Cubs fans aren’t the only ones let down

ROGER CARLSON

This past week has been the most depressing of the year, by far, and

it has nothing to do with the Cubs.

Rather, it was the last week of a four-week ordeal which realized

the end of a coaching career for a promising basketball coach at

Estancia High.

Chris Sorce resigned on Wednesday, that’s the bottom line. What a

shame.

But that’s not the story.

Rather, it is but the final chapter to what has been the worst

scenario of injustice that I have seen in many seasons.

It’s the story of a vendetta against a popular coach which began

with two parents and their petty complaints, and it “snowballed” into

a set of circumstances which provided the accusers their victory.

It’s a story full of “no comment” and “off the record,” so I’m

going to tell most of it as if it is a hypothetical set of

circumstances and let the reader be the judge.

Every coach I’ve contacted during these past three weeks has had

one thing in common, speaking under the cloak of anonymity for fear

of retaliation.

Every official has also had something in common, withholding

comment.

So, here’s the hypothetical:

A parent, unhappy that a coach would not divulge exactly how much

his assistants were being paid during a summer coaching session,

takes his story to the school’s administration or district, and a

second parent, whose beef is never unearthed, also contacts the

school’s administration or district.

The first, the coach understands. He told the parent, “I don’t

think it’s any of your business how much my assistants are paid.” The

second, the coach admits, he has no idea what was her problem.

There is a concern that two separate accounts for the summer

sessions, one for summer training, another for a summer league, is

“double-dipping,” and perhaps the coach and assistants (paid or

unpaid) are actually earning some money for the long hours they put

into the program.

Coaches at every district school and in many sports, have similar

situations.

One program, in particular, is called an “explorer” account and

the district decides that “account” had been discontinued three years

ago, although it cannot produce any paperwork to substantiate the

claim. It’s a program that has been going on for years before this

coach’s appearance.

And, if it has been discontinued, why would athletic directors

still be signing checks from that account to the coaches? Why are

many coaches in the district using the same type of account? Is it

discontinued only for this coach?

The investigation widens, and this is where it is no longer

“hypothetical.”

I called the district and asked an assistant superintendent,

perhaps an “investigator,” for comment, but Mike Murphy declined.

I asked the assistant superintendent of human resources, Lorri

McCune, for comment, and she declined, except to say, “I’m not

admitting there is an ‘investigation.’ ”

Although the superintendent’s underling, she appears to be judge,

jury and executioner. But she has no comment about it. She does say,

however, on a second call, “You don’t have a story.”

I went to the top, and the superintendent, Robert Barbot, said,

“We can’t comment on these things.”

So, I took my investigation to Estancia High, but the athletic

director, Tim Parsel, said, “I’ve been told not to comment.” And,

although after the fact, the principal, Tom Antal, replied, “Anything

that is a personnel matter, I wouldn’t discuss.” Nor would he comment

on the resignation. Not even for a coach who had rescued the school’s

program three years earlier.

OK, let’s go back to the hypothetical scenario.

The “explorer” problems may not stick, so what else can we dig up

to make this kangaroo court work?

Let’s see. How about the gym lights? Did the coach actually have

the temerity to turn on the lights without getting written permission

for summer league games?

How about various field trips, were written reports made out for

each trip? Did one to UC San Diego get missed? And, if so, does it

matter that no one in the district last summer made a similar report,

at all?

How about the grades for the summer athletes? Did each and every

one who got a grade complete the session? Or did the coach make a

mistake and give two students grades which they did not deserve? Hey,

these are “physical education” grades, which are pretty important in

the big picture. Right? If it were a game, it would be judged a

“technical foul.”

And, it’s possible some of the cash, a pittance, collected for the

“explorer” program was not funneled into the explorer account, which

would mean the athletic director would not be able to make out a

check for the same amount to be repaid to the coach.

Explanations in all cases are offered, apparently to no avail. A

simple reprimand is not enough for time spent. Let’s send a message.

And, when it’s over and you don’t like the sentence, guess what?

You have the right to appeal to another assistant superintendent. Uh

huh.

With the lady awaiting with her hammer, all that was left was a

resignation.

*

Coaches, in every direction within the Newport-Mesa District, have

given our coach a similar label.

They call him “the scapegoat,” and “railroaded.” And every one of

them has a similar concern: Will this happen to me? And it’s not just

basketball.

The ramifications of working under these conditions of

intimidation from the district leaves one to wonder what’s next? To

expand on triviality and find some more trivia, and treat it as a

reason for killing a coaching career is truly overkill.

Not to mention the lack of support from a coach’s own

administration.

Many coaches in the district are of the mind-set, right now, that

this coming year of coaching will be their last. I wouldn’t blame a

single one.

As for Chris Sorce, a round of applause for three years of

dedication to Estancia’s basketball program. You’ll be missed, and

remembered.

Hey! See you next Sunday!

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

His column appears on Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at

rogeranddorothea@msn.com.