This has been on the radio for the last two days. The students all have IEPs. There are lots of students out there with IEPs-including ADHD students. The losing team wasn't upset about losing-that's the kicker. The administration of the winning team forfitted the game. I also found it interesting to learn that the winning team had a 2-17 record only four years ago. The coach trained his players and planned games against larger public schools to improve his players. I think there has got to be more to this story.

In high school we played a team that scored 1 point to our 39. The one point was gained from a free throw after they got into the bonus. We played everyone on the bench and tried to let them score..they were just REALLY bad at shooting. It was at the point where I was a center who rarely played and I was only allowed to shoot from beyond the arc. All guards shot lefty and we were only allowed to take a shot if we were completely wide open.

Apparently Dallas Academy struggled to even field a team, but they put in hours of practice each week. I believe that they struggled to score any points...especially on a team that was pressing and playing full man-to-man defense the entire game.

My point is that there are ways to attempt to keep the score low, still make it challenging for your own team. My lacrosse team has a codeword that I yell onto the field if the score is becoming too lopsided. They know that the codeword means that they're to only play with their non-dominate hands and are to not take any fast break points.

Something else comes to mind also, part of his job as coach may also go along with what the school decides to do.

It's a possibility that his firing was a result of his publicly speaking out against the school's apology on thier website.

How can the school look to be apologetic if the head of the team refuses to go along with the apology?

If both entities are in disagreement over the apology, it's probably worth nothing to give it.

When I was in middle school I played on the 8th grade basketball team. We were really good. And when I say we, I mean the team played very well, not me. I only played maybe a quarter's worth every game. Which was fine with me, I was just having fun.

Whenever the score would get run up on our side, I'd play a whole lot more.

I'm really proud that I was the reason the contest was more fair. Yay for no hand-eye coordination!

It seems to me that the school for special kids shouldn't be in this athletic league. Either that, or the really good team needs to be in a league with more parity.

Most athletic leagues are paired by location and enrollment. I know that some states also have different leagues for public and private schools. Athletic dominance in sports changes too often and it would be far to difficult to specialize it for every sport. They could be horrible at every other sport and just have a good girls' basketball program.

That's what I thought - not to be cynical, but I think that if he had spoken the party line, so to speak, he would still have a job. Whether he should have kept his job is, obviously, a matter for debate.

Yeah, that is what I wondered too.....even the worst players can get at least score one basket.

I mean, it was wrong for the Cambridge coach to run up the score, but when was he suppose to call it? At half when the score was 59-0?

If they cut it at the half, parents of the DA players would have probably been upset that they didn't get a chance to up their score, and people would have still complained that he run up the score.


Ahh yes, I can see that, although it is a dumb reason to fire someone (although with school districts, any "dumb" reason can get someone fired)

It's a private school, so they would have much more leeway to fire someone than would the typical public school. As for it being a dumb reason, in my experience most church-related private schools have some very defined ideas of mission and philosophy. Teacher who do not reflect (or are not willing to reflect) that philosophy will be let go. Simple as that.

FWIW, this is the school's statement, as posted on the school's website:

The Covenant School, its board and administrators, regrets the incident of January 13 and the outcome of the game with the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team. It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community. The school and its representatives in no way support or condone the running up of a score against any team in any sport for any reason. The school’s board members, Head of School Kyle Queal and Athletic Director Brice Helton have acted to ensure that such an unfortunate incident can never happen again.

Covenant school officials have met with and personally apologized to Dallas Academy Headmaster Jim Richardson and Athletic Director Jeremy Civello and wish to extend their highest praise to each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner. Accordingly, The Covenant School has contacted TAPPS and is submitting a formal request to forfeit the game recognizing that a victory without honor is a great loss.

Kyle Queal
Head of School

Todd Doshier
Board Chair

The coach's response is here. It's long, but worth reading. After reading it, I'll stop suggesting that he was acting in an unsportsmanlike-way in the way he coached during the game. It does appear to me that he is no longer at the school not because of his attitude to the game per se, but because he would not join in on the apology and because he publically disagreed with his bosses.

Considering that he worked for a private Christian school, following the party line is extremely important to the people who run these schools. They only want employees who foster the religious and ethical standards that attract students to that type of school. So says the nine year veteran of private Christian education. Often these values are more p
important than the competence of their teachers/coaches.

The game never should have reached the score that it did. I feel like his comments in there about the blowout that his team previously experienced made it seem as though he was doing a favor to Dallas Academy. Also, I think the guy is a cocky prick for posting quotes that players have made about him. Defending yourself is one thing -- boasting about yourself is another.

It also says 80-90% of their students go to college. That's a pretty high rate.

At what point does the losing team take a little responsibility?

I agree that they should have held down their score. That said, there really should be a mercy rule. I played on the worst softball team in the league, and we appreciated that rule a whole lot!

Take responsibility for what -- still having the pride to put a team on the court even though they're losing? For spending hours practicing and for some girls to sacrifice their time to join the team because they almost didn't have enough players to field a team? For suffering the embarrassment of making national headlines even though it takes a person with a great attitude to go onto the court and represent their school, knowing that they may be the weakest team in their division and lose every game?