WTF

Paxton Middle School Basketball Coach Fired For Not Picking Whiny Parents’ Kids

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Today’s episode of Wussification of the Woo comes from the lovely town of Paxton. A few parents have reached out to us about this one. Here’s the story from one of the emails:

The Paxton middle school basketball coach conducted 2 days of tryouts and selected his team.  One kid missed the 2nd tryout due to a concussion.  The coach selects his team and it includes five 6th graders (including the kid who missed 1 day of tryouts.)  This is the same group of 6th graders who won the Summer basketball League in Holden this past summer.  Talented group of hardworking kids who deserved to make the team….well because they made the team the coach needed to cut some 7th and 8th graders who were on the team last year.   That obviously did not sit well with some parents who complained of “unfair” treatment of their kids and they “deserved” to be on the team over the 6th graders because they were in the team last year.  The school administrators step in and declare the coach needs to conduct ANOTHER tryout, but school administrators need to be present. Tryout is held and coach picks the same kids again.  Parents of kids cut complain again and administration fires the coach.  New coach is hired and requires two more days of tryouts.  Basically Little Johnny gets cut, but parents refuse to allow it and the administration is too soft to tell the parents to get lost.   

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Alright, first of all, all that stuff about winning the Holden summer league and the kid with concussion means nothing to me. There’s only one thing that matters in this story – the coach made a decision. Period. End of story. He’s hired by the school to coach, so he gets to pick the team. He did his job, not once, but twice, and was fired for it. None of the other details matter.

The coach’s names is Matt Ruppert. We reached out to him for a comment but to no avail. Not surprising, since administrators basically scare the shit out of teachers/coaches if they try to speak to the media. It’s cool though, because we have all the information we needed. The guy was fired because he didn’t pick kids that the administration at Paxton Middle School approved of. That’s all you need to know. He had a job. He picked what he thought was the best team.  Should’ve ended right there.

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But because these small town administrators are so gutless and petrified of the Paxton version of Tracy Novick with a Mommy blog, principals like Kathi McCollumn would rather just let them have what they want so they shut up and leave them alone. That’s the downside of living in the burbs – dealing with overbearing, insane, helicopter parents who think their kids are all going D1.

I gotta say, good for Coach Ruppert for what he did. That second tryout was OBVIOUSLY a sting. Administration was there not to observe or be fair, but as a reminder to the coach that he had one job to do – pick the team that got the parents to stop annoying the administration. It was a shakedown and a show of force. It’s like the player who wants to win the game, but Fat Tony and crew are sitting in the stands making sure he shaves points so that his team doesn’t cover the spread. You know what the consequences will be if you do the right thing.

But instead of picking the team they told him to, he picked the team he wanted. The SAME EXACT TEAM that got him into trouble in the first place. Such a power move on his part. I gotta tip my hat to him. He must’ve known he was gonna be in trouble if he picked all the sixth graders again. He knew the fix was in. But he did it anyway and went down with the ship. Sure, he could’ve collected the stipend and coached the kids he didn’t pick (who I assume hate their parents right now, because when you’re in middle school all you want your parents to do is shut up and NEVER be seen). But then he’d be completely selling out and he’d be in it for the wrong reasons. It’s like being a teacher and being told you have to pass a kid who is failing. What’s the point of even doing the job?

It just kind of sucks that the bad guys get to win again. Look, Turtleboy Jr. sucks at sports. We try to get him to play soccer but all he wants to do is eat oranges, talk to the girls, and tell all the other kids long, boring stories about what him and his cousin did at Grandma’s house. When it comes to athletics he brings me nothing but shame. And one day he will be in middle school and he will more than likely get cut from whatever team he tries out for. And I will support that coach because I recognize that Turtleboy Jr. doesn’t deserve to make the team. These parents in Paxton should do the same.

 

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76 Comment(s)
  • Same old story
    December 9, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    It seems to me that its the same few parents that complain every time and will stop at nothing to get what they feel is rightfully theirs. Doesn’t matter who they need to plow over doing so. It’s really a shame, this coach and especially his kids do not deserve the ridicul and embassament I’m sure they’ve had to endure all over a spot on a basketball team.

  • The Truth.
    December 9, 2015 at 9:52 am

    All Paxton Parents,……IT WAS A GROUP OF BOYS THAT DIDN’T GET SELECTED, NOT JUST ONE!

    • Anonymous
      December 9, 2015 at 1:11 pm

      Does it matter how many? One complaining loud enough can cause a fiasco.

