Girls play game of strip volleyball

Philadelphia Daily News ^ | 7 November 2001 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

[Fintan]

FORT WORTH, Texas - Girl volleyball players at a Fort Worth middle school were asked by their coaches to play a game of "strip serve" volleyball, which school administrators criticized as inappropriate after some parents complained.

During the drill, held Sept. 21 at the Gene Pike Middle School gym, two girls took their shirts off and one girl may have taken off her shorts, district officials said.

Three female coaches supervised the 22 eighth-graders while they played the game, which required that team members take off shoes, socks, kneepads or hair accessories if a player missed a serve. After a few girls took it upon themselves to undress further, the drill was immediately stopped, administrators said.

The drill should have never been conducted, Northwest Independent School District Superintendent Keith Sockwell said on Monday.

"I thought it was the most stupid thing I ever heard. You just don't do things like that," he said.

An investigation began after several parents complained about the activity. Statements were taken from the players and the coaches, officials said.

The girls' written statements indicated that, for the most part, they were not upset about the game, Pike Principal Kyle Copp said. The coaches were "remorseful," he said.

The three coaches, whom the district declined to name, are still employed, Deputy Superintendent Ron Hibbs said. Some parents said that even though the coaches apologized to the players, they should have been punished.

"It's an appalling story," said the mother of a Pike volleyball player, who asked that her name not be used. "They got no reprimand for this that the kids could see. Nobody sees that there's consequences to bad choices."

Said another: "I think it was an error in judgment, and that's all it was - plain and simple."

[rintense]

I am sorry you feel that way. But those coaches made the wrong decision and the fact that their minds even *went* there makes me very suspect about their qualifications to coach at that level. As someone who coached girls, I would never, EVER even think of having young girls strip in practive. It just isn't an example that I'd want to set for them. It is tasteless, tactless, and these coaches should be fired.

[smith288]

from the story, it looks like the kids themselves took the liberty to make it a step further than it should have and the coaches stopped it...but a dumb idea none the less. Strip and 8th graders shouldnt be in the same sentence let alone middle school volleyball.

[Sir Gawain]

Just do like I do--only read titles.

[lepton]

The teachers very poorly conceived idea wasn't 'outrageous behavior.' The girls took the game too far, as 14 year olds are wont to do. The coaches screwed up, and now know not to introduce 'strip' ANYTHING in practice.

It is not a terrible crime to ask that they take off hair pieces and such. While being responsible for using good judgement, any parent should remember that it is not always possible to predict what bizarre or ridiculous interpretation of an instruction a child will come up with...even 13 year old ones.

[onedoug]

Muhammed would likely have enjoyed it. He was a pedaephile.

[lepton]

Just imagine what would have happened if the coaches were MEN! But, since it was women coaches, it was "...an error in judgment..."

Yes, even if it was entirely innocent, men would not be given the benefit of any doubt.

[Travis McGee]

I wonder how many of these coaches invite girls to their homes for "extra tutoring"?

[Alas]

which school administrators criticized as inappropriate after some parents complained. Some?

[NY.SS-Bar9]

The three coaches, whom the district declined to name, are still employed,

It it were my daughter, employment would be the least of their worries. Breathing may become a problem.

[Sabertooth]

"the fact that their minds even *went* there makes me very suspect about their qualifications to coach at that level."

Bingo.

I'm always telling my daughter that a girl only has one chance to lose her reputation. After what these teachers did, why should they have more than one chance to lose their jobs?

[Teacher317]

you ought to research some of the FReeper-teacher replies that are out there. Most of us whole-heartedly agree. Here's one example of my thoughts on the age-old "how to inmrove education" question.

Our kids aren't experiments that teachers should have the luxury of making mistakes on.

Guess what... they happen. Show me ONE occupational category of professionals who deal with the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of humans (I'll even throw in adults to help you out!) who have a 100% success rate. (I have psychologists in mind, here.) I realize our kids are precious, and we ought to do our best for them, and idiot teachers ought to be removed ASAP... but begging for perfection won't help a thing. Even home-school teacher/parents make mistakes, and they know their charges quite a bit better than I ever will!

However, the conclusion that the public inevitably draws from positions such as the one you're taking is that the priority of teachers... is teachers.

Yeah, well, the public opinion polls of Clinton were good for years, so that ought to tell you something about the quality of public opinion. =^) Also, I refuse to berate anyone for having self-preservation and self-promotion as parts of their behavioral make-up... those traits are a significant part what make capitalism and America great. The children are also a HUGE priority for teachers, and it is rather crass of you to imply otherwise.... and who ever heard of a rude Sabre-Tooth?!? =^)

[dead]

Bite your lip and go for the "error in judgement" line. It seems to work all the time. 8-)

[Alas]

Tha answer is simple:

Home School

And if that isn't possible,

Christian School

We need to keep good kids out of the hands of the public school system.

[Sir Gawain]

You have a daughter? Old timer!

[Cyber Liberty]

There is no acceptable level of contrition for the feminazi brigade (see above posts to me).

But thanks for thinking of me in this dark hour...

[Sabertooth]

"...any parent should remember that it is not always possible to predict what bizarre or ridiculous interpretation of an instruction a child will come up with...even 13 year old ones."

That's just the point... Any parent with an ounce of sense wouldn't alow even the suggestion of "strip-anything," but only up to a certain line. The game was suggestive from the get-go. You think between the three of them the teachers didn't know that?

These girls were being recruited.

[Travis McGee]

These covert lesbo coaches did not just "accidentally" come up with the "innocent" game of taking off socks and hairbands.

They aimed naive 13 year old girls toward a cliff, blindfolded, and said "walk forward".

They damn well knew where is would lead, that was their unspoken intention. They should be fired.

And all the girls at that school going back several years should be interviewed about any "extracurricular tutoring" at the hands of these witches.

[rogers21774]

school administrators criticized as inappropriate after some parents complained.

Does this mean school administrators would have considered this appropriate if parents had NOT complained?

[dead]

There is no acceptable level of contrition for the feminazi brigade

Oh sure there is! Tell them you’re pro-abortion and they’ll forget the whole incident.

[Sabertooth]

"We need to keep good kids out of the hands of the public school system."

We need to get all kids out of the government schools.