Dear Coaches and Athletic Directors:
Celebration time! Your team not only won a game but you also put on, very likely, the most unconscionable display of team poor sportsmanship ever. You also got a player for your university carted off the field with an injury. I suppose it’s all just part of the game, right?
The University newspaper heralded the win with the title “Mavericks demolish Johnson & Whales in record-breaking game”. Records are meant to be broken, right? Good for you!
The paper’s next headline could read: “Mesa Lacrosse staff dismissed, University sanctioned and Athletic Director put on paid leave pending review by university trustees”. All this for a win clearly demonstrating conduct detrimental to the university and violating the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct – core values of respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. The articles could go on …”Player hospitalized and lawsuits pending”.
Possible future healines could read: “Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference forces CMU to forfeit all contests after RMAC Sportsmanship Code violated”.
This observation to the coach… there are high school teams that could manhandle your Mesa team. These coaches wouldn’t risk player injury and importantly, respect the game and opposition too much to embarrass either; just for a feather in their cap.
Up by 20 in a lacrosse game… what should you do? Manage the game, respect the competitors on the other side of the ball and no one gets hurt. Not you, Coach. Let’s set a record!
Coach, if you are able to keep your job, I hope you love it- because I suspect no other university would have you.
To the University Administration… your game, this disgraceful display, this abortion- should never have happened. How you manage your image is up to you. How the game was managed is up to the coach.
This game of lacrosse is known as the “Medicine Game” or the “Creators Game”. It is a game rich in history and tradition. It is to be respected. I’m compelled to write this letter because what I saw of this game was digusting. Please fix this mess at your university.
Sincerely,
Tom Ryan
former NCAA athlete, youth coach, and sports fan.
