Florida coach suspended for taking in homeless player

[Analog]

By all indications, a Florida high school football coach was just trying to do the right thing when he allowed a homeless player to live with him. Now that coach and his school are facing fines that could reach into the thousands of dollars -- and potential forfeiture of victories -- because of the player's housing arrangements.

According to OrlandoSentinel.com, St. Cloud (Fla.) High School coach Bill Buldini sat out his team's 20-17 loss to Edgewater last Friday after the school self-reported a violation of Florida High School Athletic Association code aimed at curbing the recruiting of players. The rule states that no school employee or representative of the school's athletic department can provide or promise free or reduced-cost housing for a potential athlete in their program.
The FHSAA rule may be well meaning, but school officials insist that Buldini did not violate any district rules. The Osceola County School District reinstated Buldini to both his coaching duties and day job as a social studies teacher at the school on Monday. That's where things stand now, and they may stay that way for awhile. According to WFTV.com, the FHSAA has offered no indication of how long its investigation into Buldini will last.


While no one has openly questioned Buldini's motivation for taking in the player, the Osceola County School District said that its regulations call for the district to work with homeless and dispossessed students directly rather than rely on its employees.
In the meantime, the St. Cloud community has rallied behind the embattled coach, who is paid only a $3,850 annual stipend for serving as the Bulldogs head coach. The FHSAA has already made it clear Buldini may have to forfeit some of that stipend if he is found guilty of violating its rules.
"I don't really see much wrong with that," St. Cloud student Melanie Hernandez told WFTV. "Maybe they're just thinking too hard into it because if he has nowhere else to go, someone needs to give him help."


http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/...or-taking-in-homeless-p?urn=highschool-273393

 

[moshquerade]

Well, I bet that blind sided him. : /

 

[IronWing]

School sports are designed to financially benefit everyone involved except the athletes (and the taxpayers of course). Allowing the athletes to benefit would be utterly unethical.

 

[Analog]

Well, I bet that blind sided him. : /

 

[BeauJangles]

No good dead goes unpunished.

 

[Numenorean]

Well, I bet that blind sided him. : /

He wasn't taken in by a coach.

 

[Beev]

No good dead goes unpunished.

At that point they're dead so it doesn't really matter...

 

[moshquerade]

He wasn't taken in by a coach.

No kidding Mr. Serious Business.

 

[PokerGuy]

Common sense... just aint so common anymore.

Why is it so hard to just say "clearly he's not breaking the spirit or the rule, he's doing something to help better the life of a homeless person" and just leave it be? We're such a litigious and rule oriented society that common sense has gone out the window in favor for one size fits all regulations (zero tolerance anyone?).

 

[DougK62]

Well, he DID break the rules so it's hard to feel bad for him. The rules are there for a reason. If he was concerned that the kid was homeless he should've taken it up with the school administration and tried to get him help that way. He didn't use common sense.

 

[Train]

School sports are designed to financially benefit everyone involved except the athletes (and the taxpayers of course). Allowing the athletes to benefit would be utterly unethical.

Right, because the only thing you could possibly benifit from playing a sport in HIGH SCHOOL, is making money. Man your an idiot.

 

[Train]

No good dead goes unpunished.

Beating a dead horse?

 

[DrPizza]

Common sense... just aint so common anymore.

Why is it so hard to just say "clearly he's not breaking the spirit or the rule, he's doing something to help better the life of a homeless person" and just leave it be? We're such a litigious and rule oriented society that common sense has gone out the window in favor for one size fits all regulations (zero tolerance anyone?).

Well, he DID break the rules so it's hard to feel bad for him. The rules are there for a reason. If he was concerned that the kid was homeless he should've taken it up with the school administration and tried to get him help that way. He didn't use common sense.

I think the perfect example was provided a few months ago. The girl who was competing in some track event that won a huge championship for her team, but was disqualified with the opposing coach ran over and pointed out that she was wearing one of those string friendship bracelet things.

 

[IronWing]

Right, because the only thing you could possibly benifit from playing a sport in HIGH SCHOOL, is making money. Man your an idiot.

No. Reread what I actually wrote, not what you screamed to yourself inside your own head. Then come back and explain where you fucked up.

 

[Train]

No. Reread what I actually wrote, not what you screamed to yourself inside your own head. Then come back and explain where you fucked up.

You are right, I stopped reading your puke after the first bit:

School sports are designed to financially benefit everyone involved except the athletes...

I just couldn't handle the stupid after that, I had to bail on your post.

Now point me to a single high school that actually profits on a sports dept.

 

[IronWing]

You are right, I stopped reading your puke after the first bit:

I just couldn't handle the stupid after that, I had to bail on your post.

Now point me to a single high school that actually profits on a sports dept.

Coach profits? Check.
Suppliers profit? Check.
Media covering school sports profit? Check.
Taxpayers get the bill? Check.
Athletes profit? Hmmm.
Schools at large benefit? Nope.