  • Impartial Wins!!
    December 8, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    Dear Turtle Boy,

    I was very sorry to read your latest blog regarding the Paxton Center School Basketball fiasco. I am a Paxton resident and have children that have been through the PCS school system and although not perfect, Kathi McCollum is one of the most level headed and fair principals I have seen come through PCS. However, this letter is not to defend her actions, it is to inform you that the information you were given is tainted and biased. Please check your facts and sources.

    You are right in the fact that Mr. Ruppert coached a fine group of 5th grade boys this past summer in Holden Youth Basketball. I am just not sure what that has to do with Paxton Middle School basketball. Perhaps a memo should have been generated prior to tryouts that the team had already been selected; maybe something like “talented 7th & 8th graders need not apply, Coach Ruppert had a great summer league with his son and friends. We are all set at PCS!!” Well, clearly that didn’t happen.

    Your article did not mention that while his two sons and their friends, may or may not deserve to be on the team, there were a handful of other talented athletes who never stood a chance. This team was predetermined prior to tryouts and Michael Jordan wasn’t making the cut.

    Mr. Ruppert got ahead of himself as many parents who coach their kids do today. He was hoping to re-create his summer “dream team” for his son and friends at the expense of other equally deserving and in some cases more talented athletes. That is not a coach, that is a dad with an agenda.

    While you may touch upon some valid points regarding self serving adults and entitled kids in Suburbia, you may want to start with a coach who selects a team based on a summer season and his kids friends.

    Look, the bottom line is parents shouldn’t coach their kids if they can’t be impartial.

    This is not an administrative issue, this is a coaching issue.

    • Franko
      December 8, 2015 at 10:37 pm

      Impartial,
      The administrator hired a parent and she most certainly knew that the parent had boys who would want to play on the team. She did not let the man do his job the way he wanted to do it because someone’s mommy or daddy complained. Do they have a right to complain? Of course. Should the administrator give in to them? Of course not. It’s only a matter of time before all of the mommies and daddies of the boys in Holden, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling figure out that every kid gets to play in Paxton and so its only fair that all of their kids get to play too. Say goodbye to competitive athletic. Because everyone has to win. No one can have their feelings hurt by not making a team. This is an administrative issue. It is not a coaching issue. Let the games begin.

  • Saddened
    December 8, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    Hi Red,

    I don’t have a son on the team, but I do know details of the situation. The former coach was very familiar with the majority of the boys who were planning to try out for the team. How? He had either coached or observed them for several years in the Rec Leagues. As such, he knew the relative talents. Yes, there were certain boys who were “unknown” to the prior coach. My guess (and I’ll stress that) is that the coach had a fairly good bead of the cohort of boys he would select for the team at the beginning of the tryouts, with the understanding that he would also select the balance from the unknown talent. I also suspect that the coach had made up his mind at the end of the first night of tryouts. Regardless, the coach made a decision. How? Based on his prior experience as a coach and with these boys. It’s important to stress that he didn’t necessarily select the most talented boys. In fact, he selected a few younger boys arguably to build for the future. And for what it’s worth, his two boys are both pretty darn talented. Again, the real losers here are the boys themselves. Those that worked hard have now learned that it was unnecessary – everybody made it! Those that had less talent (try to keep in mind the world isn’t fair, ok?) have now learned that talent and hard work aren’t required. My suspicion of what happened: A parent of a boy who didn’t make the initial cut (because of lack of talent or simply because of a hard choice by the coach) got wind of the fact that the coach had already decided a subset of players (from his experience and not because of pettiness), and they complained. If this was the case, the administration should have taken the heat and backed the coach. Rather, the administration’s actions resulted in more harm to the community and ultimately the boys. Not trying to pick a fight here. Just commenting. Seems a shame.

  • Red Auerbach
    December 8, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    Dear Good Luck & Saddened,

    Let me guess your son’s are in the 6 th grade and friends with the Coaches son’s. Now that the school’s administration caught first handed what this coach was doing was an in justice to all of Paxton kids.
    YOU CAN NOT PICK THE SCHOOL TEAM BEFORE TRYOUTS! enough said. Stop you whining have yoru child try out again through a fair process and let’s see if he can truely make the team or are you a parent who’s protesting? Now that’s a temper tantrum, can’t buy your way into this one.

    • Good Luck
      December 8, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      No red Auerbach I do not have a kid that tried out but I do have kids in the school and don’t like the message this sends to them. I also don’t go with the “everyone wins gets trophy” and if not complain.
      Hard work and determination gets you what you want and if it doesn’t use that to fuel you to try harder next time. Let me guess your kid tryed out and didn’t make the first two cuts but did the third? News flash your kid made it because you complained. You can think otherwise but everyone knows why.

  • Good luck
    December 8, 2015 at 1:01 pm

    Good luck to the new coach and administration as you set a new standard for future selections on all school sports! Everyone makes it….why try out? “Saddened” is correct next complaint is why their 7th or 8th grader is sitting on the bench over 6th grader or why is my kid that is more talented sitting on the bench over someone with less talented but is older. Good Luck! Can’t make everyone happy so why try!

  • Saddened
    December 8, 2015 at 4:21 am

    What a sad commentary about what we ultimately teach the boys. News flash – after the third round of try outs, which were attended by the administration of the school to ensure “fairness,” a decision has been made. Every boy who tried out has now made the team. What a series of life lessons. Stuff isn’t fair, so complain and make it fair. Now, everybody is a winner. It doesn’t matter if you’re talented or not, if you’ve worked hard or not. Everybody gets a trophy. Here’s what is predictably next: Most teams sit 15 boys. Given that everyone was accepted on the team, the parents of the boys who simply aren’t that talented will complain that their boy feels bad.

  • JoeD
    December 7, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    Turtle sissy is starting to lose me. I’ve played enough and coached enough to see what this meathead coach is up to. He’s trying to build a team to win in 2 years. Took the youngest who he’ll have together with his little bundle of joy and in 2 years they’ll be great, at least he hopes so. Any coach who brings this type of agenda to any team needs to be excused from the ranks asap. You do well with crime and punishment and being a fanatic fan and many other areas but when it comes to inside working of competitive sports the turtlewus should take a pass.

  • Publius
    December 7, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Before you know it these little darlings with little real achievement will be in college protesting being offended by nothing and everything. My world does not include p*ssy parents but when I do run into them Publius offends.

  • Red Auerbach
    December 7, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Dear Roy,

    ARE YOU SERIOUS??? There’s a HUGE difference when it comes to age, maturity and childhood development, stick to the facts. The coach pick his 6th grade son and ALLLLLL of his friends before tryouts. This isn’t the NBA and plan for two years from now. WHAT ABOUT THE 8TH KIDS OF TODAY, YOUR BASICALLY SAYING FORGET ABOUT THEM, (SCREW YOU)!!!…. NEPOTISM clear as day.

    I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 100%

    Look at how many likes I received from my previous responses….THIS IS THE PAXTON WAY…..Buy them or have your kid be friends with him and your good as beingon the all star team.

    • Adolph Rupp
      December 7, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      Red he did the saaame EXACT stuff at the last school, picked favorites over skill.

  • Itinerant Engineer
    December 7, 2015 at 9:29 am

    Having lived in Paxton, I can’t say I’m surprised by any of this. Regardless of who’s in the wrong or the right, Paxton is a hive for yuppies and people who think their shit doesn’t stink; outside of a couple dozen families anyone living there with school age children are guaranteed to be absolute knobs.

  • anon
    December 7, 2015 at 9:21 am

    As someone from Rutland, I can say that this guy is an asshole

  • absolutely disgusted.
    December 7, 2015 at 8:57 am

    I am at a loss for words as to how rude people can be about an issue they likely know nothing about. I suspect MOST of these ridiculous comments come from people that do not live in Paxton. Nicely written one-sided blog Turtle Boy. What happened to looking at all angles before writing like an expert on something? You know who this hurts? It hurts the kids on the basketball team, as well as all the kids that attend this fantastic school, as well as everyone that lives in the town. If it were a low income community, would anyone tolerate people insulting it? No, because that would not be politically correct. But its ok to slam ALL people in an affluent town. Nice. I do have a horse in the race, and I cant wait to have said horse read these comments so he/she knows how not to behave as an adult. Disgusted. In case I have not been clear, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 100%. Look at every angle before casting stones.

  • Nanny
    December 7, 2015 at 8:53 am

    Dealing with disappointment is part of growing up. If a kid – or a kid’s parent – can’t cope with disappointment, it’s going to be a long road to hoe for the kid. Better keep junior’s bedroom ready. He’s never moving out.

    Dumb parents living vicariously through their kids…

    • fdfsfgdag
      December 13, 2015 at 2:32 pm

      not true loser

  • Roy
    December 7, 2015 at 5:40 am

    Wow…It seems someone is lying, and it is clearly insider knowledge. Insider Knowledge says, “They are horrible at basketball.” The Holden summer league is loaded with the best talent from Sterling, Holden, Princeton, Rutland, and Paxton. My son plays in this league so I had the pleasure of watching many of these games. Many of the these kids play AAU and are very skilled. The kids that made up the winning team in know way could be “horrible at basketball” as Insider Knowledge states. It is a clear lie. The argument of 6th graders can’t play with 8th graders most of the time is accurate. 8th graders should be more physically developed. But I can tell you right now that many of the kids I saw in that REC league could beat me one on one and I’m 38, so age and development is just one piece of this. Also it is stupid to keep pointing out the coach picked his sons. 99% of parents would pick their own children, and if their dad has been coaching for that long, it’s very likely the kids are well skilled.
    Without knowing any of the facts, here is my guess on what happened. 12 kids make the team, only 8 will actually play. Their was little difference between the 6th graders that made it and 7th and 8th graders that got. So he filled the bottom of the roster with younger kids to develop them and have a loaded team next year and two years from now. Rather than carry more older kids to sit at the end of the bench.

    • Roy
      December 7, 2015 at 5:42 am

      Sorry for my typos. I should have proofread this.

  • WachuWorld
    December 6, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    This is the Wachusett way. They did something similar at the HS to arguably the best coach in central MA because some kids and their parents were upset they didn’t make varsity as freshman or didn’t get enough playing time. The administration told the coach, “you care too much about winning…” And let him go without warning after 14 years of successful teams.

    • Dickheaddecember
      December 6, 2015 at 11:08 pm

      Except that is not the same. This coach has chosen his son and his friends as 6th graders and cut many older kids because of the excessive amount of younger kids.

      To select that many 6th graders over 7th and 8th graders sounds obsurd to me. At that age there must be a huge difference in athletic ability between an 11 yr old and a 14 yr old. Developmentally these slightly older kids must be stronger and more athletic. Maybe these 6th graders were good for their age but think about it. We’re not talking about adults who are fully developed. You think all these 11/12 tr old 6th graders have even hit puberty? I find it highly unlikely that they would be developed enough to compete at the level of a 14 year old. At that age three years makes a huge difference.

      This is surely an instance of a whiney loser dad becoming coach so he can live vicariously through his kids and treat his kids like stars.

      • Dickheaddecember
        December 6, 2015 at 11:38 pm

        Also I’m going to point out. How does winning a 5th grade championship even closely compare to competing at the level of 8th graders in middle school? I’ll tell you my little league team went undefeated when I was eleven but we wouldn’t have beat a middle school team. That’s bogus.

  • juror seven
    December 6, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Let’s tale the long term view of this. When does the season start? How many games will this team play? Is there some one with no skin in the game that can provide a season long, game by game, report on how the team performs? Nothing more than the score, the opponent and the Paxton school’s record. in this way, it might help to show if the correct selections were made.

  • Anonymous
    December 6, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    Parents acting like kids. Grow up!

  • Paxton is a mess
    December 6, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    It’s clear this Paxton parent cartel has far more power than the mob of parents who run Rutland. It’s a mystery how this coach managed to run CTMS’s team for so long without incident.

    • Dickheaddecember
      December 6, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Because his kids didn’t pay on Rutlands team.

  • Insider knowledge
    December 6, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    It was discovered that this person (who wanted to be a coach) picked his sons and their freinds to be on the team before tryouts. They know this because he brought a printed list of the kids who made the team WITH HIM from his house or office to the second day of tryouts. The fix was in. They know he made it before the second day of tryouts began. The list included a kid who did not even bother to attend the first day. It was discovered that he had promised to pick and play a group of sixth grader who all happen to be his son’s friends prior to the try outs. These kids were not good at basketball. Some older players who were good at basketball were told they were cut from the team. The coach lied and pretended he had a legitimate tryout and attempted and made the ridiculous assertion that his kid and his friends were better than the good players. They are not better and there is no way around that fact. They were younger and not as good. It wasn’t even close so it’s difficult to say it’s subjective.
    It all came out as an obvious sham and the he continued to lie about his process of choosing the players. He fooled no one with his underhanded attempt to appoint his kid and his friends to the team. The kids were confused at the selection process as were the parents. This person proved himself completely unworthy of coaching young kids at any level of sport. Now I guess he’s not happy about it and he’s the one whining. It’s actually disgraceful when you think about it. After his lies and deceit he must have felt his only way to save face was to go on the offensive and call turtle boy about the injustice he was subjected to in Paxton. He will probably never come clean and will stick to his guns about his ridiculous claims. No one we fooled and he was the one cut from the team. No room for his nonsense in a small town like Paxton.

    • Peach smoothie
      December 6, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      Stfu insider knowledge. The coach did what was best for the team and kept the best players

    • WildwoodOrDie
      December 6, 2015 at 6:48 pm

      Paxton sucks

    • Marty
      December 6, 2015 at 8:57 pm

      Yeah! Everyone believes you still have no horse in the race. It only makes sense that someone with no direct interest would write another whole chapter of research.

