There’s a lesson here someplace.
At the risk of dulling the optimism that’s reborn when the lights come on each September, this was always going to be a bumpy season for Carmel football.
This program has celebrated so many big moments since the pandemic, winning three consecutive Section 1 titles and one state championship during a memorable run. It’s no longer a surprise when this team beats the odds, but the clock is always ticking and change is always inevitable.
Especially in this school district.
While searching for another superintendent candidate to fill the leadership void created by a string of unexpected departures, lawyers for the district read the fine print and the board of education moved the goal posts. It flagged second-year varsity football coach Brendan Connolly for using school-issued helmets and shoulder pads during an offseason team camp in June and eventually suspended him for two games.
There was legitimate concern over potential liability issues, but the decision to sideline a popular and passionate coach for any length of time shows a lack of understanding.
Connolly was not on the sideline for last week’s loss to Eastchester and unless there’s been a change of heart, will miss homecoming Saturday, Sept. 20, against Lakeland.
“It’s a personnel matter so I’m not at liberty to share details,” said Carmel interim school superintendent Erin Fairben, who did indicate the school’s athletic programs are currently under review.
Connolly declined to comment when asked about the situation at Section 1 media day before the season.
Team camps have been part of the football landscape for decades and typically provide coaches an opportunity to work with players in a calendar space where football is the sole focus. It’s a chance for newcomers to settle into the lineup. Teams like Carmel that have graduated a lot of talent need this time on the field in helmets and shoulder pads.
And if liability is going to be a sticking point, it should be noted the experience makes the game safer.
“It’s standard practice for almost every team across the state,” said Arlington coach Mike Morano, who is the president of the Section 1 Football Coaches Association.
There’s a real possibility districts in all corners of the state will be calling a lawyer in the weeks ahead to review insurance policies.
“I agree with the Carmel district,” New York State Public High School Athletic Association executive director Robert Zayas said. “If something were to happen with a kid using school-issued equipment they could be in a liability situation. If they are going to use the school equipment, then it should be a school sponsored activity, which it can be. We would allow that to happen. It just has to be open to the entire student body and participation cannot be mandated.”
What prompted a review of the fine print
Carmel signed up to participate in June and July team camps hosted by Morano.
It’s a common side business that is registered with the state. He charges a fee for each player to cover expenses that include use of Arlington High School facilities and insurance. Participating teams do not use district funds to pay for camps, but it’s not unusual for a booster club to help cover the cost. Morano noted he also charges his Arlington players a fee that goes to the district for use of school-issued helmets and shoulder pads. The offseason camps are for instruction and evaluation, so there is minimal contact.
Before he stepped down two years ago, former Rams coach Todd Cayea ran summer team camps at Carmel.
A request for bus transportation ultimately got the attention of the school board. When the parent of another Rams athlete participating with teammates in a summer league called the district to question why football might be getting a free ride, administrators hit pause.
Carmel was ordered to stay home from the July team camp.
The board also decided Connolly should not be allowed to oversee any offseason team activity until an investigation was complete. Eventually, the school handed down the suspension and instructed Connolly to write a letter of apology to football parents that was sent out earlier this month.
Why?
Connolly just happened to hit an insurance tripwire nobody in the district took notice of until a parent called to complain about carpooling to summer league games.
A complete athletics review is not a bad idea
We all know this mad dash to win games and earn scholarships can result in a loss of perspective. Oversight is a necessity.
There are problems at Carmel that cannot be solved in executive session. It’s a big ask but if board members could occasionally stop by practice and interact with the kids and coaches for a few minutes, those relationships might help derail the next controversy.
Like it or not, athletic programs are forward facing. Strong academic standing must be the selling point of any school district, but if you’re a house-hunting parent with children who enthusiastically wear cleats of any kind, you’re going to compile a scouting report.
Has anybody seen the improvements at Mahopac and Brewster?
When the board looks around, it’s going to find the artificial turf is greener on the other side of the fence. Please take a walk around campus. The baseball and softball fields need immediate help. The lower fields are chewed up. Getting the bleachers to open in the gym often requires extraordinary perseverance and multiple expletives.
Renovations are expensive and budget increases are unwelcome here.
Safe and welcoming athletic facilities can be a source of community pride, energize youth programs and maybe even impact home values, but those are secondary benefits. If the district is determined to avoid liability issues, the process needs to be expedited.
Thankfully, the grounds crew has not been suspended.
Back to the rulebook
According to the NYSPHSAA handbook, school sponsored activities conducted out of the sport season are permitted so long as they are open to all students and participation is not mandated by the coaches. The caveat that prompted Carmel’s board to act is an opinion from the New York State comptroller which essentially states that municipal property (like helmets and shoulder pads) cannot be used for private purposes (like team football camps). It’s a gray area. A handful of law firms represent most of the school districts in the Lower Hudson Valley so it really shouldn’t take long to clarify the liability issue and provide needed guidance to achieve uniformity.
What are the odds that an injury related to the use of school issued helmets or shoulder pads might occur during a camp where tackling to the ground is rare? Minimal. And those cases would be difficult to prove, but that fact likely is rarely enough to prevent a pesky notice of claim from being filed.
This impacts football more than any other sport because of the expensive and specific equipment needed to participate.
It makes sense for the kids to use helmets and shoulder pads taxpayers purchased for the high school programs. That gear is replaced or reconditioned and recertified on yearly basis. A helmet from a high school equipment closet is safer than anything comparable purchased on Facebook marketplace or handed down from graduated players.
Until there is a consensus, there will be concern.
“Not having team camp would be catastrophic,” Morano said. “It’s an opportunity to figure out your personnel and see what kind of team you have. It’s where you build chemistry and install schemes. And with Section 1 starting football a week later than the rest of the state, it’s critical to get these kids prepared.”
There appears to be a viable workaround.
According to Zayas, there is nothing that prevents a district from declaring a football team camp on another campus a school sponsored event, which extends coverage to participating athletes. It’s within the rules to charge participants a fee to use school issued equipment and help cover the cost of insurance.
Of course, the lawyers would have to sign off and there’s probably going to be a form to fill out.
And more fine print to read.
Mike Dougherty covers football and writes commentary for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: The blame game in Carmel is a distraction the football program doesn’t deserve: Dougherty
Reporting by Mike Dougherty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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