So I guess you got me on the last one. School sports is a waste of money and time, only benefiting those involved except the students, the schools, and the taxpayers.

 

[DingDingDao]

Right, because the only thing you could possibly benifit from playing a sport in HIGH SCHOOL, is making money. Man your an idiot.

The irony.

 

[TheVrolok]

Now point me to a single high school that actually profits on a sports dept.

I would think that a lot of schools in big football areas make a profit on their football teams. Especially some of the Florida, Texas, California schools. If I had to guess, I'd wager that my high school was in the black on high school football.

 

[her209]

Well, I bet that blind sided him. : /

Bullocks!

 

[Bignate603]

Coach profits? Check.
Suppliers profit? Check.
Media covering school sports profit? Check.
Taxpayers get the bill? Check.
Athletes profit? Hmmm.
Schools at large benefit? Nope.

So I guess you got me on the last one. School sports is a waste of money and time, only benefiting those involved except the students, the schools, and the taxpayers.

For the vast majority of schools the amount of money coaches get paid for their time is tiny.
The media covering the games does it because the people in community want to see it. If people (aka the taxpayers) didn't want to see the stuff about the games on local TV they wouldn't show them.
Schools are supposed to help kids learn and give them opportunities to grow. For some kids sports can be a good experience and help them become worthwhile adults. The kids do it because they WANT to. They're not getting paid, they're doing it because they enjoy it.

 

[DrPizza]

I would think that a lot of schools in big football areas make a profit on their football teams. Especially some of the Florida, Texas, California schools. If I had to guess, I'd wager that my high school was in the black on high school football.

I'm not sure why - some lawsuit? Some change in rules? Something happened. I can't recall the last time there was a charge to go to high school football games. I do recall at one point someone making the argument that it's the public's tax dollars that have paid for the athletic fields, the public's tax dollars that paid for the equipment, coaches, schools, etc., etc. Thus, they should be allowed to go see the product of what they paid for. Ditto things like spring concerts at schools - pay to go see the chorus sing? To see the band play?

Regardless, at least in this area of NY, you are not charged to go to attend high school sporting events, except for regional tournaments that are run by a different organization. (IAABO?)

edit: ditto on what BigNate said at least about the coaches. They make money, but on a dollars per hour basis, it's not really that much.

 

[TheVrolok]

I'm not sure why - some lawsuit? Some change in rules? Something happened. I can't recall the last time there was a charge to go to high school football games. I do recall at one point someone making the argument that it's the public's tax dollars that have paid for the athletic fields, the public's tax dollars that paid for the equipment, coaches, schools, etc., etc. Thus, they should be allowed to go see the product of what they paid for. Ditto things like spring concerts at schools - pay to go see the chorus sing? To see the band play?

Interesting. Last time I was at a high school football game in PA there was a charge for admission. I don't believe other varsity sports had admission fees, though.

 

[Perknose]

Interesting. Last time I was at a high school football game in PA there was a charge for admission. I don't believe other varsity sports had admission fees, though.

Same here, also in PA.

 

[Train]

I would think that a lot of schools in big football areas make a profit on their football teams. Especially some of the Florida, Texas, California schools. If I had to guess, I'd wager that my high school was in the black on high school football.

Show me one. And I didnt say football alone, I said sports departments (all sports included)

Considering only 14 colleges last year actually had higher revenues than expenses on thier sports programs, I would find it amazing if even 1% of high schools nationwide came close to break even.

Source: http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2010/aug/23/ut-passes-study-1-of-14-schools-to-turn-profit/

 

[Train]

Coach profits? Check.
Suppliers profit? Check.
Media covering school sports profit? Check.
Taxpayers get the bill? Check.
Athletes profit? Hmmm.
Schools at large benefit? Nope.

So I guess you got me on the last one. School sports is a waste of money and time, only benefiting those involved except the students, the schools, and the taxpayers.

HS Coaches profit? rofl, get a clue. Most coaches are teachers who might get an axtra $1k to be a coach, which works out to less than minimum wage. They coach because, like the players, they WANT to do it.

Suppliers? really? you're reaching that far? Guess what? they also profit if the kids play pickup games on the playground, relevance not found.

Media? Oh shit another dumbass reach. Next your gonna tell me a bank robery was engineered for the Local news' benefit becaues they reported on it.

Taxpayers get the bill? WTF does this have to do with anything? Anything the school does (assuming it's even a public school) is funded by the taxpayers.

School Sports were designed for the students. They play them because they WANT to. They play them because sports are FUN, they play them because they make them better people, they teach discipline, they teach teamwork, they teach the benefit of hard work.

High School sports have been around as long as there have been high schools, and were DESIGNED to benifit the student in many ways.

I'm sticking by my original assertion, that what you said:

School sports are designed to financially benefit everyone involved except the athletes

is flippin stupid.