    • Heard enough of your bull
      December 7, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      Insider, you are full of it. You must have someone involved. I’m guessing you had to be at the tryout considering your wealth of knowledge about how these kids could barely bounce a ball. You speak more like someone trying to save face than someone without a horse in the race. I have coached youth sports for 15 years. 6th graders are fully capable of playing with 8th graders. Most middle schools now cover 6-8th grade meaning that if a 6th grader is as good as an 8th grader you take them. The coach is the coach for a reason. Parents are supposed to be parents for a reason. If your child doesn’t make the team you console them and tell them that if they want to play they will have to work harder for it or find a new hobby. Sure I would like my kid to grow up to be a brain surgeon but in all reality its never going to happen. Parents that think their child is entitled to things and things should be given to them and not earned. These are the kinds of kids that end up committing suicide or shooting someone because they cant cope with real life situations without mommy or daddy being there to fix it. Insider, I would have to guess that you will be accompanying your child on their job interviews.

    • Hoov
      December 9, 2015 at 2:17 pm

      Maybe he realized that the older kids were slightly better, but were not good enough to win the league and wanted to get the younger kids experience to rebuild the program for future years? It all comes down to the fact that he was hired to be the coach and run the program as he saw fit. What’s the worst case scenario???? Your kid gets cut and doesn’t get to play in the school league? Encourage him to work on his game in the driveway and join the town league to be better for next season. Petitioning the administrators like this is insane, regardless of your feelings on whether he picked the best team. He’s the coach…

  • KEVIN
    December 6, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    No don’t even live in paxton. Just hate weak arguments.
    Just saying “he’s the coach, all bow down” is a silly stance. Just saw this thread in my FB feed and read the story and comments. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have cat videos to watch…..

  • Red Auerbach
    December 6, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Kevin, sounds like your son made the team, let me guess your son is good friends with the coaches son? 8th grade or 6th grade?
    To have the team selected before tryouts is corruption, just like Paxton Baseball corruption, like I said before, just play cards or buy him a beer, oh wait nevermind your son is on the team.

  • Kevin
    December 6, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    The whole argument that he is the coach so whatever he says goes and can not be questioned? What if the coach made it mandatory for the team to go over to his house after practice for a little spank and tickle session in his hot tub? The point is, just because he is the coach and hired for a job, doesn’t mean his decisions can’t be questioned. Your overall point is valid but the argument you made to get to the point is not

    • Anonymous
      December 6, 2015 at 8:53 pm

      This Kevin guy makes perverted comments. Something wrong with a guy that thinks like this.

  • Handburner
    December 6, 2015 at 11:53 am

    I’ll bet you $100 all these kids suck at basketball and the parents sucked, but they probably all have wicked awesome sneakers. Crazy Paxton honkies

  • Red Auerbach
    December 6, 2015 at 11:37 am

    The PAXTON WAY….buy the coach, take him out to dinner or buy him some drinks. Have your child play and be friends with the Coach’s son. Then in return you have a bunch of six graders
    playing with a bunch of 8th graders because they won some recretional Holden league?, aren’t the AAA Teams traveling and have no time for these micky mouse lagues. Like Paxton Baseball,
    play cards with the coach or president give him a couple beers and guess what, your son has made the all star team……This is the PAXTON WAY! My son deserves to be on this team, I baught his son
    an awesome birthday gift.

