Pubdate: Sun, 25 Mar 2007
Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX)
Copyright: 2007 The Brownsville Herald
Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sections/contact/
Website: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402
Author: Jose Borjon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

COACH, COP, CHAPERONE: DUTIES DON'T END AT THE BUZZER

A coach's responsibilities don't begin and end on the
sidelines.

They extend to overseeing the athletes in their charge on campus and
while traveling to and from games, with serious consequences when
things go wrong on their watch.

In December of last year Hanna High School's head football coach Tony
Padilla was reassigned to a junior high school classroom after the
district and city police investigated an incident involving athletes
and illegal drugs.

Brownsville Independent School District officials will not comment on
the reassignment, except to say that it is a "personnel matter."
Padilla could not be reached for this article.

But a series of memos shows that Athletic Director Joe Rodriguez
recommended Padilla's suspension because of a "breach of policy," in
reference to reports that one of Padilla's football players used
cocaine on a school bus ride to San Benito.

Though police found that neither Padilla nor his staff committed any
crime in relation to the incident, the coach was taken off the team.
It's not clear if any students involved were disciplined.

There are safeguards in place.

Before BISD students go on any school-related field trip, the
student's parents or legal guardian must sign a waiver, releasing the
district from liability.

There's no such waiver for coaches who act as chaperones, counselors
and cops on the bus.

"Pretty much the coach that is on board is responsible for them," said
Valentine Montemayor, head football coach and athletic coordinator at
Lopez High School where a "zero-tolerance" policy is in place for
alcohol and drug use.

"That is a discipline referral," Montemayor explains. "If you violate
the rules of our school district, it's handled just like it would be
in the classroom. There is no special treatment because they are athletes."

Montemayor said that during his nine-year run at Lopez, his athletes
have not been accused of possessing alcohol or drugs while on school
trips, including games.

"To this day, I haven't had a situation with one of my athletes being
in possession of drugs," he said.

"We talk to them everyday about it (drugs)," he said of his 33-person
support staff. "Sometimes you have to be a counselor to them."

On game days, Montemayor places one coach on each end of the bus. "We
put one in the front, and one in the rear. Occasionally things happen
in the rear of the bus."

In his 11 years of coaching high school football, Scott Ford has
learned at least this: times have changed.

"I think there is more alcohol, more drugs, more sexual activity," the
Los Fresnos head coach said. "Kids do things now that they wouldn't
have done 10-15 years ago."

Alcohol, drugs and sexual activity are more common now than when Ford
was an athlete, he said.

"It's a tough day and age to coach. A lot of temptations out there
that were not out there when I played high school and college football."

Ford was a coach at a 4-A school in Cleburne, Texas, where athletes
were subject to random drug testing by school officials. It was, "One
of the first schools, if not the first school to implement drug
testing," he said.

BISD does not test student athletes for drug use but advocates a
"zero-tolerance" policy.

Ford explained that he usually rides the bus with his senior athletes,
and that two other coaches ride the bus with the underclassman. The
bottom line, though, is: "We really do have to trust them, that they
are not going to do those things (illegal drugs).

Some years ago, while coaching in North Texas, a group of varsity
football players went to a junior varsity game under the influences of
alcohol, he explained.

"They had done it Thursday, I was told about it on Friday, so I
investigated Saturday morning," Ford said. "By Monday morning we had
everything in place. I touched base with the principal before I even
talked with the kids, to let him know what was going on."

Ford suspended the students from playing for two games.

Athlete's bad behavior can have serious career consequences for their
coaches.

In 2005, former Donna head football coach Dave Evans, who was also
head coach at Hanna from 1995-1996, was fired by the Donna school
board after a hazing incident was reported to school officials
involving several Donna football players.

The students involved faced criminal charges.

With more than 275 coaches supervising thousands of student athletes
in Brownsville, Rodriguez admits it's hard to keep track of everything
that happens on school-sponsored games or trips.

He believes athletes should be trusted by their respective coaches and
doesn't see a need for additional security measures.

BISD Police Chief Oscar Garcia said officers search all students' bags
when they are participating in extracurricular actives or BISD
sponsored events and field trips. The school district's K-9 unit
search athletes' equipment and personal bags before loading it on buses.

"I believe there is a sincere effort by all persons involved," Garcia
said. " I believe that we do, for the most part, an excellent job
(when supervising students) at an extra curricular activity."

Typically, at least two coaches ride on the bus with athletes that
participate at the junior varsity level, Rodriguez said. Between six
and seven coaches' ride with athletes that participate at the varsity
level.

For games played within the 32-5A district, including BISD, it's up to
the schools' discretion to request a bag search from BISD police, "If
the school wants to call for a search, they call the search,"
Rodriguez said.

Asked if these searches should be mandatory, in light of the events
involving Hanna students, Rodriguez said, "Why should they?"

"Our athletes should be accountable to the things that they do," he
said. "They should know better." 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake