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Right on, Principal Carmen Hall
Thu Mar 20, 2008 17:55
159.53.110.143
Right on, Principal Carmen Hall
I have to disagree with last week’s article, Bad decision, Principal Carmen Hall, by my friend Paul Reid.
We must realise that interscholastic sports are only a part of the educational process. Although many in Jamaica view and regard prowess in track and football as even surpassing academic achievement, in reality the purpose of attending high school is to get an education and learn life’s lessons, not to compete in athletic events. Athletic competitions are extra-curricular activities and are permitted only upon students and coaches fulfilling certain prerequisites relative to behaviour and academic achievement.
As a former schoolboy athlete, I am acutely aware of the feelings of the students. However, as a parent and attorney who has litigated athletic cases and disputes annually, I have seen the depths to which coaches, parents and students will sink to enable athletes to compete in an extracurricular activity, meanwhile foregoing the more important principles of life such as honesty, following the rules, integrity and accepting responsibility for one’s actions.
It is universally agreed that competition in athletics while in high school is a privilege, not a right. Accordingly, the decision whether the school competes in an athletic event rests with the principal and administration of a school. When athletes and coaches violate the rules it is the individuals, coaches and team that suffer the penalty. The lessons that the principal hopes to teach and the message she is sending is that you cannot treat athletes differently than the student body. They should not get special privileges and are not allowed to break rules and flaunt them to boot merely because they can run fast. You have to teach athletes that there is a price to be paid for the actions of the coach and the student who violate the rules of life. They are part of the team so it is quite permissible that the team suffers the punishment due to the action of its leader and teammate. I daresay were the student involved in breaking the school rules not an athlete, the coach would not have lied for her.
This special treatment of athletes is not fair to the rest of the student body, and if allowed to continue will set a bad precedent that athletes are allowed to do whatever they want without consequence. Such thinking cannot be allowed in an environment where life’s lessons are being taught.
Similarly, coaches ought not to be in cahoots with athletes, or cover up or lie for them when they violate rules. Doing so sends the wrong message to a nation that surely needs a positive message to be sent.
Although Paul’s article does not, in my view, set forth all the facts which the principal may have considered prior to rendering her decision, I suspect there is more. We must allow the educators and administrators to make decisions for the greater good of the entire student body and nation in general.
To criticise her as being too harsh is to undermine her authority and in a sense impose outside values upon her institution and an attempt to run her school. Continued criticism will serve only to cheapen the lessons she is trying to teach these young ladies and glorifies the shenanigans that the coach and the athlete were involved in and embolden others to do likewise.
Academics trumps athletics every time or ought to, then again, maybe not in Jamaica.
I personally laud the principal for her action and humbly suggest that others get behind and support this courageous woman who is trying to shine the light in a country many would rather operate in darkness.
I would have preferred to have seen an article about the special privileges bestowed upon athletes than a criticism of a principal trying to hold young and old accountable for their actions and requiring that their actions conform to the rules rather than the status quo, which is every and anything goes.
Ms Carmen Hall, you are on the right track and doing the young ladies at Mount Alvernia High School a great service. Keep up the good work.
* Jeffrey McLeod is an attorney-atlaw based in Florida. He is a past student of Cornwall College where he took part in football, cricket and track and field and earned a full scholarship to the University of Michigan.
Right on, Principal Carmen Hall
Thu Mar 20, 2008 17:55
159.53.110.143
Right on, Principal Carmen Hall
I have to disagree with last week’s article, Bad decision, Principal Carmen Hall, by my friend Paul Reid.
We must realise that interscholastic sports are only a part of the educational process. Although many in Jamaica view and regard prowess in track and football as even surpassing academic achievement, in reality the purpose of attending high school is to get an education and learn life’s lessons, not to compete in athletic events. Athletic competitions are extra-curricular activities and are permitted only upon students and coaches fulfilling certain prerequisites relative to behaviour and academic achievement.
As a former schoolboy athlete, I am acutely aware of the feelings of the students. However, as a parent and attorney who has litigated athletic cases and disputes annually, I have seen the depths to which coaches, parents and students will sink to enable athletes to compete in an extracurricular activity, meanwhile foregoing the more important principles of life such as honesty, following the rules, integrity and accepting responsibility for one’s actions.
It is universally agreed that competition in athletics while in high school is a privilege, not a right. Accordingly, the decision whether the school competes in an athletic event rests with the principal and administration of a school. When athletes and coaches violate the rules it is the individuals, coaches and team that suffer the penalty. The lessons that the principal hopes to teach and the message she is sending is that you cannot treat athletes differently than the student body. They should not get special privileges and are not allowed to break rules and flaunt them to boot merely because they can run fast. You have to teach athletes that there is a price to be paid for the actions of the coach and the student who violate the rules of life. They are part of the team so it is quite permissible that the team suffers the punishment due to the action of its leader and teammate. I daresay were the student involved in breaking the school rules not an athlete, the coach would not have lied for her.
This special treatment of athletes is not fair to the rest of the student body, and if allowed to continue will set a bad precedent that athletes are allowed to do whatever they want without consequence. Such thinking cannot be allowed in an environment where life’s lessons are being taught.
Similarly, coaches ought not to be in cahoots with athletes, or cover up or lie for them when they violate rules. Doing so sends the wrong message to a nation that surely needs a positive message to be sent.
Although Paul’s article does not, in my view, set forth all the facts which the principal may have considered prior to rendering her decision, I suspect there is more. We must allow the educators and administrators to make decisions for the greater good of the entire student body and nation in general.
To criticise her as being too harsh is to undermine her authority and in a sense impose outside values upon her institution and an attempt to run her school. Continued criticism will serve only to cheapen the lessons she is trying to teach these young ladies and glorifies the shenanigans that the coach and the athlete were involved in and embolden others to do likewise.
Academics trumps athletics every time or ought to, then again, maybe not in Jamaica.
I personally laud the principal for her action and humbly suggest that others get behind and support this courageous woman who is trying to shine the light in a country many would rather operate in darkness.
I would have preferred to have seen an article about the special privileges bestowed upon athletes than a criticism of a principal trying to hold young and old accountable for their actions and requiring that their actions conform to the rules rather than the status quo, which is every and anything goes.
Ms Carmen Hall, you are on the right track and doing the young ladies at Mount Alvernia High School a great service. Keep up the good work.
* Jeffrey McLeod is an attorney-atlaw based in Florida. He is a past student of Cornwall College where he took part in football, cricket and track and field and earned a full scholarship to the University of Michigan.
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