  • Insider Knowledge
    December 6, 2015 at 11:01 am

    I guess I have to post a reply to some of the garbage I just read.
    Talk about whiny parents. it seems some of them are commenting on this article.
    Some people think a coach is hired (more like volunteer at this level) can do “whatever he sees fit”? Ha. NFL coaches don’t even get that pass, with the exception of Bill Belickick.
    No one said the coach was “tanking the team” he just PICKED HIS SIXTH GRADE SON AND ALL OF HIS SONS FRIENDS. Then CUT from the team a group of upperclass kids who were better basketball players. A lot better. I heard the coach attempted to explain this away by claiming that he honestly thought the 6th graders (some of whom could barely bounce a basketball) were better players!?! Anyway, it seems very clear that this guy was just trying to appoint his kids and kids friends to the team after a SHAM TRYOUT. Well, his brilliant manuver fooled NOONE. This guy is welcome to start a team in any PRIVATE LEAGUEand recruit his kids friends but not at. Public school.
    So to recap, it was just a private league sham perpetrated at a public school by a coach who thought he was a smooth talker and could easily lie his way through the whole process and no one would call him on it.
    I am starting g to figure out now that one of these unqualified 6th grader player’s parents and the disgraced coach are the ones being WHINEY! They got their Whiney voices heard in turtle boy sports.
    Turtle boy I’m a big fan, but your way off in this one. Thanks for allowing comments for some who are confused on the issues here. This one may appear on the surface to fall under the concept your trying to present here but it just wasn’t the case. Paxton got scammed by this guy who tried to claim he was picking the best team who just coincidently happened to be his kids and their best buddies. Unfortunately for him they all suck at basketball. It was clear as day to anyone who knows anything about basketball at the 7th and & 8th grade level. Now let’s see what this guy is gonna do he just tried to pull off a scam against a bunch of parents and kids in a small town and got caught. I’m saying it wasn’t even a close call, everybody knows. It was obvious to all and he put those people in a bad position. They must have tried to give him an out and have an honest tryout but he thought he was super slick and just picked a bunch of 6th graders again who just happen to be his kid and all his buddies. They were not only not good at basketball but they are in 6th grade. In the last 6th graders never make the team particularly if they are not good, unless they are short players. So this whole sham was so obvious from the start. When he got called on it he must have just kept lying and lying, I don’t know. Now this guy’s kids have to go to that small school and I guess he lives in the town and he runs to turtle boy? And makes up more lies. You should follow up on this one.
    One more thing to “Marty”, who tried to imply that I’m one of these parents or I’m somehow involved. I’m not a parent of any of the kids involved, I don’t know this coach and I’m not a big fan of the administration at the school. Despite all that I gotta let some of the truth out about the issue because it’s obnoxious to read a story and comments that are off the mark, mischaracterizes an entire town.
    Someone please follow up on this one if you can, thanks turtle boy

    • stoptalkingsense
      December 6, 2015 at 11:27 am

      ‘No one said the coach was “tanking the team” he just PICKED HIS SIXTH GRADE SON AND ALL OF HIS SONS FRIENDS. Then CUT from the team a group of upperclass kids who were better basketball players. A lot better.’

      IK, your theory is the coach deliberately picked the worst players – and by the way, it doesn’t matter WHO they are, because they’re the WORST players – not once but twice. Of course he did. Because that’s what coaches do ALL THE TIME. They WANT to lose and this guy is no different. If the school admin intended the district to win (anything!) then I’m putting this on whoever made the decision to hire this loser.

    • Ty
      December 6, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      so what makes you think you actually know anything about what really happened then? You don’t and are doing exactly what everyone else here is doing. Speculating.

      I love how everyone here knows all the information, from where? a bunch of 6,7,8th graders. They were the only ones who were at tryouts. So that is the source of any of these rumors. a 6th or 7th or 8th grader. Let me guess, you think your kids actually were totally truthful and accurate about things at the 7th grade level.

      If the principal observed the second tryout, were there any parents there also? If not, then these rumors about a player’s skill is coming from her? basically I’m saying that picking a team is entirely subjective and up to the coach, otherwise the tryout should be a series of drills where they take scores and that’s how the team is picked. How many free throws or how many passes through a tire they can complete.
      Honestly if it were one of my kids that made the team initially and then had to be removed to add someone else I’d probably tell them to suck it up and that they need to deal with it. Even if they may have rightfully desrved the spot.

      It’s just really amusing the battles that parents are willing to fight for their kids in what they think will be helping them out, but it’s only short term gains as the kids will never be able to deal with adversity in their personal lives.

      • Perspective
        December 6, 2015 at 5:36 pm

        This is the statement of a great parent.

    • marty
      December 6, 2015 at 5:35 pm

      Oh no, Insider Knowledge, you have no horse in the race. That’s why you wrote a freakin book trying to make people hate the coach.

      He is the coach. He gets to pick the team.

      You are not the coach. Your job is to shut up and let the coach work with the team that he picks. In the absence of any specific criteria for selecting players, the coach gets to decide however he wants.

      End of story.

    • Lemonade
      December 6, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Hey @insiderknowledge I think your one of the parents who complained that there sucky kid didn’t make the team. The 6th graders worked as hard as they could to get on that team so before you talk crap about the poor 6th graders that had to deal with you insulting them. You know there name not there story. Like in the article, it explained how they won tournaments. The coach looked at this and thought they had potential to be a great teammate, and basketball player. So stop insulting them because they have feelings too.

  • Red Auerbach
    December 6, 2015 at 11:00 am

    This is the PAXTON WAY!!!!!!!

  • Dickheaddecember
    December 6, 2015 at 10:18 am

    Sounds like you could write an article on this going the other way. Something like “whiney Parent becomes paxton middle school coach and chooses sons 6th grade friends over 7th 8th graders” shit like that happens all the time and should be stopped. parents should not be coaches once kids reach a public school system. Nepatism.

