Business Ethics and Youth Basketball
varsity coach's involvement with an AAU basketball team. The community discussion eventually ran its course on the Pleasanton Weekly Town Square Forum. Now the usually civil Danville community is facing a similar uproar over its local basketball programs with nearly an exact set of circumstances as that of the Pleasanton community. However, the Danville situation is a bit more involved because the managing director of a high priced youth basketball development company in town is not only the JV basketball coach at Monte Vista High School, and the 8th grade St. Isidore A team basketball coach, but as well has both the varsity and freshmen Monte Vista High School basketball coaches on his company's coaching payroll. Understanding that high schools despite CIF regulation to the contrary commonly involve themselves with AAU or quasi AAU basketball teams for the purposes of recruitment and training, the question for our Danville community though is how involved should a high school or local basketball development company involve themselves with each other until it is considered crossing the line and unethical? Please keep your remarks civil, polite, and constructive and please do not use personal names to identify individuals. I believe that this is an important topic for the community to face and discuss in the Danville Express/Town Square Forum. Thank you in advance for your well developed thoughts and opinions.
cdt1947b is a registered user.
Youth sports in our community have a reputation at times for being extremely "political". However, in my opinion the word "political" as utilized in describing our youth sports' structure is nothing more than a euphemism for the word CORRUPT. How political are our sports programs, it really depends on the sport, position, and age in which you are speaking. The simple difference of an over zealous little league "daddy coach" protecting his youngster for a coveted infield position, or perhaps promoting his undersized child on the basketball court at the point guard position, to that of an intermediate youth vying for a skilled high school football position such as freshmen quarterback. As you approach high school, where the stakes are higher, the political games and corrupt personal behavior begin looming much larger. Money and influence peddling are a part of the game in protecting or promoting some young athletes in our community. It is a sad, but real situation parents of truly talented children must contend, especially in our community where money is not always the limiting factor.
seyhey24 is a registered user.
Sports in local communities across our country as we all well know have changed and taken on new forms in the decades since many of us as children have last participated. For instance, the Sportstrong basketball website clearly states that the program is not affiliated with any school program and that they are a not for profit organization. Additionally, the Sportstrong managing director is the St. Isidore 8th grade A team basketball coach. The Sportstrong company has approx. 250 participants which generates upwards of $500k annually based on their published rate structure (of course there is no profit when the annual proceeds of the organization go to the coaches). The point is that youth sports no longer clearly follows the strict and simple volunteer structure it once did, but has since become big business in many local communities. Yes, it is not always fair, some kids or groups are at times neglected, but that is the reprecussion of business. Nuff said.
coolheadluke is a registered user. cheap jerseys china
The term "business ethics" is an oxymoron. Our recent national financial scandal demonstrates that unbridled business without regulation in the pursuit of profit understands no ethical boundaries. On the local Danville scene, not for profit sporting enterprises will operate on much the same principle unless checked by local groups such as our schools or churches. In the case of the Sportstrong matter, after our community's "uproar", the MVHS varsity coach went incognito with his relations to Sportstrong, and his personal name was quickly removed from the Sportstrong website. However, we all know and understand that Sportstrong manages and operates a high school AAU team with the MVHS varsity basketball coach called "RED BLACK". We all know and understand that St. Isidore's two 8th grade A level basketball teams are comprised of 80 90% MVHS prospects, and that the MVHS varsity coach was present at the St. Isidore try out evaluations. At minimum, there is at least a perceived conflict of interest at hand. Such sporting companies as they begin to monopolize the community can of course charge much more exorbitant pricing because they become the perceived "gatekeeper" in youth sport development and advancement. The business man merely desires maximum profit, the parents quite understanably desire maximum advancement for their children. who was also in fact the Northern California Section CIF president elect. The St. Isidore church pastor although aware of the situation states CYO is not affiliated with the local church and is a separate entity. Therefore the great Pontius Pilate once again washes his hands of the matter, and status quo reigns master.
bakedgoldfish is a registered user.
Is it a business? Is it a "non profit"? or Is it a way to supplement income for you and your coaches? Summer "Red Black" camp costs over $500. Where does that money go? Sportstrong helps coordinate the web site and sign ups for the camp? Sporststrongs' CEO has a son that gets paid several hundred dollars for working the camp? Coaches are at early morning workouts 3 mornings a week "supervising" off season practices where offensive plays are implemented. Ask a parent, how much do they pay during the year for "Red Black", where does all that money go? Who audits the non profit? It's a known fact, if you don't pay to play for Sportstrong (which is Red Black), you cannot play for the Mustangs and Coach Powers.
mustangmartha is a registered user.
Not sure about the 8th grade tryouts, but do know SportsStrong is the code name for Monte Vista basketball off season basketball program. SportsStrong now includes all the MV coaches on their payroll from Freshman through Varsity. If you are not playing for SportsStrong and supporting Powers part time paycheck, or the JV Coach's supplemental income (head of SportsStrong), you cannot play for the Mustangs. Not sure how CIF let's this go on, but from this first comment, have now figured it out with the MV administration. St. Isadore's has sold out out to support this effort with it's CYO program, and any parents thinking of putting their kids through St Isadore's cyo program must support SportStrong. There is more wrong about what's going on MV basketball right now, but I'm guessing just like the numerous issues with the administration, that his will be kept to quiet hush. Heaven forbid to attempt to play multiple sports at MV now, as if you can't participate in SportsStrong in the "off season", pay incredible fee's to support the coaches supplemental income, and attend those early morning so called workouts, there really isn't a chance to be a mustang basketball player. What's even worse is that it impacts kids. As for the $$'s that are running through these collectively programs, it's sad to believe that a church would affiliate itself with such activities. I agree, a sham has now become a shame.
