This morning, I came across an article published on ESPN.com that was about a high school in New Jersey that recently fired their head football coach. Although the school denies this claim, players, parents, and the coach himself allege that he was fired due to the fact that his team was comprised mostly of African-American players.
This article struck me, as sports have for so long provided a space for minority voices to be heard and for their talents to be expressed, and this story is a huge set back. The coach claims that when he would bring a list of potential student-athletes he sought to bring to the school for his team, administrators would always ask whether the players were white.
The school claims that his contract’s termination was due to unprofessional dress and disrespecting the school’s president when questioned about his unprofessional dress. These reasons seem easily resolved and not ones that should result in a termination of a coach’s contract. He has filed a grievance against the school as a result of the actions taken against him. Players, parents, and students alike have spoken out against the school regarding the decision, and on Monday, 22 students walked out of class as a result of the decision.
http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/23375029/high-school-coach-says-was-fired-having-too-many-black-players
This article really stuck with me because I am a football player here at the college. Football is a team sport and no matter what your color is the best players should play. If what the coach is saying is true then the school should be ashamed for not allowing black athletes to be on the team. Everyone deserves to play the sport that they love and they should not be stopped just because the color of there skin. I hope that the officials look further into this issue and see if the school was actually discriminating against black athletes. It is also wrong that the coach was fired to just because he was black as well. I hope that officials look into this more and not just sweep it under the rug like normally happens in these cases. If this school is discriminating then they need to be held accountable for what they have done
I played High school sports and football at the college. It was always that whoever the best player was and whoever gave the team the best chance to win would always play. In this instance I find it unordinary that there is backlash from having to many minorities. In most cases it would be the other way around. I agree with your statement how sports have been the voice for minorities and a way to express themselves and their beliefs.