Now, this could make for an wrongful termination lawsuit. Micah Grimes, the coach of Covenant School of Dallas, was reportedly fired after refusing to apologize for a 100 – 0 victory of his girls’ basketball team over Dallas Academy. He insists that it is ridiculous to apologize “for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.” He was fired shortly thereafter.
Covenant, a Christian school, was mortified by the success of its girls. Kyle Queal, head of school, and board chair Todd Doshier signed a statement that “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition.”
Dallas Academy only has 20 girls in its high school and is winless over the last four seasons. The school includes students with “learning differences,” such as short attention spans or dyslexia.
For the full story, click here.
@mespo727272 – You’re calling the coach’s and player’s comments “minutiae” and you’re declaring that the final score of the game is the whole story? Meaning, you see a crime scene, you decide who’s guilty, and any testimony is superfluous? Hang ’em high!
Hey, folks, greetings. I’m troubled by what appears to be a too quick persecution of Coach Grimes. Just what should he have done? I see a lot of name-calling, but no concrete suggestions. If, in fact, the two ADs for these schools were in attendance, wouldn’t any possible outside-the-rules game adjustment have come from them? If playing the game was inherently unfair, why blame the coach? But if it was a fair game at tip-off time, it’s a fair game at the buzzer. I’ve read his response web-site, am I not to take it at face value? He’s got eight players, he began rotating in his subs three minutes in. What the heck else is he supposed to do? His players seem sincere about their enthusiasm for the team and his coaching – why would one question or ridicule this? How can these feelings accurately be described as brain-washing? Aren’t these feelings normal on a close team with a well-liked and respected coach? The school apologized and mentioned forfeit without discussing with the players and coach, first? Then he got fired? Looks to me like Coach Grimes got a taste of Texas justice – not a pretty sight.
Ladi:
You may want to delve into the minutiae to find some rationalization for this appalling behavior but for most of us the final score speaks for itself. That coupled with the coach’s unrepentant attitude tells most people imbued with conscience and regard for young people’s education all we need to know.
With respect to your wilting defense that they only made 4 three pointers, a more telling stat is how many they tried while leading by those horrendous numbers. One parent in attendance felt it was too far too many, and she was there. I support the decision of the School to terminate this teacher,and hope it serves to remind other coaches that few care about the score, but most everyone cares about the players.
Here’s a rather scary quote from one of the brain-washed youth playing for Coach Grimes. I leave it to the readers to determine if her unrepentant attitude is what we truly want from our high school age kids:
” I have ADD and ADHD. There is nothing that separates me from anyone on the Dallas Academy girls team, so there is nothing that should separate the value of our sides. What we did that night is what we are on this team for: TO PLAY BASKETBALL AND WIN. As for the media calling our actions “unchristian”, that is very sad. For this team, and our coach are a living testimony. I am not sorry for how we played that night because I know that no harm was intended and I also know no harm occurred. I would hope America was more willing to read the lies in between the lines. The coach is as important to the team as we are—we are with him 100%.” [emphasis added]
All these comments are interesting but I suggest you all look at the account of the coach and the players of the winning team. It is also important to look at the actual play by play scores. There were only a total of about 4 three pointers made in the entire game. He continuously made subs to make the game fair and after leading by 29points in the first quarter, they stopped the full court press to give the other team a chance to score(obviously they could not).
Covenant is also a small school of about 30 girls and 8 players and in the past they have been blown out by 86-6 or something. So please, do not just read the accounts of a reporter that was not at the game.
Here is the link of the accounts by the players and coach
http://www.flightbasketball.com/100-0-Texas-Game-Response-From-Coach.html
mespo,
I recall the Jake Porter story too. All I can say is thanks for using this fine example to remind us all what good sportsmanship is really about. We need more Dave Franz’s and Derek Dewitt’s. We have enough Jason Stinson’s. Way too many, in fact. Don’t believe that? Just look at the general behavior of professional athletes. Hell, look at the Dallas Cowboys. And lest we forget, Our Father Of Win At All Costs, “Iron” Dick Cheney. You may be able to beat us, but you can’t lick our Dick for not knowing where the boundaries of decency and humanity lay.
in view of JT’s posting today about win-at-all (and every) cost high school coach Jason Stinson, maybe we can reflect on the value of extreme methods of teaching toughness and fortitude in face of life’s hard knocks. We should probably strive to insure that we keep the students alive after their “amazing” lessons in life.
CCD,
Amen!
At the High School level of play there is still a developmental element. In this case it was sportsmanship, and it went untaught. All kinds of adjustments could have been made by Coach Grimes. His players should have been required to make 3 or 4 even 5 touches on offense before putting up a shot.
Northwest High vs Waverly wow, those players and coaches really know how to live big!
