2010 Florida High Schoool Season

[sydsav]

After thinking it was a joke, I finally did get to see the confirmation online in our paper. So sorry for the Winter Springs team. For what it's worth - the article I read quoted the Garden's girls as feeling bad for them being DQ'd on such a technicality and would have rather settled things on the field. They also wanted the chance to avenge their loss to them at Kissimmee. What a shame....
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S Jones
Wellington Wild
14U -#00
10U -#00
www.wellingtonwild.net

[fastpitch_dad]

Well....those things were annoying me too *LOL* As far as the kids in the trucks outside the outfield fence ....they weren't honking during play, don't really see a problem with that.
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Rich Foxwell
Former Coach, Umpire
Jacksonville

[CoachPat]

Robert,

I'm so sorry that this happened to your daughter's team, they were most certainly a force to be reckoned with this year!


Coach Pat
Tampa Bay RedHawks 16U
Sickles HS
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COACH PAT A.
16U Tampa Bay RedHawks

[FPSBDad]

Wow, that is shocking!
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Brad K.
Sting 16U-Red Dad

[Coach_Kerr]

We've played in hostile environments before we don't go crying to the AD about it. We kind of welcome it. It pumps us up really. It prepares us for the next level. We try not to let outside influences bother us. They came to us asked us to put them away and we did. And the AD said I'll go tell them not to blow those truck airhorns, I'm not sure what he said to them but the air horns never went away. The meeting was emotional for our players and families, the rule in black and white was explained to the girls and they took it in like mature women and understood, our program excepts our mistake we will move on. I am proud of our girls. Deep down they are good good young ladies. This was an unintentional mistake on our part period. all i can say is win with class, lose with class.
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Coach Robert K.

[JJ]

This is a classic case of the punishment not fitting the rule violation. When a rule like this is violated the penalty should be imposed on the coach (ie: a one game suspension?), not the players who would be unaware of the rule.
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John J. Baxter TSUNAMI Gold
NFGS UIC

[Coach_Kerr]

Dane Gilbert
Principal Fletcher High School
700 Seagate Avenue
Neptune Beach, FL 32266
GilbertD@duvalschools.org <GilbertD@duvalschools.org>
904-247-5905 I'm asking for your help and support on this matter. Please call this administrator and respectfully let him or her know this is not the way to handle this matter, it sends a bad message and it is a reflection of the entire school and community. I also need your help and prayers for the FHSAA to re-think about the punishment over this weekend and possibly reverse thier decission. Punish the staff not the players, it is our fault not theirs, I would be willing to accept anything to just allow them to finish the season on the field as they so deserve and earned rightfully. If i have to watch the game from the stands, parking lot, or ultimately resign as coach, I will do so if needed. this is about our children or it could be yours. This technicality affects all sports not just softball, so if your son or daughter plays a High School sport, it could jeopardize them as well. Not only did they DQ us they threw everything they could at us. Four figure fine and Probation on the entire athletics Dept. not just softball. Please contact FHSAA.org/gov/staff/ please and respectfully ask them to re-think this matter, remember this could be your son or daughter that needs your support, we have less than a week to play. Palm Beach Gardens wants to play,they do not want to end thier season like this either.
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Coach Robert K.

[coachjim]

First of all I will say that I am disgusted by the decision of the FHSAA to disqualify Winter Springs from the State Championship semi finals. To do this to a team, when the infraction had no bearing on the game, is short sighted and arbitrary. The girls on this powerhouse team do not deserve this!
The game was hard fought by both teams and deservedly won by the Bears.
However, I do take issue with the people on this site that accuse the girls on the Fletcher team of being sore losers and throwing the entire program under the bus. The Fletcher girls went through the line at the end of the game with their heads up and congratulating the Bears players and coaches. On the way out to the parking lot, all I heard was Fletcher girls and supporters wishing the Bears good luck at States.
I aggree with JJ. Since the infraction had no bearing on the outcome of the game it is revolting to think the Bears players would be punished based on the ignorance/disregard of the rules by the Head Coach. A warning to or suspension of the coach would be infinitly more just.

STILL A FLETCHER SUPPORTER,
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Jim Paris
St Johns Prime

"Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect." - Joe Paterno

[WendiRox]

My name is Wendi Ward and I am both a Winter Springs High School Softball parent and Assistant Varsity Coach. By posting this, I will most lose my job because we have been told specifically to take our punishment without recourse by our administration, but I feel it necessary to let the entire softball community know where our Winter Springs players stand.

First, please let it be known that we the parents and players of the Winter Springs Softball team in NO WAY are directing our disappointment or blame at the PLAYERS of Fletcher High School. Fletcher gave us a good & fair game and their players did walk through the line with their heads held high at the end of the game. PLAYERS did not cause this problem. As with our players, they are only children who love the game of softball and work hard at perfecting their game every practice and game.

I was personally told by the Principal of Fletcher Highon the phone this morning that this complaint originated prior to his involvement with a male assistant coach (he did not specify the sport or give the name) and a "Travel Ball Coach" was specifically mentioned.

Why? What was gained? Was the outcome any different because this girl was "matchy-matchy" with the rest of the team? Our players want to play and we thank the players of Fletcher High for a well fought Regional Final. They are a very good team and we respect the players very much. We hope they all go forward with their softball careers in a positive manner and we wish them the best of luck.

It seems to be more apparent as the day goes on that nothing can be done to help our girls with the FHSAA. In the meantime, I CHALLENGE THE COWARD WHO INITIATED THIS HEINOUS AND MALICIOUS MOVE TO REVEAL THEMSELVES. In your effort to help your team advance, you have done nothing but hurt your own players and ultimately our players. How can you sleep at night? Our girls should have the opportunity to confront you and demand an answer to "WHY?"

