I don't agree with what they did to homewood flossmor was right. They shouldn't have punished the girls for the coaches mistake. It wasn't there fault they probably were just trying to get extra help by competing in the tournament with the coach. The only person that should be punished for that act is the coach because he should know the rules and should abide by those rules no matter what. I also don't agree with what the coach did. Him bringing 6 girls from other schools 4 from the school he just came from. That isn't fair for the other girls that are on HF. They were replaced by those other girls from the other schools.
I think that they over did the punishment for the girls on that team. The coach should know the rules exactly. They shouldn’t have disqualified the girls they just wanted to play basketball. Now all of this happened because the greedy coach wanted to get paid more but still have his star players. It’s especially not fair to the girls who didn’t get to make the team at their own high school because they got replaced by the other six transferred girls. They didn’t even play it smart either, obviously if some of the transferred students claim the same address something’s going on. I wonder if this was all worth it to the coach. Getting sued, getting fired, and forfeiting all your wins. I think that the punishment that the coach got was fair he deserved it, the girls, not so much.
I don’t agree with the IHSA for what they did to HF. It’s not right to strip the girls of all of their wins and not let them compete in the playoffs. The girls work hard all season and right as the playoffs start, the IHSA tells HF that they cannot compete. I would like to know why it took them until the playoffs to do something. Also, it is a rule that public schools cannot recruit players but catholic schools can. The girls from the Bolingbrook team might have just liked the coach so much that they followed him to HF. This is probably not the case but the coach is a great coach regardless. When he was at Bolingbrook, they won the championship four out of six years and the two years that they didn’t win, they placed in second. The IHSA should not punish him and his ladies team. He is a great coach and he had hard working girls to back it up. The IHSA took away all of that effort and left the HF girls sad and ashamed.
I see where your coming from, it took the girls hard work to get there, but it also took the other team hard work to get where they are now. the school didn't cheat like HF did. The school played fair by choosing girls from the same district not choosing the best girl in the whole state.
I agree with Joe, the girls whom were already practicing hard to get to the play offs were ignored. They were replaced by other "go lucky girls" to never play basketball on their team again. It was wrong of the coach.
I think that the coach should only get the punishment, not the girls because he is the one behind this all, and he is the one who brought all the girls in from different schools. The girls should not be punished by getting disqualified only the coach should because is the one who broke the rule and did the things he should of not have done like for example having practice when he shouldn't of have with the girls. In conclusion I think that the 11 girls that got disqualified should be put back on the team and only the coach should get the punishment for his actions.
I have to say that the punishment they put on these girls was over the limit.Them getting suspended for the coaches screw up isn't right and that should looked over again. Their coach should already know how the rules go since he's called an incredible coach with over 200 wins and less than 40 losses.Illegal recruiting is wrong to do, he should know that, bringing girls from his former school and from other schools isn't the right thing to do. Its sad the fact that the girls who were already starters loses their spot because of the illegal recruiters.Coach didn't really care about the former starters, all he cared about was his girls he brought over to take over the team, and to lie to the deans about the addresses is not the smartest thing you can do. Coach knows how much pain he caused to this team and the school, getting sued by a teammate, having all your wins go down the drain and probably getting fired. We all know that the coach deserved it and hopefully other coaches learn from this.
I think IHSA did the right thing by suspending the coach. It was not his first year as a basketball coach. As an experienced coach he should have known that what he was doing was wrong. Even though the rule of catholic schools being able to recruit their players and public schools not having the opportunity to do so is unfair he still shouldn't have done that. It looks like he just wanted to take his old team with him just to make sure his team will be winning just like in previous years in Bolingbrook.As to the girls I think the punishment was a little bit too harsh. However they knew exactly what he was doing and even helped him by providing the school with fake addresses. I feel really bad for the senior girls who got their senior year experience ruined, I myself would be really devastated if that ever happened to me.
I think the ISHA did the right thing. Stripping all their victories was the right move because Coach Smith illegally built an all-star team. The starters for the Homewood Flossmore varsity basketball team weren't even from the district. The girls that transferred in along with Coach Smith wanted to keep being coached by him because he can make a collage level athlete. Part of the reason for this is because he would have practices that aren't allowed according to the ISHA rules and regulations. He had them playing in a summer league as well as conditioning during off season. I feel like the school administers didn’t look into the new all-star athletes that just transferred into the school all that well. It’s unfair for public school to pick out the best athletes like the private schools do. I think the ISHA made an example of Homewood Flossmore.
I don’t think it was fair for the girls to be disqualified from the playoffs. I don’t think it was there fault in the first place. It is the schools fault for allowing the six girls to transfer in the first place. If they would have denied them then none of this would have happen in the first place. It’s not right to strip all the wins from them either they worked hard all season to earn those wins. It is also messed up for the girls that didn't even get to play; they get screwed over the most because they just wasted their senior year for absolutely nothing. Those girls went to practices and worked hard just to sit on the bench and the only thing they had going for them was a winning season and a shot at a championship and the ended up with nothing. They even lost their shot at scholarships offers because of their lack of playing time. I think the coach got what he deserved. He is a good coach but he tried to have it all the money and a championship, and was very selfish and didn't even believe in the girls on the original team.
I think that the punishment they put on these ladies and their coach, Anthony Smith, was not hard enough. I think that the girls who were on the team before Smith came and who were suspended did in fact deserve it, they could have said something before and they are one of the biggest reasons they are suspended. I mean one of the girls did end up starting the investigation and she is the hero along with the IHSA. It sucks that the schools that they played and demolished could have been that one game away from winning their conference, or playing in their regionals games during the playoffs.The other girls who were from Marist, Plainfeild, or Bolingbrook should lose their scholarships, be band from playing in the NCAA for 2 years, and type or write an apology to all the other players. The coach should also pay a fourth of his coaching salary toward fines to the IHSA and another fourth toward the money the school could of used for another sport or academic club. The coach should also be banned from coaching anywhere in Illinois. Other schools do this and it is not fair that catholic schools can recruit and public schools cannot. The off seasons workouts that they held should be limited to two a week for two hours and they should be athletic probation.
I think that the girls should get punished with the coach because they are a team and they win, lose, or get disqualified as a team. This was not the first time this happened and the girls should have known what you can or cannot do. The coach should be blamed more that the girls because he should know what the rules are because he is a coach and also because he technically lead the girls to this disqualification. To me thats poor leadership and poor sportsmanship. The fact that the girls knew about the new players and continued to destroy the other competition that followed rules is selfish and poor sportsmanship also. I do not think the girls should lose their trophies or wins because even though they broke the rules it still required dedication and also alot of hard work! they should be disqualified for one year and be watched closely so this does not repeat and the coach should be fired because of his actions.
I think that it was unfair for the girl on the varsity basketball team that had less playing time because six girls from different schools came to H-F, and they didn't even live in the district. The coach of the team allowed this and i'm glad that he got suspended. I didn't think it was fair that the team didn't get to play in the state finals, some of the girls on the team didn't do anything wrong and deserve to play. Some people think it's unfair that private schools can pick up any athlete that they want. they can pick up someone from Indiana to come and play for a team in Illinois. while public schools are stuck with student from their own districts. I think that doesn't really matter if a private school can do that and a public school cant. That's how its always been and it's been fine.
I think the punishment is fair because the kids and the coaches should have known that this would happen if they decided to transfer and make an illegal team. The coach should not be able to coach anymore because he knew he was violating IHSA rules by hosting summer practices and transferring players so he could make his dream team. Doing that and telling his players they would have a higher chance of getting a athletic scholarship and more playing time if they joined his team is another reason why he should not be able to coach anymore. By promising them game time and a greater chance at a athletic scholarship he was luring them in, it was like he was luring children with candy. The players should also be punished, some players used fake addresses when they transferred to Homewood Flossmore. I think IHSA over punished the players, they should have received a temporary ban, a fine, or the players with fake addresses should be the only players removed off the team.
I strongly disagree with the punishment that this team received. It's just not fair how the team got disqualified and how their 22-2 record does not exist anymore and they don't even get to go to the playoffs. Besides there's a rule stating that private schools can recruit players and that public schools can't, they can only have players that are in the district. I don't think it's a bad thing to recruit players, because they are doing it to win and have a great season. And not only that but the coach is good too, he has an outstanding record and he gets 33% of his players scholarships. He probably got those players because he seen that they had talent and wanted to make sure that they got a good scholarship, or the players really like him and wanted to stick with him. It's bad how IHSA took everything away from the team. They put in a lot of work on and off the court, they probably could have gone all the way but instead they got disqualified and all that hard work they put in doesn't pay off. IHSA should have just waited till the whole season was over because it wasn't even that big of a deal
What has recently happened with Homewood Flossmoor is a controversial topic in high school sports. I believe that their punishment came at the wrong time. If they had been suspicious of the team from the start they should have done something before the season had started. Instead they let them play through the season before deciding to disqualify them from the playoffs. I think it is wrong that those 3 girls used fake addresses but the school could have prevented this. The coach should have been the only one punished because the girls were not stopped from transferring to Homewood Flossmoor. The school should be the one taking the punishment instead of the girls. All the hard work they put into the season has gone down the drain. Their record of 20-2 had to be forfeited. I feel bad for some of the girls who were on the team the year before because now they did not make the team because of the six new girls who transferred in and took their spots. I feel like the coach should be taking all of the blame for all of the problems he has caused and now all that work and practices mean nothing to them without a chance in the playoffs. Who knows what the outcome of their next game would have been. It is definitely an interesting scenario.
I believe the coach is the only person who should be punished. He's supposed to be setting an example for his players and breaking state rules isn't the way. The girls he brought over from Boolingbrook shouldn't be punished because they were just listening to their coach. The coach was just being greedy and wanted to win and get payed more. He should have gone to Homewood Flossmoor for the money and kept the players they have there. A good coach can coach any group of athletes, that's what makes a great coach and I think Anthony Smith was trying to take the easy way out of coaching.
I do not think the coach is completely in the wrong here. Even though having his former players practice before they moved to Homewood Flossmoor is a little sketchy, you can not blame the coach for having the kids want to play for him. To some kids, winning is everything, and Coach Smith has proven to be a winner. The kids were never forced to come to the school, they wanted to. They chose to stay with their coach. Ultimately, they chose their fate, and it was in their best interest to follow their coach for a scholarship. Also, the punishment to the whole team was too severe. If anything, the 6 recruits should have been suspended with the coach and the kids originally from the town should still be able to play. It would show what Homewood was truly about and give the girls a chance to test their might. These girls deserve some right to playing time and during a crisis such as this, it would bring out the best of them. Let's face it, the IHSA doesn't catch a lot of things. I know two tennis teams from our conference who have been practicing illegally with their coach during the winter. It's about time the IHSA gets more strict on their policies or they might as well not enforce them at all.
I think what happened to HF high school in general is the right choice. It was all messed up since the begging when he brought other girls from other schools to play for him. The only reason why the team went so far in to play offs is because of the talented girls the coach brought from different school districts, that's why i believe they should get disqualified. If they kept on playing it would of been unfair for the other school because they actually played fair and didn't keep the best players that are in a different school, it would be unfair. the coach should be punished for it, not a major punishment that would make him loose his career as a teacher but he should be band from coaching sports. maybe cut down his income money because that was the only reason he left his old school and cheated the way he did, because of money.
In my opinion what happend is that the coach got to greedy and he wanted to win alot. I feel like the coached should be punished because he took the girls on the team. He should have just coached the players on the HF high school team. If the coach was good he can make a good player out of anyone. The girls should not get punished because the coach told them to and they listened, basically the coach is behind everything. The coach should get a good punishment meaning bad for him. It is bad because the girls from HF high school didnt get a chance to play. They should have just suspended the coach not the whole team.
I feel like the coach should be the only one that is penalized by the IHSA. Bringing the girls from his old school was a greedy move that showed a lot about the personality of the coach. He only cared about winning and having the best players on his team. Playing a sport is not only about winning. Yes, trying to get a scholarship to a university is important, but the things that you learn from being on a team are equally as valuable. Bringing in those six girls from Bollingbrook took away all of those benefits from the girls that busted their butts trying to make the Homewood-Flossmoor team. The coach completely disrespected the girls originally on the Homewood-Flossmoor team, and should face consequences because of it. I do not think the girls from Bollingbrook should be penalized because they were just trying to help their future. I believe that if they stayed at Bollingbrook, the girls would have still had a good chance to get recruited, along with the H.F girls, because their spots on the team would not have been taken.
What Coach Smith's greed did to that team is ridiculous. This coach, boasting a spectacular career record, lost all credibility. He used to be held in high regards by coaches across the state, and now he's been exposed as a cheater. No matter how many wins he has earned honestly, he will only be credited as a cheater. The worst part, however, is what he did to the girls on the team. Some of the girls on that team might not receive a scholarship now. They have forfeited all of their wins. They lost playing time for the Bolingbrook players. They can't compete in state. They worked out all summer and there hard work was thrown away. This coach has already won 4 state championships in 12, but he still felt the need the to cheat and screw over the school that has offered him a higher salary. Homewood-Flossmoor must have known the entire time, though. I think that the girl filing a lawsuit against Smith should be suing the school instead. The school must have noticed that, after hiring the Bolingbrook basketball coach, there were 4 basketball players who "moved" and would now be playing for Homewood-Flossmoor. Rather than put put its foot down, the school let it happen. In my opinion, IHSA chose a good punishment for the players. The coach, on the other hand, should be banned from coaching in the state of Illinois.
I think that the IHSA has tooken the rules way to far. The coach did, what he needed to do to be the best. He knew what he needed to do to win a state championship. I feel like he did nothing wrong here. So what if he practiced over the summer. Those girls didn't want there senior year to start off slow. They wanted to be the best right from the start so they could get scouted by good colleges. That means they needed to sacrifice some time over the summer to get ready for the season. I understand that he brought them over from Bolingbrook. I don't think that was right. But the practicing over the summer? I think that's a stupid rule and they should really change that. The coach should of still done the same thing, but with the team he already had at Bolingbrook. The IHSA should also change the rule about how only catholic schools can scout anybody to come to there school, but public schools, they have to Live in the district. It should either be both, or none at all.
I do not agree with what IHSA did to the HF team. The coach did what he had to do to make his team as good as possible. The girls from the previous year should be happy there team is good and would have had a chance to be state champions. The girls should have been motivated to work harder to try to be able to play with the new starters that the coach brought in from other high schools. The girls that started and came from other schools should have been able to compete. They probably worked harder than any other school to get as good as they are. Now all their hard work was good for nothing. Their whole season was good for nothing. This was the coaches mistake not the girls if anything they should give a fine to the coach but not punish the girls for being talented and going to a different school. Im sure the girls feel ashamed about all of this but all they were trying to do was win a state championship and IHSA should have given them a chance.
I don't agree with the HF coach. He recruited played that didn't even go to that school and then he started then in the game. It wasn't really fair to the other players who were already on the team. It probably made then feel like they weren't good enough to play on the team. Starting the players you just recruited makes the other players feel like they suck so bad that he had to start the players he just recruited. Some of the players which came with him from the other school which made it seem like he only wanted his winning team he had and only let players start that are good enough in his eyes.
I feel like the everyone is exaggerating this whole situation. The coach has high expectations, coming from a school that won back to back championships. So if he had a bad record, everyone would dislike him. I still don't see anything wrong with the girls living under the same address. If they sleep and live their, then there shouldn't be no problem. Maybe each of the student's mom's watch them and rotation weekly. As long as they're in the district, there shouldn't be a problem. I don't think the coach should get fired, maybe a small consequence like suspended for a few games. Also, kicking the girls out of the playoffs is bogus. Not all the girls did something wrong, so why would they all get punished for that. Also, all there games they played and won from were taken away. That's ridiculous. How are you going to go back to the previous games and say its a lost, if the score shows otherwise. Again I feel everyone, especially the ISHA, need to stop showing this case so much attention. And for the girl who's suing the school, she's right, at least give her playing time if you bring other players to play at your school.
I agree with how they handled the HF issue. The coach was definitely in the wrong bringing all those girls from the other schools to play for him at HF. It hurt the chances of the HF girls who might have been hoping to play basketball because there was six spots already filled with the transfered girls. I also think that stripping the team of their wins for that season was reasonable because if those sox girls hadn't transferred, they might not have even made it that far or had the record they did. It sucks for the girls and the schools moral but they cant go easy on them and set a bad example for other coaches that might think they can get away with that.
I agree with the players on the issue of HF. Only the formal players should get the credit for playing fair. The new players that the coach put on the team weren't even from the school. It was an unfair and unjustified decision for the coach to make. The coach should have just kept the original girls he had on the team and let them play with the training that they already had. They were prepared and confident of their training. They just needed to make the decision to go out there on the court and play. The most he could have done is push the team a little harder to play well on the court and win. It's not much of a difficulty to sit there and yell a few commands at the players from the side-line. It's the coach's responsibility to call for attendance of the players and give them a push to reach their top game as players.
