Starting lineman benched for boot camp

I can't find a link to this, but I just saw a story on the news and think this is flat-out stupid.

A lineman for a Rochester (NY)-area high school has been benched because he enrolled in the military and couldn't complete all of the 15 mandatory practices. I think it was the national guard.

The parents appealed all the way up to the state senator, no dice.

When I first saw it, I thought that it might be a boot camp for an arrest. But come on, this kid is going to serve our country and he can't play high school football? I'm calling bullshit.

Make an exception.

 

So skip the first week, keep on practicing and play in Week 2.

On the injustices scale of 1 to 10, this is about a 1.2.

 

It's still pretty shitty.

 

Zero tolerance, baby.

 

I don't have a problem with that rule, to be honest. I understand it's a legit excuse, not like going on summer vacation. But if a practice is mandatory, there should be penalties for not being at each one. He'll sit out the first game, setting an example for the entire team, and will probably be back out for the second week. Coaches have to set limits. Though this is an extreme case, I understand his ruling. Everyone must play by the same rules.

 

Life can be that way sometimes.

Is it 'fair?' Probably not. But it's sooo not a big deal. Methinks the rule is there to protect high school players from getting injured as a result of not practicing enough.

 

Benched probably isn't the right word, here.

If he failed to meet the state requirement for number of practices before the first game, he's ineligible.

 

Sounds crappy but you can't set a precedent like that. What happens if the next guy who misses was on religiois retreat? Do you let them slide as well?

 

As long as there are helicopter parents, there will be unjust singular causes ....
But yeah, that is pretty shitty

 

Story link: http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7039174&nav=2aKD

BTW, South Seneca is deep in farm country, not really near Rochester.

 

What would have happened to him had he missed boot camp?