With the question of criminal responsibility now settled - one of the remaining questions left on the table would be

> "Should he and will he be allowed to return to coaching?"

{Assuming he even wants to}

 

Now - before all of you 'quick deciders" immediately reply - "absolutley - he was found not guilty" - I think you may be overlooking something.

 

What School or School District would be willing to "take a gamble \ take a chance?" I am not suggesting it would be right or fair - but the fact remains that "his price to pay" resulting from the death of this young man - "under his watch" - may very well be that he would no longer be 'employable" as a coach.

 

"Fair ain't got nothing to do with it." Just something to 'chew on.'

I'm relieved for Coach Stinson. No sense in two people dying from the same tragedy.

 

And I especially am happy for him in light of how poorly the Courier-Journal managed the story.

With the question of criminal responsibility now settled - one of the remaining questions left on the table would be

> "Should he and will he be allowed to return to coaching?"

{Assuming he even wants to}

 

Now - before all of you 'quick deciders" immediately reply - "absolutley - he was found not guilty" - I think you may be overlooking something.

 

What School or School District would be willing to "take a gamble \ take a chance?" I am not suggesting it would be right or fair - but the fact remains that "his price to pay" resulting from the death of this young man - "under his watch" - may very well be that he would no longer be 'employable" as a coach.

 

"Fair ain't got nothing to do with it." Just something to 'chew on.'

 

Should he? Yes. Will he? Not a chance, and for all the reasons you mention.

The only good news hat could possibly come from this story. Glad this man does not have to pay for this more than he already will the rest of his life.

 

I totally agree. I feel for the family, the loss of a son isn't something any parent should have to deal with but I also think the coach will live with this for the rest of his life, and his life will probably never be the same.

I am very happy for the coach, no matter what he will always pay in his heart knowing he had an athlete pass under his watch. It is a terrible thing when tragedy strikes a program, on and off the field!!

This should never have gone to criminal court, and it was an absolute waste of the states money to do so. The people who claimed it as a witch hunt were dead on, and I found the comments by the mother saying "someone needed to be held accountable" and "we're just glad it got to a jury" very sad. Sometimes there isn't always someone to blame; sometimes there are accidents. This belonged in civil court the entire time, and I'm sure it will end up there, only because i don't know if this family has the ability to let it go. I feel horrible for their loss, and no one should have to bury their child, but another persons life should not have to be ruined as well. He did not cause nor intend for their son to die.

 

As for if he should coach again, or will he? If I were him I wouldn't after what he's gone through. In fact, with the way this all went down, every coach in Kentucky should have been scared about that verdict. Anything can happen any day at practice or a game and if you're one of the unlucky coaches who loses one of your players, not only do you suffer the emotional trauma to you personally and to your team, but apparently now it's potentially criminal (assuming all coaches ARE well intentioned and not out to cause harm to their players). That's a scary thought for all coaches out there.

This should never have gone to criminal court, and it was an absolute waste of the states money to do so. The people who claimed it as a witch hunt were dead on, and I found the comments by the mother saying "someone needed to be held accountable" and "we're just glad it got to a jury" very sad. Sometimes there isn't always someone to blame; sometimes there are accidents. This belonged in civil court the entire time, and I'm sure it will end up there, only because i don't know if this family has the ability to let it go. I feel horrible for their loss, and no one should have to bury their child, but another persons life should not have to be ruined as well. He did not cause nor intend for their son to die.

 

As for if he should coach again, or will he? If I were him I wouldn't after what he's gone through. In fact, with the way this all went down, every coach in Kentucky should have been scared about that verdict. Anything can happen any day at practice or a game and if you're one of the unlucky coaches who loses one of your players, not only do you suffer the emotional trauma to you personally and to your team, but apparently now it's potentially criminal (assuming all coaches ARE well intentioned and not out to cause harm to their players). That's a scary thought for all coaches out there.

 

Very important point here, and one of the things that concerned me the most about this whole story.

Although it is tragic that he died it is an unfortunate reality that this happens. I heard that three other teemagers died THIS WEEK in football related deaths.

 

How many kids die in car accidents on their way to sports practices?

 

Unfortunately, bad things happen in this world and blame cannot be placed for every unfortunate event!

 

If you want to keep every kid safe then no sports, home school everybody so they don't have to get into a car or have a chance to catch a flu bug, and, oh yeah, don't eat or drink anything that you don't grow in your backyard because it could be contaminated.

 

As long as you try to live life, unfortunate outcomes will continue to occur!

I worry about how Coach Stinson will recover from this. I realize that no matter where he goes and attempts to coach this will follow him. It will affect every decision he makes regarding conditioning, endurance and punishment for his entire coaching career. I am afraid it could ruin his entire coaching career. Look at Coach Yeagle. After the incident at Beechwood several years ago, he never recovered. It has consumed him and shortened a brilliant coaching career and destroyed his family. I pray that this accident can somehow turn into a positive for everyone involved.

I sure hate the tragedy in that young mans family. but I didn't see that the caoch was guilty I sure am glad for the outcome for Coach Stinson. Both parties are hurt for life. Glod bless both families.

I'm very happy for Coach Stinson, and I'm still very sad for the parents who still have lost their son. Part of the grieving process is anger, and part of me thinks that the prosecutor aided them in pursuing the anger stage. I'm not a fan of the prosecutor in this instance.

 

But, too many things were askew, in my mind, to find him guilty. The prosecution, IMO, deamonized Coach Stinson, and that's what their case was built upon, not facts. There was never an autopsy done, which is just mind boggling in my opinion. A seeminly healthy 15 year old dies, and no autopsy? I understand from the ME's point of view that he considered it an accident, and that's why he didn't order one. But I can't fathom the parents not insisting on one. I suppose it could be they just didn't think of it in the initial shock. But I'm just stuck on that question.