I don't agree with what they did to homewood flossmor was right. They shouldn't have punished the girls for the coaches mistake. It wasn't there fault they probably were just trying to get extra help by competing in the tournament with the coach. The only person that should be punished for that act is the coach because he should know the rules and should abide by those rules no matter what. I also don't agree with what the coach did. Him bringing 6 girls from other schools 4 from the school he just came from. That isn't fair for the other girls that are on HF. They were replaced by those other girls from the other schools.
ReplyDeleteI think that they over did the punishment for the girls on that team. The coach should know the rules exactly. They shouldn’t have disqualified the girls they just wanted to play basketball. Now all of this happened because the greedy coach wanted to get paid more but still have his star players. It’s especially not fair to the girls who didn’t get to make the team at their own high school because they got replaced by the other six transferred girls. They didn’t even play it smart either, obviously if some of the transferred students claim the same address something’s going on. I wonder if this was all worth it to the coach. Getting sued, getting fired, and forfeiting all your wins. I think that the punishment that the coach got was fair he deserved it, the girls, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with the IHSA for what they did to HF. It’s not right to strip the girls of all of their wins and not let them compete in the playoffs. The girls work hard all season and right as the playoffs start, the IHSA tells HF that they cannot compete. I would like to know why it took them until the playoffs to do something. Also, it is a rule that public schools cannot recruit players but catholic schools can. The girls from the Bolingbrook team might have just liked the coach so much that they followed him to HF. This is probably not the case but the coach is a great coach regardless. When he was at Bolingbrook, they won the championship four out of six years and the two years that they didn’t win, they placed in second. The IHSA should not punish him and his ladies team. He is a great coach and he had hard working girls to back it up. The IHSA took away all of that effort and left the HF girls sad and ashamed.
ReplyDeleteI see where your coming from, it took the girls hard work to get there, but it also took the other team hard work to get where they are now. the school didn't cheat like HF did. The school played fair by choosing girls from the same district not choosing the best girl in the whole state.
DeleteI agree with Joe, the girls whom were already practicing hard to get to the play offs were ignored. They were replaced by other "go lucky girls" to never play basketball on their team again. It was wrong of the coach.
DeleteI think that the coach should only get the punishment, not the girls because he is the one behind this all, and he is the one who brought all the girls in from different schools. The girls should not be punished by getting disqualified only the coach should because is the one who broke the rule and did the things he should of not have done like for example having practice when he shouldn't of have with the girls. In conclusion I think that the 11 girls that got disqualified should be put back on the team and only the coach should get the punishment for his actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dominik, because it basically is the coach that is behind all of this.
DeleteI have to say that the punishment they put on these girls was over the limit.Them getting suspended for the coaches screw up isn't right and that should looked over again. Their coach should already know how the rules go since he's called an incredible coach with over 200 wins and less than 40 losses.Illegal recruiting is wrong to do, he should know that, bringing girls from his former school and from other schools isn't the right thing to do. Its sad the fact that the girls who were already starters loses their spot because of the illegal recruiters.Coach didn't really care about the former starters, all he cared about was his girls he brought over to take over the team, and to lie to the deans about the addresses is not the smartest thing you can do. Coach knows how much pain he caused to this team and the school, getting sued by a teammate, having all your wins go down the drain and probably getting fired. We all know that the coach deserved it and hopefully other coaches learn from this.
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DeleteI think IHSA did the right thing by suspending the coach. It was not his first year as a basketball coach. As an experienced coach he should have known that what he was doing was wrong. Even though the rule of catholic schools being able to recruit their players and public schools not having the opportunity to do so is unfair he still shouldn't have done that. It looks like he just wanted to take his old team with him just to make sure his team will be winning just like in previous years in Bolingbrook.As to the girls I think the punishment was a little bit too harsh. However they knew exactly what he was doing and even helped him by providing the school with fake addresses. I feel really bad for the senior girls who got their senior year experience ruined, I myself would be really devastated if that ever happened to me.
