coach abuse

Here's a (quick) video of an incident in a high school game in new jersey. I'd love to know what you think. The key area to watch is the team on the other side from the video camera.

 

Fired. Immediately.

 

Gone forever. I don't care how successful he is.

Why did he ask for the ball? Did he expect her to catch the ball? Was she serving next?

We all know the answer to those questions.

 

Was that Mr. Woodcock?

 

That guy should be fired, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't watch that again because I thought it was at least a little funny.

Did anyone hear the lady at the end: "He gets kicked out every time!"

 

And the funny thing is, she was the best player he ever coached.

Seriously, he's out.

 

http://www.app.com/article/20091212/SPORTS0101/91212016/1127/SPORTS01/ERIC+MAXWELL++Southern++Girls+Volleyball

Here is a story from the Asbury Park Press, I think naming him their volleyball coach of the year. It's hard to tell. I'm guessing they don't do much with volleyball, which is a very low priority in much of the Northeast. My understanding is that the level of play is particularly bad in New Jersey.

I can't find a story on the incident anywhere. It is mentioned in the comments below the story I linked above, but that's it. Does anybody know when this video is from? Their season has been over for a while now. I can't believe a local paper didn't follow up on it. I guess they don't even read the comments on their own stories.

There is no excuse for throwing a ball at a player like that. None.

 

I wanted to get some responses before I gave some more information.

1. He wasn't even thrown out of the game, he was given a red card, which I think in high school just means a point for the other team. Although the lady did say he gets thrown out all the time, he doesn't. He does pile up a lot of cards for yelling at refs, though.
2. He wasn't fired, he had to write a letter of apology to the team. This incident went crazy on the star ledger volleyball forum, but I don't think the video has shown up until now. The coach claimed he was throwing the ball at the wall. The girl who got hit even went on the forum and said she didn't think he did it on purpose.
3. his boys team won the state championship last year, his girls won the group IV championship in 2008 and reached the final this year.

I'M NOT SAYING I AGREE WITH THESE POINTS, NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR THE COACH. I'M JUST SAYING THATS WHAT HAPPENED.

Another coach I know saw this and she said she would have been fired from her teaching job, not just the coaching job, if she had done this.

 

The incident went "viral'' on the star ledger volleyball forum - but most of the time the comments were deleted. But no, there were no stories anywhere.

There was always talk that there was a video out there, but this is the first time it's shown up anywhere.

 

you weenies have never played sports! the girl was obviously a slacker and she was asking for it! it didn't hurt her any! high school volleyball is not for sissies! this program was nothing before the coach came along!

[leach defenders]

 

And I'll chime in with the obligatory SJ cliche:

"YOU ONLY COVER US WHEN OUR COACH BEANS A PLAYER WITH A VOLLEYBALL!"

 

Throwing it at the wall? Maybe if he was trying to get it there through the girl's head. Absolutely disgraceful behavior and I don't care what the player says. He should have been fired.

Any paper that covers that school should be embarrassed for not ever having a story on it, even just a short one explaining what happened and how the school administration decided to handle it. I know volleyball isn't a big deal in this part of the country, but a coach assaulting a player should be enough to get some attention. And that was an assault.