Lessons can be learned from Galion sports situation

GALION – Last week, I got the email that set the Crawford County athletic world on fire.

The Galion Athletic Department was placed on a two-year probation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Along with the probation, head football coach Chris Hawkins was suspended for the first two games of the season and a player was suspended for one.

I introduced myself to the new athletic director, Kyle Baughn, at the state track meet in June; he was not yet the official director at the time. In his first month on the job, he has seen his entire department come under fire and placed on probation.

Baughn said that, while under probation, the department will be more aware of what it is doing and pay close attention to the bylaws and details of actions within the department. The department also will cooperate with the OHSAA and draft an action plan for all administrators and coaches to be educated on all rules and regulations.

The truth is that, even though the infractions — and penalties — against Galion were minor, they were still against bylaws. Now under probation, Galion will follow the rule book word for word. As it, and every school in Ohio, should have been from the very beginning.

The lesson has been learned, and there will be a new way of doing things. Baughn said that he is there for his coaches and that the communication lines are as open as possible, as well they should be.

Other schools can learn from the Galion probation situation. They can work within the system to make sure every rule is followed to the letter, negating the possibility that something like this could happen to them.

Educate coaches and make sure the communication lines are open. Make sure coaches know the outcome of their actions before they do anything. If there are any questions, make sure they have the resources to be able to make an educated move.

Let’s take a look at these bylaws that were violated:

•Bylaw 4-9-3 No. 6: “Providing athletic camp brochures that advertise athletic camps available to general population is permissible as long as no direct mailing to specific individuals is conducted.”

•Bylaw 4-9-4 No. 1: “Using direct mailings or electronic communication to send information to a specific individual by name.”

•Bylaw 4-9-4 No. 6: “Providing favors or inducements, such as T-shirts or caps, to prospective student-athletes or their parents.”

•Bylaw 4-9-6: “All questions relating to enrollment, attendance or athletic program shall be handled through the school administration or admissions office.”

Hawkins responded to each of these violations and plans to appeal his suspension.

While some of the language is tricky, it is the language for a reason. It covers a wide variety of circumstances, as it should.

It is not gray so that it can catch violators on petty things; it is so people will think twice about an action that is close to violation. It is not black-and-white, otherwise the bylaws would be six pages long describing every last detail that violates the rule.

If there is any concern an action violates a bylaw, the coach should communicate with the athletic director and a decision should be made about whether the action could cause trouble.

Being more aware of the rule book could only have a positive outcome. Judging by the way Baughn responded to the department being placed on probation, Galion will have a very positive outcome after its two-year term is concluded.

Other athletic departments should take notice. Pushing the boundaries of the language of the rule is not worth it. The risks outweigh the rewards, and the punishments are not worth the gain.

jfurr@gannett.com

419-610-5034

Twitter: @JakeFurr11