    • WC
      December 6, 2015 at 10:40 am

      This is administrative bullying. The principal forced a coach to hold new practices and then stayed to watch. Why? Is the principal a basketball coach? That’s aggressive and demeaning. The Wachusett administration MO is demean, punish, fire, my way or the highway. This lady and those who supervise her could use a few lessons in respecting her employees.

    • TBS
      December 6, 2015 at 1:13 pm

      *Nepotism

      • Dickheaddecember
        December 6, 2015 at 2:47 pm

        Did you have to Google that?

  • Wiley Coyote
    December 6, 2015 at 8:42 am

    McCollum hired the coach. She needs to let him do the job if she chose him. Maybe she didn’t ask the right questions in the interview. Maybe she was told that she had to hold another tryout because parents called someone over her head. In any case, parents with any common sense at all would see this for what it is and teach their kids that you don’t get everything you want in life. If you want something, work harder than everyone else does so that you cannot be denied next time. Common sense.

  • Freegle
    December 6, 2015 at 8:39 am

    InsiderKnowledge you are completely missing the point. Paxton hired this coach to do a job. He did it as he saw fit. That’s all that matters. He could have picked the team by shoe color and it would have been valid because HE IS THE COACH. Along the way in life, everyone one of these kids is going to meet up with someone in a position of power who treats them unfairly. They are going to need to know how to cope with that disappointment or experience (work harder/suck it up/find a different activity/etc). Regardless, whining to parents who then bully people into changing their mind is most certainly NOT a useful strategy in the real world. The parents did their kids a disservice. They missed an opportunity to give their kids a very important life lesson and are setting the kids up for failure as adults.

  • Paxton is a mess
    December 6, 2015 at 8:16 am

    Kathi is many things, but afraid of parents isn’t one of them. I will say that if Kathi got involved, then the coach was most likely correct and did nothing wrong.

    Thank you Kathi for placing Wachusett in the turtleboy spotlight of complete incompetence in education. So proud.

  • davidsl88
    December 6, 2015 at 8:10 am

    So your story is the coach picked the team he KNEW would lose – deliberately PRE-tanked his season because what coach in the history of coaching wants to win? Seems reasonable.

  • davidsl88
    December 6, 2015 at 7:47 am

    So you’re saying he picked a team that would NOT win, not once, but twice. He deliberately PRE-tanked his season choosing kids he KNEW had no hope of winning. That seems rational. What coach is ever in it for the win anyway?

    • Pineapple juice
      December 6, 2015 at 11:11 am

      Yeah stfu the sixth graders were better than most of the seventh graders and only two eight graders didn’t make it. I made the team and I’m in eighth grade and THIS IS BUULSHIT

      • anonymous
        December 6, 2015 at 9:45 pm

        From the mouths of babes.

  • Ugh
    December 6, 2015 at 7:37 am

    Turtleboy you’re wrong about these kids being embarrassed by their parents- kids whose parents act like this are entitled brats who love when Mommy and Daddy get them what they want, and act as though they’re untouchable.

  • Insider knowledge
    December 6, 2015 at 3:39 am

    Sorry turtleboy your way off on this one. I’m not sure where you got your information for this article but sorry to say the truth may not fit the point your trying to get across. I will point out that I DO NOT have “a horse in this race” so no connection to the team. I am a fan of your blog and I think you need to know a few things that I am privy to;

    1. I am not a fan of principal Mccollumn, however, she is the exact opposite of the way you portrait her in your article. She’s a straight up HARD ASS. Let’s just say she has never and will never bow to the will of the parents in that town! Even if the parents are in the right, she does not give an inch. This is not a stretch, take some time and talk to some actual parents in Paxton.

    2. Many have discovered that this “coach”, who happens to have a sixth grader (as well as an eighth grader) “trying out” for the team had quite the agenda. His first move was to tell his 6th grader he would be the starting point guard and promised all of his 6th grade friends they would be on the team, before tryouts. Sixth graders are too young to compete in the league and in the past . Only a few have been allowed on the boys or girls team and dven then it’s just to help out and maybe to play the last 15 seconds of a game. Against all fairness and reason this guy decides (or pre-decides) to CUT many of the best players in tryouts (ask the kids ITS NO SECRET) and picks his 6th grade kid and his buddies (WHO ABSOLUTELY are not yet good AT BASKETBALL!!!). So after all the kids and parents simply asked, “what’s up with this ?” It was basically over for this sham of a coach and his kid and his friends who are not yet good at basketball. Did I mention everyone knows they are horrible, but hey they are only in sixth grade. Maybe in a year or two they can actually make a team at that level. Who knows, anything is possible, right?? It’s not the first time a helicopter parent has tried the pathetic maneuver of trying to make their kids the stars of the team but not this time. Cudos to the administration for not allowing that crap in Paxton. Take that game back to Holden.

