Record hate mail

I don't know if I would call that good coaching. I guess in a sense it is, but the schedule is set and you should follow it unless it was cancelled for weather related or death circumstances.
I'd be curious if said coach would let the other team reschedule a match because their best players weren't there.

 

i doubt it.

 

That's my thought as well and that's why I think it was a good column to write.

 

oh definitely. it teaches kids the wrong idea, and it's bullshit for the reason stated before that games should only be rescheduled for legit reasons.

 

The day the column ran, the school's AD called my SE at 8 in the morning and demanded a meeting an hour later. My SE said yes and, like every SE should, completely stood by my work -- 100 percent. There's a lot to be said for that, especially these days.

 

I was covering a high school soccer game in which the team I was there to cover was getting its ass handed to it in a sub-state game. At one point, the team's best player yells, from the middle of the field, at the coach. I don't remember what she said, but it was along the lines of "we can't keep using this particular strategy, you're getting us killed" only shorter and less respectful.

Everybody that was there heard it, and the coach yanked her immediately. I didn't quote what she yelled, but put the incident in my story to illustrate the team's frustration.

As you can imagine, this was not a popular decision among the soccer moms. Even got an email from the player herself, who was "shocked" and what I "done to (her)."

I wrote back, explaining why I used the bit in my story and saying I was sorry for her embarrassment, but that I had not done anything to her that she had not already done to herself. If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't use the bit at all -- it was a girls soccer game, just not worth it -- although I don't think I did anything wrong, sneaky or unethical.

 

I don't buy into the "I said that in the game and you shouldn't have put that in the story" or "That happened in the heat of the moment" arguments from "embarassed" kids, coaches or parents.

They're in a public setting, in front of fans and players, and possibly on television depending on the circumstance. If it's a significant situation, utterance, issue or even a confrontation between a player and coach then it's fair game.

If anything, a smart parent or coach would tell the involved parties to learn from it and discuss things privately instead of popping off like buttheads in full view of everyone.

 

I had an 11-year-old send me a hate letter through the mail. It's still in my desk somewhere.

And the answer to the original question is 24, I believe. Something I wrote got put on a fan message board and most of the people who wrote in were from out of our coverage area.

 

Shoot, I wouldn't use the "it's a girls soccer game, so it wasn't worth it" as an excuse not to use something that was worthy to be int he story.

if it helps show the frustration of the team during the game, then it is absolutely worthy to be put in the story.

 

Exactly. You were there to chronicle what happened and be the eyes and ears to your readers. You did exactly that.

Good reporting isn't just using your eyes. It's using all your senses. You don't need a mulligan here. You'd need one if you didn't use what she said and provide the context.

And I liked your response to her.

 

If you want to get a couple hundred angry e-mails and people saying you're going to Hell, find a small town high school that allows a local preacher to give an invocation before kickoff. Point out his repeated mentioning of "Jee-zus" shouldn't be allowed, since nobody let an iman raise a prayer to Allah and there were Muslim players on the visiting team.

 

it's amazing how many people don't realize the schools, unless private, should not do that.