OT: Arkansas mother sues HS after son is cut from basketball team.

Submitted by 74polSKA on

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/arkansas-mother-sues-district-state-constitutional-violation-son-113537254.html

Please delete if too political.  While I disagree with how this school holds tryouts and then allows players to be replaced later, I can't believe extracurricular activies like basketball can be viewed as part of a "right to a full education".   I know the trend is toward limiting the emphasis on winning in sports, not keeping score, etc. but to view making a team as a "right" goes too far.  I'll fall back on my "Layest of all Laypersons" moniker, but please MGoLawyers, tell me this case has no legs.

lbpeley

May 10th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^

salvo of pussification from the "everyone wins" generation has been fired. Good luck, and may God help us all.

Huss

May 10th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^

The legalities and outcome of this case are irrevelant; if I remember anything about high school, it's that everyone who knows this kid now thinks he's a little bitch.  Congrats, mom. 

mGrowOld

May 10th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^

I know we're not allowed to do such things anymore being all civilized and whatnot but back in the day when i was in high school (late 70's) a mom of one of the players bitched out the coach cause her precious little boy wasnt getting NEARLY enough playing time to suit her.  Now the fact that he SUCKED mattered not to dear old mom....he was her offspring so by default he was wonderful.

Well after mom left our coach simply turned to us and asked us ever so nicely if we wouldnt mind too much helping her son see the error of mom's ways.  So after getting the living shit beaten out of him by us, stripped naked and stuffed into a locker we has able to convince mom that night to shut the fuck up.  

Last our coach heard of her.  The team took care of the problem.

M-Wolverine

May 10th, 2012 at 8:12 PM ^

Because back in the day people thought this was a good idea.

But I'm sure you felt manly as you beat up a guy you outnumbered by the dozens. Must have bred some real men back in the day. 

Of course back in my day fair fights were more manly than stripping boys, but we obviously grew up in different areas.

mGrowOld

May 10th, 2012 at 9:42 PM ^

Everyone needs to take a deep breath.  I was referencing something that happened over 35 years ago to demonstrate things were handled differently in the past.  The kid survived (believe it or not - his injuries weren't fatal) and afterwards he actually got some measure of respect from the team from shutting up his mom.  

I realize that I am probably the ONLY person on the board that was ever in a fight or acted improperly as a youth.   Sheesh.

M-Wolverine

May 10th, 2012 at 9:54 PM ^

You were taking glee in it.

And as at least I said...there's a fair fight.  And then there's cowardly piling on.

No one is thinks a couple of football players getting in a fight is the end of the world. Acting proud because you and a bunch of your buddies ganged up on a guy (because of what his MOM did) and humiliated him while he was outnumbered is where people differ.  If it happened to you, or your kid, you probably wouldn't be wishing for the good old days.

You can try and rewrite your previous post now, but  you're probably better off quiting while you're behind.

mGrowOld

May 10th, 2012 at 10:03 PM ^

Just curious.  How do you expect the schoolmates of this kid in Arkansas to react to this suit? Do you think he'll face some sort of recrimination by the players remaining on the team or witll they just laugh it off?  Do you think the other students (now that this story has gone national) will react with calm and measured reason or do you think they'll act like typical high school kids and make his life hell?

I'll bet on things being very tough for this kid from now on.  Not because it's right but because it's how kids normally act in high school.  Sorry if that offends you.

Ball Hawk

May 10th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^

The reason why people sue over stupid stuff is because the courts have made it possible to win unspeakable lawsuits. The first time someone wins a trillion dollar lawsuit for spilling HOT coffee in their own lap, makes everyone think of a dumber way to make money.

MaizeRage89

May 10th, 2012 at 10:38 PM ^

I too thought it was a bullshit lawsuit until I read the facts about how McDonalds was brewing their coffee 3 times the normal heat temperature so they could squeeze every ounce of coffee out of the bean and then the employee didn't change the settings back so the coffee was hotter than the sun... So McDonalds fucked up and needed to pay

TallyWolverine

May 10th, 2012 at 11:31 PM ^

Let this be the lawsuit heard round the country!!! Now hear this: Have you been cut from your high school football, baseball, or basketball team? Are you having trouble sleeping at night due to the emotional injuries sustained by the feeling of being rejected? Call 1-800-SOR LOSR and join the class action lawsuit filed by the law firm of .......

markusr2007

May 10th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^

With 2 minutes to play, winning or losing, our coach just threw us out there.    The worst part was getting subbed in with like 24 seconds to play while somebody's shooting freethrows.  The game in hand, it was like there were crickets in the stands.  "Here they come! Scrub player clean up duty!".   The applause was not for us but the star point guard who had 12 assists and 18 pts. It sucked because we never had much time to show our skills or make any meaningful plays.  Violent fouling was always an entertaining option.

Still, being on the H.S. basketball team was considered an earned privilege, not a right.  You had to have better than average skills to even qualify for the team.  

UMxWolverines

May 10th, 2012 at 5:59 PM ^

While the try-out process sounds like it's bullshit--and I've seen bullshit tryouts in high school first-hand--he has a right to participate, but that doesn't mean he is entitled to a spot on the team, nor is this a lawsuit-worthy situation.

I would be damn embarrassed if either of my parents did this.

Wendyk5

May 10th, 2012 at 7:23 PM ^

Having spent the last seven years watching my kids play soccer, football, hockey, basketball, softball, and baseball, I feel like I've seen just about every situation. My daughter plays softball (she's 9) and her team and coaches are so competition-averse, it's awful. The team is pretty bad (it's like watching the 12 stooges), and half the girls don't even want to be there, but instead of setting goals and working to improve, the coach downplays winning and says things like, "Let's just enjoy being together." Really? Then why play sports? Sports teach you how to lose - that's an important lesson to learn in life. There's nothing shameful about losing. There's more shame in not trying than there is in losing. Some parents are so afraid of their children feeling pain and rejection and self-doubt, they choose to avoid them altogether by taking the competition out of the equation. What a huge mistake! And the way these parents deal with "injuries" is pathetic. Maybe it's because they're girls (which makes it even worse in my book), but if someone falls down, she immediately starts screaming and the parent runs out and carries her off the field. Teaching them to walk it off (when it clearly isn't a serious injury) helps them to become more resilient.