    • Marty
      December 6, 2015 at 8:44 am

      You have some kind of horse in this race. Who you kidding?

      • Peach smoothie
        December 6, 2015 at 12:53 pm

        All those parents r whining because their kids did not make the team. This is life so just deal with it. The sixth graders made the team because they were good. They were better than most of the kids that tried out anyways.

    • Pineapple juice
      December 6, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      ok first off, I agree about the principal. Second, you don’t know shit about us. His son was actually by far the best one on the team (the sixth grader) and his older son is also very good. Maybe you should stfu right now cuz idk if you are a girl or a guy, but either way you were probably too busy suckin cock when u were in 6 7 and 8th grade instead of playing basketball. his sixth grade friends were also very good players. Before you comment on this maybe learn a thing or two about the players

      • Pineapple juice
        December 6, 2015 at 2:53 pm

        I’m sorry but I’m so pissed about all this

        • anononon
          December 6, 2015 at 8:34 pm

          “I’m sorry but I’m so pissed about all this”

          That is ok – it’s not as if people are getting killed by Islamic terrorists on US soil or anything like that. Let’s all get worked up about a basketball team in Paxton and make crass comments about other commentators….stay classy Paxton, all the way around.

          • pineapple juice
            December 7, 2015 at 7:05 pm

            lol @anononon

  • BowenHardcase
    December 6, 2015 at 12:34 am

    Geez, why hold the tryouts in the first place if the team is just going to get picked by administration anyway?

    If they’re going to be ageist, then I want them to make sure that team is diverse enough across the board… I demand equal representations of all colors, creeds, handicaps, everything!

  • Don
    December 6, 2015 at 12:18 am

    What is missing from this story – the coach left his coaching gig in Rutland to coach his 2 sons in Paxton. He “pre-chose” his team BEFORE tryouts- even telling people about his team and creating a list. This was before the kids tried out for the team. Did both his kids make the team? You bet! But regardless, he chose his team and then held tryouts – WTF! And the coach is the martyr? How would you feel if your child tried out? How the hell is the admin in Paxton the bad guys? They did the right thing by giving him the 2nd chance, which they did not need to do. He PUBLISHED a list of the kids he was going to take BEFORE the tryout. Who’s wrong here?

    • Ugh
      December 6, 2015 at 7:35 am

      You’re wrong for still whining because your child didn’t make the team- and go aheD and try to tell us that’s not the case, but your tone says it all!

    • Wabbitt
      wabbitt
      December 6, 2015 at 8:01 am

      Let me guess – your shitty kid was the one who tried to eat the ball, right?

    • Dan
      December 6, 2015 at 5:48 pm

      The coach is put there to pick the best players for the job. Regardless if it is at the expense of those older “returners.” Everyone gets a blue ribbon nowadays. News flash: No one there is going D1 nor will even come close. A bunch of Ignorant parents wasting their time. Matt Ruppert coached at CTMS for 10+ years. He is clearly qualified to make the correct decisions. I guess Paxton administration and WRSD has other plans.

    • Bob
      December 7, 2015 at 10:33 pm

      Apparently it was your kid that got cut……

  • PaxParent
    December 6, 2015 at 12:14 am

    It sounds like these were probably the same parents who bought their kids bigger little league trophies because they didn’t like the ones the league gave out a couple of years ago. Hope those D1 schools have their lawyers ready for the class of 2020’s parents. If talent & hard work doesn’t get them a sports scholarship maybe a lawsuit will.

  • don't be so petty
    December 5, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    So fucking infuriating. How can these parents be so far up their own asses that they do not see the writing on the wall? Don’t they watch the news? Don’t they realize what they’re turning their shitty kids into. For fucks sake.
    The only thing I disagree with is that these kids probably hate their parents right now. I doubt it. They’ve grown up so attached to mama’s tit that they don’t realize it’s fucking WEIRD to ask your parents for help all the time at that age. I bet these kids (and many others these days) have no idea what it feels like to be dying to get out of your parents house, to want to be independent. Nope. They’re in it for the long haul, aka 40 years old, living in the basement.

  • danny
    December 5, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    All that matters I hope is that the kids ALL GET A TROPHY AT THE END OF THE YEAR THATS THE PC WAY UNBELIEVABLE

  • Jjo
    December 5, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    This school district is rediculous. Parents have way to much undeserved control. Administration needs to grow a pair, District wide.

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