KarenGreenbrook is a registered user.
I would not expect the Catholic church to take on any higher ground than Sportstrong on the issue of fairness in their youth basketball programs.
Both institutions although they claim not for profit status operate with the profit motive in mind, otherwise they would not be in business today!
What individual or group at St. Isidore in their right mind thought inviting Sportstrong to coach an A level basketball team at a church program was a good idea?
Let me see the raise of hands!
Personally, I don't expect anything less out of MVHS (nothing ever surprises me) as the high school pushes the envelope in all areas, some good, and some obviously bad such as stepping well past ethical lines.
Having the director of a local private basketball development company (SportsStrong) manage your high school junior varsity team definitely SCREAMS serious conflict of interest!
Having the director of a local private basketball development company (SportStrong)manage your 8th grade A team church basketball program definitely SCREAMS serious conflict of interest! cheap jerseys
Sorry to see a CYO program openly sacrifice their integrity for a amped up basketball program which now of course poorly reflects upon the St. Isidore parish.
The inmates certainly control the asylum, and the warden must be completely deaf, dumb and blind.
Boilermaker is a registered user.
My son has played CYO basketball(his coaches were NOT affiliated with Monte Vista) and played in the Sportstrong league(his coaches WERE affiliated with Monte Vista), and we are parishioners of St. Isidore Catholic Church. I base my opinions on personal, first hand observations, and not on hearsay statements of others. The Monte Vista coaches who ran Sportstrong were fantastic, and did a much better job than the CYO coaches who were not affiliated with Monte Vista. The Monte Vista coaches not only taught my son great basketball skills, but more importantly taught him great life lessons skills, like the value of integrity, being a good teammate, and used positive reinforcement to teach those values. As parents, we want quality people as teachers and coaches for our children, and that is exactly what the Monte Vista coaches were. Remember, it was these same Monte Vista coaches, who after losing a heartbreaking game to an Oakland team, organzied a fundraiser so the Oakland team could afford to travel and stay in Sacramento for their championship game. That was a fantastic, christian thing to do, and as a parishioner of St. Isidore, I am proud of them. There is no conflict of interest in having quality people work with our youth before high school, whether in CYO or Sportstrong. There is no "shakedown" by them, that you have to play Sportstrong or CYO for them to play at Monte Vista. In fact, most of the Sportstrong boys will not even play varsity basketball, or will play at another school, like De La Salle, or Doughtery Valley. Danville is blessed to have these quality people work with their children, whether in CYO, Sportstrong, or in high school. I think the negative comments are coming from parents of SRV, and have more to do with excuses as to why the Monte Vista program has been so much more successful recently than SRV, than any alleged ethical program. china wholesale jerseys
It is interesting that an individual is talking about ethics, yet does not know the SportStrong philosophy. The SportStrong basketball program also was not started by anyone associated with now or ever has been with the Monte Vista High School program. Although the JV coach at Monte Vista started the Sportstrong Youth Foundation to raise money for locl club programs to help sponsor financial assistance to those in need of aid, the basketball program is very much a separate entity. The club has been in operation for 8 years, the past four it merged with the foundation but is run separately my myself. I have 27 coaches involved, and fortunate to have 5 that coach or assist at the local high school. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and their excellent job of mentoring and coching the kids. The JV coach at Monte Vista volunteers his services and does not take a penny. I have volunteered my services to my community for over 30 years and continue to do so. Currently over 76% of sportstrong players do not live in Danville nor will attend Monte Vista and 98% of the kids in the sportstrong program participate in CYO with the encouragement of the staff. The vast majority of the coaching staff at SportStrong has coached for years in the CYO program as well at various high schools in the east bay. To offer kids the opportunity to receive excellent coaching and mentoring, whether at the CYO level or at the club level, I view as a positive.
Sincerely, David See SportStrong Director wholesale jerseys
RSchmidt is a registered user.
Of course actual enrolled MVHS students represent an extremely small percentage of Sportstrong's overall demographic clientele. First of all Sportstrong is primarily a preparatory basketball program targeting both boys and girls of various talent between the ages of 3rd and 8th grade ( 25 teams). Additionally, Sportstrong serves other youth basketball communities outside of the Danville area. Therefore one would reasonably expect the number or percentage of high school students, let alone the number of specifically enrolled MVHS students served by Sportstrong to be extremely low in comparison to their overall demographics.
Sportstrong does though indeed have two high school basketball teams, one called "Red Black," and the other called Sportstrong JV. Would any reasonable thinking individual venture to guess the percentage of MVHS students on the "Red Black" high school team, or the Sportstrong JV team? Or for that fact even the number of MVHS prospects on the St. Isidore/Sportstrong 8th CYO A team?