd like to take what happened back. No not because he lost his job or coaching postion but because it was a mistake."
"I am shocked and ashamed to see so many hurtful commits [sic] about an individual who has given so much to his community. Coach Flory had dedicated countless hours and "yes" generous donations to support the youth sports in our community."
The altercation (and media coverage) touched a very raw nerve. I'm sharing some of the emails about it that came to the Indy Star Web site. None of the writers attempts to justify what the coach did. But some argue that public reaction is overblown. My point: Is there a single kid on this team who will want to play football next year?
Comments:
"It must not have been that hard as the child finished the practice and was able to play in the game the next day. I will say again I do not agree with the action, but the incident was over blown and used as an excuse to get rid of him."
"So are you saying that if it was YOUR child this man kicked in the pelvis, you would not have complained?"
"When will the Center Grove area realize that this isn't "West Texas" or "Friday Night Lights"...I am a coach and understand the importance of youth leagues and involvement...but kicking a child? Seriously? I heard of a situation recently in which a Center Grove youth coach was sneaking an earpiece into a defensive player's helment in a 5th/6th grade game....."
"I am sure you are a good mom and a nice lady, but with all due respect...you are part of the problem. YOu actually typed "it must not have been that hard". Are you serious?? Whether you think it was or wasnt "that hard"...the medical exam performed later declared that it was "that hard!!"
"Everyone of us has made a mistake from time to time. This man is actually a good person and I'm sure he'd like to take what happened back. No not because he lost his job or coaching postion but because it was a mistake."
"I am shocked and ashamed to see so many hurtful commits [sic] about an individual who has given so much to his community. Coach Flory had dedicated countless hours and "yes" generous donations to support the youth sports in our community."
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