That's just it; they are my kids and my authority supersedes any coach or school official when it comes to what happens at my house or what my kid does away from school and sports.

 

I don't argue with parental authority, I just totally support the authority of a coach when it comes to representation of a program. Like I told Guru, 24x7 you represent or you can do whatever you want without that jersey on....if you choose to represent, there are certain rules and responsibilities that come with that.

 

For instance, some schools are now requiring participation in random drug testing if involved in extra curricular activities....I think that's a total invasion of my privacy and none of the school's business, but it's a requirement if I want to voluntarily participate....if I don't like it, I can sit in the basement, get high and Tweet all I want about anything with no penalties....

It is the coaching staff's right to set the standards that athletes must follow to be a part of the program. The ONLY slippery slope here would be if a text goes out and it goes unpunished. Then the rule is meaningless. Other than that, if it is standard across the program to avoid distraction, I'm for it. No free speech is being squashed. Kids can text whatever they like. They won't be going to prison, or fined. They just won't be part of the program.

If that is the course we want to take, all it will take is one star player that refuses to be silenced.

 

More to the point, no one should have to give up their right to free speech to play basketball for CovCath or any other school for that matter. It is high school basketball people, easy come, easy go...

 

So what do you do to the player that gets on Twitter and dogs the officials and the entire coaching staff? Just let it go?

Just because you have the freedom to say what you want doesn't mean you are free from the consequences of speaking.

 

Hmmm.....:popcorn:

But coaches and school officials only have the authority to tell a student/athlete what to do on school grounds and or a school event. What a kid does at home of their own free time can't and shouldn't be restricted by coaches or school administration.

I can say that I would have had a major problem if they tried sensoring my child's ability to their constitutional right of free speech.

 

But it already is...not restricted, but has consequences attached. It's part of T-E-A-M.

 

Schools sensor kids all the time, whether we like it or not..comes with the territory.

And sports are extracurricular and aren't guaranteed to everyone...that slope can work both ways!

 

At least that is supposed to be based on ability vs. control.

CovCath's coaching staff isn't the Government. You are reaching.

 

I already covered that, keep up.

I already covered that, keep up.

 

Yeah, but then you went back to it. Do you have "free speech" as a school athlete? Do you have "free speech" as an employee? You do not have a "right" to it. The only protection to "free speech" that you have is censorship of the press, or punishment from Federal and State governments. Even that is not a right to all types of speech. Free speech isn't at issue here b/c free speech doesn't exist here (as in this scenario.)

Just because you have the freedom to say what you want doesn't mean you are free from the consequences of speaking.

 

Then Covington Catholic should put it on paper and make it a contract with the players.

 

"Requesting the opportunity to play basketball for Covington Catholic High School requires you to give up your 1st Amendment Right to Free Speech on Twitter"

 

I am sure the contract would have to include Facebook, Online Forums, Instagram, Snapchat, and host of other media platforms.

Yeah, but then you went back to it. Do you have "free speech" as a school athlete? Do you have "free speech" as an employee? You do not have a "right" to it. The only protection to "free speech" that you have is censorship of the press, or punishment from Federal and State governments. Even that is not a right to all types of speech. Free speech isn't at issue here b/c free speech doesn't exist here (as in this scenario.)

 

Then CovCath should require all students to give up all forms of social media. Why limit it to the athletes?

I would imagine that the banter exchanged between players probably promotes something outside of the coach's discipline or philosophy which out of respect for the coach, the player should oblige.....

Unfortunately it is extending beyond social media as to the parameters that coaches & athletic directors are being asked to monitor student-athletes. A coach in my city was let go a few years back due to "lack of control of his team outside of his watch" They were getting into trouble out in the community & it was all shoveled back onto him to take care of the situation. Meanwhile the parents were not holding up their end of the bargain of actually being parents.

 

The last few years we had several instances of Facebook & Twitter posts that were walking a fine line between Freedom of Speech & outright harassment. We would receive the information, contact the parents & the student & take it from there. If we removed a student from a team, there was not once an argument from the parents (which surprised me honestly since they would argue over everything else)

 

All coaches had to put into their team rules that any member of the program had to abide by the rules that were set forth in the student code of conduct & the teams rules. Parents & the student had to sign the form @ the parent meeting.

It is the coaching staff's right to set the standards that athletes must follow to be a part of the program. The ONLY slippery slope here would be if a text goes out and it goes unpunished. Then the rule is meaningless. Other than that, if it is standard across the program to avoid distraction, I'm for it. No free speech is being squashed. Kids can text whatever they like. They won't be going to prison, or fined. They just won't be part of the program.

 

You mean Government Program.

 

Or are you saying it is okay for private schools to limit free speech (even though those private schools voluntarily participate in the KHSAA which is a government organization) because they are private schools but the rules would or should be different for public schools because they are 100% government schools?

Then CovCath should require all students to give up all forms of social media. Why limit it to the athletes?

 

B/c it isn't an order coming from the Administration, I believe. It is a team code of conduct thing.

So what do you do to the player that gets on Twitter and dogs the officials and the entire coaching staff? Just let it go?

 

What would be done if the player said it during the game or during practice?