 

I believe that all coaches nationwide, and the very culture of football, was indictited along with Coach Stinson. And on the news last night, Max's mother stated that her intention with this suit was to bring about change, to not let Max's death be in vain [sic]. I can certainly understand her desire, but a criminal suit? That was just...well....not right, IMO.

 

Sup. Berman stated last night that JCPS will be working with Coach Stinson to help him find employment within the JCPS system. I understand he's been doing work that doesn't involve kids through this. I hope that if he decides to return to teaching, that there's a school out there for him. I don't know him, but if it were me, I don't think I'd return to coaching. Not because I did anything wrong, but because in my mind, I'd have the fear that someone else would accuse me of doing something wrong, and that's all it takes in the public's eye these days.

 

Even though he was found not guilty by the jury of criminal charges, even if there's never a civil suit, there are plenty of people in the area who are angry, and feel that the verdict is wrong. Coach Stinson, despite being cleared, faces a very long and tough road in his future. As much as I feel the pain of Max's family, I feel Coach's pain as well.

 

One thing I hope kids get out of this is that creatine is dangerous. I talked to my son about this and he was stunned that this 15 year old was taking creatine. He said that the amount of water you have to drink to offset the dehydrating effects of it are about 3x normal. I'm not sure that any kid who is taking creatine, going to school, participating in sports even has the time to get that much water into them, especially playing a sport like football.

 

That's just my 2cents. This has been a heartwrenching case to see play out. I'm glad it's over, and I hope that all parties can move forward and begin healing and growing.

I think the verdict was proper from what I know of the testimony.

 

I think that the trial, while painful to many, will spawn some good results if nothing else from the publicity surrounding the trial. Such as:

 

1. Coaches will hopefully be even more careful about how they condition their kids. If I recall properly, the heat index was 94, one below a condition that would have required different rules for practicing if my understanding is correct. When the heat index is that close to different rules being in effect, it's not the time to have the kids running extremely hard.

 

2. Parents will hopefully be even more careful about letting their kids practice when on medication and when sick.

 

3. Physicians will hopefully be more careful about the physicals they perform on players and will make a point to learn all medicines the players are on and will take those medications into effect before they clear players to participate in athletics.

Although I agree with many of the comments posted on here that what happened here was probably more of a tragic accident rather than anything approaching criminal, the trial gave a snapshot into into the ugly side of a high school coach.

 

Any coach that is stupid enough to utter the phrase, "we are going to run until someone quits", really has no business working with young people in any capacity.

As everyone on here knows - and is involved with Football in any capacity - It has it's very own culture, practices, mystique and nomenclature. Maybe one of the reasons's that the parents attending that practice were not particularly concerned - while the "soccer folks" one field away were.

 

WE can debate all day about whether criminal prosecution was warranted or not - but that ship has sailed. The elected Prosecutor decided to so pursue -and he is answerable to the electorate. By the Trial Judge denying a Motion for a Directed VErdict at the end of the Commonwealth's case - she opined and ruled there "was sufficient question of fact to submit the case to the jury - and legally the Commonwealth had met its burden of proof in terms of meeting the elements of the offense(s)."

 

So emotions aside - it is not totally clear cut to state the prosecution "was totally unwarranted and a witch hunt." Don't get me wrong - I am in no way defending the prosecution. I am simply stating that one thing about the law is that there is no "black and white" - only shades of gray.

 

There were no winners as many have said. One family lost a son. The Coach probably lost his profession and his life will never be the same. So sad all the way around.

Although I agree with many of the comments posted on here that what happened here was probably more of a tragic accident rather than anything approaching criminal, the trial gave a snapshot into into the ugly side of a high school coach.

 

Any coach that is stupid enough to utter the phrase, "we are going to run until someone quits", really has no business working with young people in any capacity.

 

I'm not sure that emotional comments made during a practice are a crime, or even keep a coach from being a good coach... If this were true, we'd have very few coaches... coaches are human, and sometimes utter unfortunate comments.

 

This had no business going to a court. I watched the proceedings closely, listened to the testimony on TV, in the paper, and on the web, and with every testimony realized that this was nothing more than a glorious witch-hunt. It amazes me that the prosecution - which, as I understand the court system, had access to the same evidence - made the decision to move forward. But SOMEBODY must be responsible and pay!!! (it seems our culture thinks this) Unfortunately, Coach Stinson will now have to endure the pain of a civil trial, where the burden of proof is much less stringent.

 

I thought the trial was over when one of the PROSECUTION'S witnesses - the fitness trainer expert - acknowledged under cross-examination that 1) Stinson could not have been expected to know what to do to "100% guarantee" Max' survival, 2) the fact he even stated that he could "100% guarantee" anything was itself an extremely arrogant, and laughable, comment. Nothing is ever 100% when you are talking about medical issues, and 3) the fact that he thought the assistant coaches who treated Max did the RIGHT THING. I thought he exonerated the coach right there; if not, the parade of medical experts who testified on Stinson's behalf, and Max' step-mother did the rest.

 

Maybe Max' mother - who seems to be driving the civil suit - will realize that if there was no criminal act, then perhaps the civil suit is not justified and just a further wound to all involved. We can only hope.

 

It's been a very painful thing to watch, as my family has ties to both the Gilpins and the Stinsons. Jeff Gilpin was my best friend as a kid, and my wife - until very recently - worked with Coach Stinson's wife.

 

My prayers go out to both the Gilpin family and the Stinson family. Both families will forever struggle with this story...there simply is no "winner". I simply can't imagine what it would be like to lose my 15 year old (he plays baseball and runs cross-country).