Mespo,
After reading your posting, I feel like I scored the winning TD! And that would be a real stretch!
rafflaw:
Me too! To this day, Jake Porter thinks he scored the winning touchdown. As one writer already said, “he surely did.”
Great example of true sportsmanship Mespo!! That is something that players on both teams will always remember.
Quite obviously, I’m in the jeffmooney-rafflaw camp. To me the issue is decided by what purpose you ascribe to scholastic athletics. If you want to force kids to face life’s hard knocks at a young age, sure you can beat them over the head with their own inadequacies, and subject them to every humiliation a superior team can inflict on a weaker one. That may teach them something, but it insures retaliation, and an attitude that getting what you want with no regard for how you get it is the prescribed norm. If on the other hand we are teaching good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for your opponent, this story is a paradigm of what not to do.
Five days before Christmas in 2002, Northwest High Coach Dave Franz wanted to do something for one of his players 17 year old Jake Porter. Porter was born with chromosomal fragile X syndrome which causes retardation. Franz called Waverly High Coach Derek Dewitt and asked for a favor in a predictable mismatch. With Waverly leading 42-0, Franz called Porter’s number and gave him the football. The plan was for Porter to take a knee and savor the first and only play of his high school career. Coach Dewitt would have none of it. Meeting with his players just before the play he told them something in secret. As the Waverly team opened a path to the endzone, tears were streaming down the faces of all concerned not the least of which were Coaches Dave Franz and Derek Dewitt.
I’ll take more Coaches like Dave Franzand Derek Dewitt and a lot less of the Gordon Gekko-like Micah Grimes’.
This basketball game must have been a very painful experience for the losing players. In my opinion, there is no excuse for running up the score to this extreme. The coach deserved to be disciplined for his stupid actions. I have been on both ends of lopsided scores and it is no fun to win or lose these kind of games. I think it was Buddha who sarcastically mentioned that this was a poor example of Christian values. I agree that this type of humiliation is uncalled for at any level of play and especially when the winning team is a so-called Christian school. WWJD?
I understand your viewpoint much better now Jill. Thanks 🙂
jeffmooney,
That is an interesting point of view.
Sally,
After I finished above, I thought of golf where players are routinely handicapped and nobody thinks less of them for it. I thank god/dess JT doesn’t go the full monty on Constitutional law. You and I would be in a world of hurt if he did!!! Basically, he’s handicapping us on this blog!
Jill:
apologies I have been responding to Buddha and mespo for too long the stress is really getting to me.
My apologies you are correct.
The win reflects a vigorous pursuit of mediocrity. It is analogous to a trained runner winning a footrace against a one-legged kid or a trained boxer boxing unconscious an individual who has boxed as exercise but rarely if ever in the ring.
There is no dignity here; only the pursuit of mediocrity by a coach who is, in all likelihood, incredibly mediocre himself. Genuine winning is the pursuit of victory against the best possible opponent. When faced by those who don’t measure up, there is little gained in stomping them. Your team is not advanced in their ability because the losing team has no capacity to challenge them. The mental capacity to win is diminished sue to the atrophy of that mindset against an ill-advanced team. The dignity of the game is placed in peril due to absence f actual competition.
The coach is simply a loser all the way around. Every red-blooded man who has felt the heat of real competition (unlike several voices above for the coach who have probably never graduated to athletics without a PS2) would certainly see this coach as weak at best. He has no dignity. He has no integrity. He has won nothing.
Sally,
I didn’t mean to say we should expect less of anyone. I agree that low expectations aren’t good for anyone. But expectations may take many forms. Who’s to say that having the expectation of kindness in this situation is not valid? Having a competitive blowout is only one of many possible expectations. Reaching out a hand in friendship is a very good expectation of a child. Playing hard to have fun is another.
When I go to a presentation by a person who is an expert in their field, I’m glad they don’t talk to me like I’m in it and know all the lingo. Every person is going to have areas they no nothing or little about. A person who loves what they do tries hard to make that talent or knowledge accessilbe to others–because they want others to share the excitment they feel about what they are doing (ie–this blog!). I don’t see this game differently than that. The kids who were better athletes could share the joy of the game with kids who weren’t that good by changing their playing style. That’s a skill too.
Jill…
I see your point. I think it would work well for middle schoolers and younger.
But not in high school. By then, one is getting closer to being in college and facing yet even more challenges. Tougher ones at that.
We all have learning differences. Some people’s learning differences just need a little more concentration than others. If you treat the person like they’re different and expect less out of them, then that’s exactly what you’ll get from them.
Bron98,
I have not personally attacked you and you should not personally attack me. If you have a strong argument, you will not need them. If you have nothing of value to say, you will use them.