Missing time

[HShockeywatcher]

In the Lake Conference 08 thread someone was said to have gotten a minor and someone commented they'd probably be adding cross country. I remember being in high school with kids who playing a fall and spring sport and after getting a minor would join the ski team, or something of the sort.

If it happens as a freshman, maybe even a soph or junior, it's easy to justify, but when someone who has played the same one or two sports all of high school joins another one to be punished in it instead of another sport is that really the idea of the whole punishing the athlete for their actions?

I can play both sides of this argument, but I'm wondering what people think on whether or not the kid is really being punished. One side is that he is forced to do something he wouldn't have otherwise done. But the other side is pretty convincing in that you really aren't punishing the kid. If this kid from the lake conference isn't taking out of hockey it's not really punishing him. In addition, this is a cop out way that punishes certain people who are 3 sport athletes.

What do you think?

[mnpuckfan21]

I agree with some of your points, disagree with others, but you hit the main point when you said that it forgoes the whole idea of "punishing" the athlete. The point where I disagree with you is the fact that you believe that it's easy to justify a fresh-junior doing this? I find it difficult to approve anyone of any age doing this. What kind of message is the parent sending their kid by allowing them to do this? Granted, I'm sure the kid will play it off like he REALLY wants to run cross country or play tennis or whatever, but if that's the case, the parents need to pull the hood from over their head, because they are basically telling their kids that if you screw up, you don't need to be punished. That's a bad lesson to be teaching kids.

Also, what about the actually athletes of the sport the kid is joining? A boy/girl who has spent the last 3-4 years working to be a great runner, tennis player, golfer, etc. and might be on the verge of a varsity spot, now they are being forced out of that position because of a kid who got drunk on a Saturday and got caught? Doesn't seem to fair to me at all. I think that A.D.'s, coaches, and parents need to realize what's going on and put a stop to it. There's more to life than high school hockey, and kids need to understand that their are consequences for actions, I believe that's a whole lot more important than a few non-conference games.

[Can't Never Tried]

I think they do it the way it is...otherwise what would happen if he played more then one sport but he is best at say hockey...maybe all conf. or something for example, but also plays Baseball and football? would he be able to play those sports unpunished but then once the hockey season came around have to sit? No
I think they do it right as it is.
As far as taking on a new sport to serve the punishment? I'd say if they play the whole season with out dropping after serving the punishment case closed, however if they quit after serving the suspension then the punishment carries to the next sport and so on.
That would be one way to close a loop hole.
Better yet don't get the minor

[HShockeywatcher]

Just for clarification what I meant by more so of a senior is that by the time you're a senior you don't usually join new sports. Whereas many people join new sports they intend to continue with when they are younger.

That was my point about multisport athletes. You could punish them in any sport. It doesn't matter how good they are in them. Sure, maybe you have a future in one and not another, but you're still being punished. People struggle all the time between the sports they are the best at and the sport they enjoy the most. This is, in a sense, punishing certain people for playing more sports.

I guess another question to be raised is if there should be any punishment on the side of the school at all? One could argue what you do at home is your business. You have already been punished from the law, and probably your parents, why do you need multiple punishments for one crime?

[Can't Never Tried]

Just for clarification what I meant by more so of a senior is that by the time you're a senior you don't usually join new sports. Whereas many people join new sports they intend to continue with when they are younger.

That was my point about multisport athletes. You could punish them in any sport. It doesn't matter how good they are in them. Sure, maybe you have a future in one and not another, but you're still being punished. People struggle all the time between the sports they are the best at and the sport they enjoy the most. This is, in a sense, punishing certain people for playing more sports.

I guess another question to be raised is if there should be any punishment on the side of the school at all? One could argue what you do at home is your business. You have already been punished from the law, and probably your parents, why do you need multiple punishments for one crime?

Because some parents don't either know what's going on with their kids or don't care.
It's a code of conduct... and because these players represent their communities with their actions, it would be a poor message to send to those younger kids, that the school doesn't care if you Drink or smoke or whatever you can still play athletics.
IMO

[HShockeywatcher]

In this situation that's not what I think, just another question I posed. In many situations people do get punished multiple times for the same crime and it's dumb.

I still think that it's very dumb to let someone just join another sport. By my senior year I was only playing a fall and spring sport. If I had gotten a DWI in the fall, how would me joining the wrestling team teach me anything? Making me sit out of the spring sport I actually enjoyed would've taught the lesson a lot better.

Aside from the occasional person who joins cross country to lose weight or play football with their friends their senior year not too many join new sports their senior year.

My point about freshmen is that everything is equally punishing because, for the most part, kids are just trying things out to see what they want to do. Sure, it could get abused, but the current system is and I think a freshman joining a team they wouldn't have planned on because of this would be much better than letting a hockey player run cross country to be able to play hockey. (Just a side note, but the other part of this argument that helps my opinion is that I'd be willing to bet if we had the stats that the number of people who get in trouble are mostly juniors and seniors)

[hockeydad]

I think I remember a couple years ago reading that Rochester schools put in a harsher penalty that required kids to miss time in all activities they participate in. Is this correct, or am I not remembering this correctly.

[jiffylube131]

in lakeville athletes have to serve their penalty in all sports they participate in

[Mikey]

Any school administrator (AD, Principal, AP) or coach who is worth a dang would not allow a kid to sign up for another sport if it's obvious enough that they're only doing it to serve a suspension.

[Can't Never Tried]

Any school administrator (AD, Principal, AP) or coach who is worth a dang would not allow a kid to sign up for another sport if it's obvious enough that they're only doing it to serve a suspension.

That would be a tough call...no way to prove it.
But I don't disagree...how about this, you don't play any new sports if you get in trouble? period... until after you served your suspension in one of the sports you have already played in HS.

[HShockeywatcher]

That's easy for juniors or seniors. But say a freshman gets in trouble, what then? Just curious, but what about if you're a middle schooler not in the high school playing on a varsity team? Do you have to wait until the next varsity sport, or can you use one of your middle school sports?

[Can't Never Tried]

That's easy for juniors or seniors. But say a freshman gets in trouble, what then? Just curious, but what about if you're a middle schooler not in the high school playing on a varsity team? Do you have to wait until the next varsity sport, or can you use one of your middle school sports?

Gee what if your a grade schooler..? How about if there doing that crap in 7th-9th grade sports is probably not their thing anyways.

[lxhockey]

I tried to see what the new MSHSL rules say about this but their web site is down until August it seems. You can debate this here all you want, but
it is not up to the school (unless the school has more strict rules), it is all written in stone in the MSHSL rules. And yes, the student athletes have to sign a code of conduct saying that they will adhere to the MSHSL rules.

These rules are reviewed with them before they sign the code of conduct.
Codes of conduct are signed for each sport and are functional for 1 year from date of signing. The review process spells out the consequences for violating the rules. The problem it seems that the kids don't take the rules seriously or they believe that mommy and daddy will be able to 'fix' things for them if they caught.

Mommy and daddy need to read the MSHSL rules also and try to support their player to abide by the rules. As Paris Hilton is spending her time in jail since she chose to ignore the rules, that could be a good wake-up call to student athletes who think it's easy to ignore the rules and do what they want.