Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

How do we rid lacrosse program of ugliness?

I was angered by the lack of editorial responsibility exercised in your article regarding Coach Schoffstall [Village News, October 11]. It tarnished the reputation of a teacher/coach without thought to the

impact upon the Schoffstall family. Journalists have a responsibility to

provide accurate and fair reporting. The author of this story made

slanderous statements and made allegations not based on fact. The lacrosse program is in a crisis. Fault should be shared among parents

and school officials. How do we rid the program of its current ugliness? The first step is to determine if the parental complaints are valid. If so, has the school investigated the allegations? If an investigation has been completed, school officials have a responsibility to inform parents of the validity of the allegations upon

completion of the investigation. If no wrongdoing has been found,

school officials should put an end to the parental bickering by solidly

supporting Coach Schoffstall. School officials must address the goals of the lacrosse program. Some of the complaining parents feel that

Coach Schoffstall is unqualified to coach because their children will

never have a chance to compete for scholarships under his tutelage.

Is the goal of the program centered on gaining college scholarships or does it exist to teach our children about good sportsmanship, good

citizenship, building and encouraging physical fitness and experiencing the game?

If the goal is to gain scholarships, bring in a high-profile coach, fund

the program at a level that supports this goal, provide the best equipment and increase the travel budget to provide our athletes the opportunity to compete against the best programs.

Will the priorities for academic achievement of our student athletes

be reprioritized if success is measured by the number of scholarships

awarded as well? I believe good reporting will show that not all of the parents who are engaged in this vicious attack to have Coach Schoffstall removed even have children in the lacrosse program.

School officials owe Coach Schoffstall and the community answers so that we can begin to repair the damage that has been inflicted on the program by a few selfish people.

Gregory Huet

 

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