The decision not to re-hire came after a full-scale investigation by the Gilroy Unified School District's attorney and a report by a former coach who is now a counselor at San Benito High School.

The whole scenario is bizarre, and what it represents is a telltale example of everything that's wrong with high school athletics.

The overzealous parents apparently have a skewed view of their daughter's athletic potential to the point that forcing the coach out became the overriding goal.

The coach in some way failed to communicate a sense of a level playing field and lacked the ability to handle situations with flexibility and judgment when called for.

And the school district overreacted terribly.

Spending this kind of taxpayer cash to determine whether a coach wronged a player who couldn't make practice because she had a conflict with Catholic confirmation classes, is ludicrous.

This should have been handled by a principal and athletic director. After the complaint, step in, talk to those involved, document the responses and make a determination.

Surely, a coach has the right to make rules about when practice is held. Just as surely, a player has the right to miss practice for a confirmation class. If missing practice comes with a penalty - sitting the bench for a quarter or a half - then so be it. Take the medicine. What's the coach supposed to do, resolve every conflict with the practice schedule by acquiescing to each player's individual wants?

That not only flies in the face of practicality, it spits on the notion that "there's no I in team."

Perhaps the GUSD Trustees should direct Superintendent Debbie Flores to make sure that all GHS coaches require players and parents to sign a standard contract that outlines the expectations and the rules related to playing a sport.

In some formal setting, all parents should be required to attend a pre-season meeting where they are reminded how to bring up issues and how those issues will be resolved. Parents should be told in no uncertain terms that bullying a coach will not be tolerated. They should, like their children, be required to sign off on the rules before a student is allowed to play.

Rule one, clearly, should be the emphasis on players talking directly with coaches. After all, we're teaching these young people to become adults and that's the first - and usually only necessary step - to resolving a conflict.

At the district level, the sensitivity level should be lowered. If a situation isn't resolved in favor of a player and the principal and AD have looked into it thoroughly, let the parents sue on their dime. That's a whole lot better than spending valuable resources on full-blown investigations.

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