ReplyDeleteI think the ISHA did the right thing. Stripping all their victories was the right move because Coach Smith illegally built an all-star team. The starters for the Homewood Flossmore varsity basketball team weren't even from the district. The girls that transferred in along with Coach Smith wanted to keep being coached by him because he can make a collage level athlete. Part of the reason for this is because he would have practices that aren't allowed according to the ISHA rules and regulations. He had them playing in a summer league as well as conditioning during off season. I feel like the school administers didn’t look into the new all-star athletes that just transferred into the school all that well. It’s unfair for public school to pick out the best athletes like the private schools do. I think the ISHA made an example of Homewood Flossmore.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it was fair for the girls to be disqualified from the playoffs. I don’t think it was there fault in the first place. It is the schools fault for allowing the six girls to transfer in the first place. If they would have denied them then none of this would have happen in the first place. It’s not right to strip all the wins from them either they worked hard all season to earn those wins. It is also messed up for the girls that didn't even get to play; they get screwed over the most because they just wasted their senior year for absolutely nothing. Those girls went to practices and worked hard just to sit on the bench and the only thing they had going for them was a winning season and a shot at a championship and the ended up with nothing. They even lost their shot at scholarships offers because of their lack of playing time. I think the coach got what he deserved. He is a good coach but he tried to have it all the money and a championship, and was very selfish and didn't even believe in the girls on the original team.
ReplyDeleteI think that the punishment they put on these ladies and their coach, Anthony Smith, was not hard enough. I think that the girls who were on the team before Smith came and who were suspended did in fact deserve it, they could have said something before and they are one of the biggest reasons they are suspended. I mean one of the girls did end up starting the investigation and she is the hero along with the IHSA. It sucks that the schools that they played and demolished could have been that one game away from winning their conference, or playing in their regionals games during the playoffs.The other girls who were from Marist, Plainfeild, or Bolingbrook should lose their scholarships, be band from playing in the NCAA for 2 years, and type or write an apology to all the other players. The coach should also pay a fourth of his coaching salary toward fines to the IHSA and another fourth toward the money the school could of used for another sport or academic club. The coach should also be banned from coaching anywhere in Illinois. Other schools do this and it is not fair that catholic schools can recruit and public schools cannot. The off seasons workouts that they held should be limited to two a week for two hours and they should be athletic probation.
ReplyDeleteI think that the girls should get punished with the coach because they are a team and they win, lose, or get disqualified as a team. This was not the first time this happened and the girls should have known what you can or cannot do. The coach should be blamed more that the girls because he should know what the rules are because he is a coach and also because he technically lead the girls to this disqualification. To me thats poor leadership and poor sportsmanship. The fact that the girls knew about the new players and continued to destroy the other competition that followed rules is selfish and poor sportsmanship also. I do not think the girls should lose their trophies or wins because even though they broke the rules it still required dedication and also alot of hard work! they should be disqualified for one year and be watched closely so this does not repeat and the coach should be fired because of his actions.
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ReplyDeleteI think that it was unfair for the girl on the varsity basketball team that had less playing time because six girls from different schools came to H-F, and they didn't even live in the district. The coach of the team allowed this and i'm glad that he got suspended. I didn't think it was fair that the team didn't get to play in the state finals, some of the girls on the team didn't do anything wrong and deserve to play. Some people think it's unfair that private schools can pick up any athlete that they want. they can pick up someone from Indiana to come and play for a team in Illinois. while public schools are stuck with student from their own districts. I think that doesn't really matter if a private school can do that and a public school cant. That's how its always been and it's been fine.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lucas Zurek! These kind of coaches should be punished.
DeleteI think the punishment is fair because the kids and the coaches should have known that this would happen if they decided to transfer and make an illegal team. The coach should not be able to coach anymore because he knew he was violating IHSA rules by hosting summer practices and transferring players so he could make his dream team. Doing that and telling his players they would have a higher chance of getting a athletic scholarship and more playing time if they joined his team is another reason why he should not be able to coach anymore. By promising them game time and a greater chance at a athletic scholarship he was luring them in, it was like he was luring children with candy. The players should also be punished, some players used fake addresses when they transferred to Homewood Flossmore. I think IHSA over punished the players, they should have received a temporary ban, a fine, or the players with fake addresses should be the only players removed off the team.
