Huntington Herald

Background checks, team captain policies considered

Written by Kate Czaplinski, Herald Editor
Friday, 03 February 2012 01:00

The Board of Education's Athletics Committee are discussing a number of policy adjustments, including background checks on volunteer coaches and requiring that athletes meet certain academic standards to be eligible for team captain.

An update from the Athletics Committee was given at last week's Board of Education meeting by member, Timothy Walsh, who serves on the committee.

The committee is looking to draft a policy requiring background checks on coaches who volunteer their time.

"In light of the national news we have a responsibility and need to look at that in more detail," Walsh said. "It's unfortunate because volunteers do a lot but the things happening nationwide are pretty scary."

The committee is looking at setting eligibility standards for varsity team captains. For example, an athlete may not be eligible for captain if they are on academic probation.

The committee is asking coaches for input and how each chooses captains now.

The goal of setting standards is so captains chosen can be role models on and off the field, according to Walsh.

"We're not trying to control the selection," Superintendent Freeman Burr said. "But rather who is eligible to be captain."

Based on a recent request to retire the wrestling uniform of recent Shelton High graduate, Pat Gillen, the committee is also looking at drafting a policy to handle such requests.

"The last time we retired a jersey it was for Dan Orlovsky and he was 9 years out of school," Walsh said.

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