Volunteer in Trouble We need your help.
My son Carson’ football coach has been suspended from his volunteer position because he offered a running camp before our season began. My son is an honor student and great athlete. He signed up for Mission Viejo Cowboys Team because the Patriots did not have enough gentleman or enough volunteers to coach. He is outraged that our team and a good man are being punished for doing no wrong.
Our league is run by OCJAAF. Our coach been in place seven years, and had this same running camp somehow this year he was singled out as being in violation of a preseason rule.
The league states the rule is that no two boys from a team should be in any camp together. The rule is being applied in a arbitrarily crazy manner. My son plays several sports. Last year he enjoyed Junior Guards and there were more than four boys on his team last year who attended the cap- and that would have been a violation. If he went to any baseball camp (which he did in the past) it also would be a violation of the rule as many of the local boys who are in football happen to be active in other camps and sports.
With more than forty boys on a football team having a rule that never allows any two to attend an outside camp as some bad relationship is crazy.
Other teams in our OCJAAF league offer camps before season begins.
The intention of OCJAAF rule is to avoid having boys from a team injured under their name umbrella, to avoid having a team run football plays year round, and to create a level playing field. Many high school coaches offer camps for sports and training that is fee based out of season. Coaches do this to supplement their income and to keep the boys in shape. It would be Un-American to say a coach has no right to supplement his income. Our situation is different. Coach Kevin Pierce offered the running camp for free.
Our coach is a volunteer for middle school boys’ football he is also not paid for this huge job. The small group of boys who chose to join the running group was half from our football team and half from other sports.
Coach Kevin Pierce has been suspended for the year because of his kind and generous heart. What does this teach our young men?
The community meeting is Tuesday night. A crowd of hundreds are expected to attend in his support. Hopefully OCJAAF can see through the forest of politics and understand that is unfair to punish one man for doing something good.
It will be this Tuesday, August 3rd.
Location: City of Villa
Park Town Hall 17855 Santiago Blvd, Villa Park, CA 92861. Time: 8pm to 10pm
If you can not attend please send an email to : bobbarna@gmail.com the commisioner