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree with the punishment that this team received. It's just not fair how the team got disqualified and how their 22-2 record does not exist anymore and they don't even get to go to the playoffs. Besides there's a rule stating that private schools can recruit players and that public schools can't, they can only have players that are in the district. I don't think it's a bad thing to recruit players, because they are doing it to win and have a great season. And not only that but the coach is good too, he has an outstanding record and he gets 33% of his players scholarships. He probably got those players because he seen that they had talent and wanted to make sure that they got a good scholarship, or the players really like him and wanted to stick with him. It's bad how IHSA took everything away from the team. They put in a lot of work on and off the court, they probably could have gone all the way but instead they got disqualified and all that hard work they put in doesn't pay off. IHSA should have just waited till the whole season was over because it wasn't even that big of a deal
ReplyDeleteWhat has recently happened with Homewood Flossmoor is a controversial topic in high school sports. I believe that their punishment came at the wrong time. If they had been suspicious of the team from the start they should have done something before the season had started. Instead they let them play through the season before deciding to disqualify them from the playoffs. I think it is wrong that those 3 girls used fake addresses but the school could have prevented this. The coach should have been the only one punished because the girls were not stopped from transferring to Homewood Flossmoor. The school should be the one taking the punishment instead of the girls. All the hard work they put into the season has gone down the drain. Their record of 20-2 had to be forfeited. I feel bad for some of the girls who were on the team the year before because now they did not make the team because of the six new girls who transferred in and took their spots. I feel like the coach should be taking all of the blame for all of the problems he has caused and now all that work and practices mean nothing to them without a chance in the playoffs. Who knows what the outcome of their next game would have been. It is definitely an interesting scenario.
ReplyDeleteI believe the coach is the only person who should be punished. He's supposed to be setting an example for his players and breaking state rules isn't the way. The girls he brought over from Boolingbrook shouldn't be punished because they were just listening to their coach. The coach was just being greedy and wanted to win and get payed more. He should have gone to Homewood Flossmoor for the money and kept the players they have there. A good coach can coach any group of athletes, that's what makes a great coach and I think Anthony Smith was trying to take the easy way out of coaching.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the coach is completely in the wrong here. Even though having his former players practice before they moved to Homewood Flossmoor is a little sketchy, you can not blame the coach for having the kids want to play for him. To some kids, winning is everything, and Coach Smith has proven to be a winner. The kids were never forced to come to the school, they wanted to. They chose to stay with their coach. Ultimately, they chose their fate, and it was in their best interest to follow their coach for a scholarship. Also, the punishment to the whole team was too severe. If anything, the 6 recruits should have been suspended with the coach and the kids originally from the town should still be able to play. It would show what Homewood was truly about and give the girls a chance to test their might. These girls deserve some right to playing time and during a crisis such as this, it would bring out the best of them. Let's face it, the IHSA doesn't catch a lot of things. I know two tennis teams from our conference who have been practicing illegally with their coach during the winter. It's about time the IHSA gets more strict on their policies or they might as well not enforce them at all.
ReplyDeleteI think what happened to HF high school in general is the right choice. It was all messed up since the begging when he brought other girls from other schools to play for him. The only reason why the team went so far in to play offs is because of the talented girls the coach brought from different school districts, that's why i believe they should get disqualified. If they kept on playing it would of been unfair for the other school because they actually played fair and didn't keep the best players that are in a different school, it would be unfair. the coach should be punished for it, not a major punishment that would make him loose his career as a teacher but he should be band from coaching sports. maybe cut down his income money because that was the only reason he left his old school and cheated the way he did, because of money.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion what happend is that the coach got to greedy and he wanted to win alot. I feel like the coached should be punished because he took the girls on the team. He should have just coached the players on the HF high school team. If the coach was good he can make a good player out of anyone. The girls should not get punished because the coach told them to and they listened, basically the coach is behind everything. The coach should get a good punishment meaning bad for him. It is bad because the girls from HF high school didnt get a chance to play. They should have just suspended the coach not the whole team.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like the coach should be the only one that is penalized by the IHSA. Bringing the girls from his old school was a greedy move that showed a lot about the personality of the coach. He only cared about winning and having the best players on his team. Playing a sport is not only about winning. Yes, trying to get a scholarship to a university is important, but the things that you learn from being on a team are equally as valuable. Bringing in those six girls from Bollingbrook took away all of those benefits from the girls that busted their butts trying to make the Homewood-Flossmoor team. The coach completely disrespected the girls originally on the Homewood-Flossmoor team, and should face consequences because of it. I do not think the girls from Bollingbrook should be penalized because they were just trying to help their future. I believe that if they stayed at Bollingbrook, the girls would have still had a good chance to get recruited, along with the H.F girls, because their spots on the team would not have been taken.