I love my daughter and all of the Winter Springs Softball team players and will not stop until they are afforded the opportunity to seek an answer from the ADULT who has indirectly broken their hearts and the dream of a State Championship. You wouldn't let some Adult stranger just walk up to your kid, slap them in the face and then run and hide around the corner without wanting to confront them - That is essentially what happened here - and neither will I.
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Wendi Ward
Parent of a Winter Springs High School Softball Player

[FPSBDad]

Although I agree with all that is being written that the suspended player had no effect on the game, it still does not change the fact that a rule was violated.
Here are three statutes from the FHSAA rulebook:
9.1.2.1 Ineligible Student. An ineligible student shall not be allowed on the players' bench, in the team box or on the field of play wearing any portion of a team uniform.

10.2.1 General Principle. If an ineligible student is inadvertently or intentionally permitted to participate in an interscholastic athletic contest, forfeiture of the game and honors shall be automatic and mandatory.

5.1 Athletic Participation Defined. A student in athletic uniform during an athletic contest is defined as having participated. Any member school which allows a student to participate in interscholastic athletic competition (dress in any part of the full uniform worn for that contest with the exception of a cap) in violation of the regulations of this Association will be held guilty of using an ineligible student and subject to the penalties assessed.


It is interesting that someone turned this in to FHSAA, probably in the hope that Fletcher would be awarded the win and move on. Obviously the only one benefiting from this is the Palm Beach Garden program by not having to play a semi-final game. But in the end a rule was broken.

Let me change things up a bit from a different perspective. In the Timber Creek v. Winter Springs game there is video evidence that the home umpire blew the call at the plate and the TC girl was clearly safe. This was in regulation and TC would have won the game. There is no rule in place for the umpire to look at the video and change the call or for FHSAA to look at the video and later reverse the outcome of the game. Why, because there isn't a provision for it in the rule book. Should the Winter Springs coach have looked at it and said to the TC coach that his girls deserve to move on due to the blown call and tell FHSAA to give the win to TC...Well of course not there is nothing that allows for that.

Well, this situation is the same in the fact that even though the Coach Kerr is willing to be suspened or punished in some other way so the girls can still play, there is no provision for it. The rule states for the violations that occurred, the penalty is to vacate the win.

Rules or lack of rules do effect the outcome of games even if it is off the field. Stinks that the coaches were unaware of this violation, but it is just one of those dissapointments in life everyone will face at one time or another.

Also, WendiRox, I understand your immense dissapointment, but even though you are calling out the "coward" who turned you in, he/she didn't do anything more than make sure the rules of the game are being adhered to. If the WS coach had realized next week the rule had been violated, would he have reported it to the FHSAA? I would hope so, but who knows. Bottom line in all this, as much as it is a terrible letdown for the girls, FHSAA had no choice in doing what they did.

I hope you all understand my post is not for or against anyones comments, I am just stating what I feel to be fact.
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Brad K.
Sting 16U-Red Dad

[flabuckeye1]

No dog in the fight here either...but I would also put a large amount of the blame on the WS AD. I would bet that most coaches do not know or understand all of the HS Assoc rules and interpretations. Eligibility rules and infractions are the responsibility of the TD. It is the job of the AD to know and advise. When the suspension came down, and the AD was informed, she/he had the responsibility to make sure the coach knew the restrictions and the ramifications if not followed.

There really is nothing that can be done as far as the FHSAA is concerned. It is what it is.
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Mark
Stingrays
www.leaguelineup.com/cfstingrays

[Coach_Kerr]

First of all i would like to apoligize to those i might have offended with game summeries on this page, with what has transpired over the week with our team has been overwhelming to say. People get mad and tend to say and do things out context or spite because what is written on any internet page. I've told my friends that the internet smack talk was going to ruein the game. The reporting and promoting of High School Softball will not be done by me anymore. I do not want to jeopardize myself, my daughter, and her team, and last, our team. For our mistake and over- sight the knowledge of the rules and regulation, we ask our girls and everyone affected for our forgiveness. We will do our best to get our Softball program headed in the right direction so that you can be proud to say "that was a good game" win or lose. As adults i only ask that you respect our girls and girls of other programs, some do get on the internet and read what is written. We as adults neen to try and set good examples for them. We cannot play the game for them! Let them battle between the lines and lets leave it there on the field after the game for them and not carry it on to the internet pages. And last to SPIGGY 441 I know you read this because you told me so, I know who you are, IP address confirms it, when I see you I will still shake your hand with respect, and watch out for the knife in the other hand. To all don't forget to hug your son's and daughters and tell them you love them no matter what happens. Peace out,see you on the ball fields.Coach Kerr
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Coach Robert K.

[Zoe]

[Coach_Kerr]

When I saw this being circulated, I texted and warned the girls not to take part in making any harrassing phone calls because it is illegal. I cannot control what people write on the internet. I do feel bad for this parent and his dughter. I just hope that Fhsaa changes the out dated rule. If our daughter is on an out of town trip with her team, I would personally want her supervised under the coaches supervision if we the parents cannot make the trip with. I certainly would not want her sitting or roaming outside the dugout alone. Hopefully you can understand that.
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Coach Robert K.

[hornetfan8]

Congrats to the Lafayette Lady Hornets. 2A State runner-up. They played hard and with a lot of class.
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Philip L.
Lafayette Hornets (high school)
Fanatix Fastpitch (Travel)