Here's one where the paper named the kid . . .

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/vaden/story/736522.html

 

Is there anyone who wouldn't name the kid in that circumstance?

 

I dealt with a situation earlier this year where three girls were suspended from the state's top-ranked volleyball team for being minors in attendance at a party. Names were named... and it was a wonder I didn't napalm my relationship with the coach. Soooo many people complained about what I did, but luckily the paper's editor-in-chief had my back and wrote a piece about names in high school sports.

It just shows the double standards of parents. Write about little Johnny if he catches two passes for 30 yards during the big Friday game, but leave his name the hell out of the paper if he gets suspended for a game for drinking off school grounds.

 

steve,

So how did you get that story? If I were a parent, I would be pissed if the coach was the source.

 

Through other sources. The coaches had nothing to do with the story. I picked it up off of our online forums and looked into it.

 

Did someone confirm it on the record? I would be reluctant to name names there unless the kids or their parents or a school official would put their name to it.

 

Two instances:
1) High school athlete gets frustrated with the coach. Yells at the coach in a criticizing way from the playing field, in a manner that was clearly audible by everyone in attendance. This happened to be the team's best player. Coach yanks the player for a long period of time (and gives me a quote about it). Team loses. I name names. People go apeshit, and I even got an e-mail from the player who couldn't believe "what I did to her."

2) Starting quarterback doesn't play in the first quarter. Team struggles. QB comes back, team plays well, wins. Coach tells me on the record that the kid was suspended by the coach. Tells me off the record why. I name names, just saying he was suspended for undisclosed reasons by the coaching staff. Nobody complains.

In the first scenario, I told everybody, including the player, that I didn't do anything to anybody. The player did something that was newsworthy, costly and in public. I reported it. You may be 17, but don't act like you didn't know that was the wrong thing to do. A 7-year-old knows you can't show up your coach.