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ReplyDeleteWhat Coach Smith's greed did to that team is ridiculous. This coach, boasting a spectacular career record, lost all credibility. He used to be held in high regards by coaches across the state, and now he's been exposed as a cheater. No matter how many wins he has earned honestly, he will only be credited as a cheater. The worst part, however, is what he did to the girls on the team. Some of the girls on that team might not receive a scholarship now. They have forfeited all of their wins. They lost playing time for the Bolingbrook players. They can't compete in state. They worked out all summer and there hard work was thrown away. This coach has already won 4 state championships in 12, but he still felt the need the to cheat and screw over the school that has offered him a higher salary. Homewood-Flossmoor must have known the entire time, though. I think that the girl filing a lawsuit against Smith should be suing the school instead. The school must have noticed that, after hiring the Bolingbrook basketball coach, there were 4 basketball players who "moved" and would now be playing for Homewood-Flossmoor. Rather than put put its foot down, the school let it happen. In my opinion, IHSA chose a good punishment for the players. The coach, on the other hand, should be banned from coaching in the state of Illinois.
ReplyDeleteI think that the IHSA has tooken the rules way to far. The coach did, what he needed to do to be the best. He knew what he needed to do to win a state championship. I feel like he did nothing wrong here. So what if he practiced over the summer. Those girls didn't want there senior year to start off slow. They wanted to be the best right from the start so they could get scouted by good colleges. That means they needed to sacrifice some time over the summer to get ready for the season. I understand that he brought them over from Bolingbrook. I don't think that was right. But the practicing over the summer? I think that's a stupid rule and they should really change that. The coach should of still done the same thing, but with the team he already had at Bolingbrook. The IHSA should also change the rule about how only catholic schools can scout anybody to come to there school, but public schools, they have to Live in the district. It should either be both, or none at all.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with what IHSA did to the HF team. The coach did what he had to do to make his team as good as possible. The girls from the previous year should be happy there team is good and would have had a chance to be state champions. The girls should have been motivated to work harder to try to be able to play with the new starters that the coach brought in from other high schools. The girls that started and came from other schools should have been able to compete. They probably worked harder than any other school to get as good as they are. Now all their hard work was good for nothing. Their whole season was good for nothing. This was the coaches mistake not the girls if anything they should give a fine to the coach but not punish the girls for being talented and going to a different school. Im sure the girls feel ashamed about all of this but all they were trying to do was win a state championship and IHSA should have given them a chance.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the HF coach. He recruited played that didn't even go to that school and then he started then in the game. It wasn't really fair to the other players who were already on the team. It probably made then feel like they weren't good enough to play on the team. Starting the players you just recruited makes the other players feel like they suck so bad that he had to start the players he just recruited. Some of the players which came with him from the other school which made it seem like he only wanted his winning team he had and only let players start that are good enough in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the everyone is exaggerating this whole situation. The coach has high expectations, coming from a school that won back to back championships. So if he had a bad record, everyone would dislike him. I still don't see anything wrong with the girls living under the same address. If they sleep and live their, then there shouldn't be no problem. Maybe each of the student's mom's watch them and rotation weekly. As long as they're in the district, there shouldn't be a problem. I don't think the coach should get fired, maybe a small consequence like suspended for a few games. Also, kicking the girls out of the playoffs is bogus. Not all the girls did something wrong, so why would they all get punished for that. Also, all there games they played and won from were taken away. That's ridiculous. How are you going to go back to the previous games and say its a lost, if the score shows otherwise. Again I feel everyone, especially the ISHA, need to stop showing this case so much attention. And for the girl who's suing the school, she's right, at least give her playing time if you bring other players to play at your school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how they handled the HF issue. The coach was definitely in the wrong bringing all those girls from the other schools to play for him at HF. It hurt the chances of the HF girls who might have been hoping to play basketball because there was six spots already filled with the transfered girls. I also think that stripping the team of their wins for that season was reasonable because if those sox girls hadn't transferred, they might not have even made it that far or had the record they did. It sucks for the girls and the schools moral but they cant go easy on them and set a bad example for other coaches that might think they can get away with that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the players on the issue of HF. Only the formal players should get the credit for playing fair. The new players that the coach put on the team weren't even from the school. It was an unfair and unjustified decision for the coach to make. The coach should have just kept the original girls he had on the team and let them play with the training that they already had. They were prepared and confident of their training. They just needed to make the decision to go out there on the court and play. The most he could have done is push the team a little harder to play well on the court and win. It's not much of a difficulty to sit there and yell a few commands at the players from the side-line. It's the coach's responsibility to call for attendance of the players and give them a push to reach their top game as players.
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