Helping Student in Need Gets Coach in Hot Water

Doing the right thing by kids.

The story of the Florida high school coach suspended for housing a homeless student has a lot of folks talking and most raising an eyebrow, at least initially. One major network hit the nail on the head with its assessment of the situation.

Fox Sports writes:

In the movies, taking in a homeless high school kid who turns out to be a heck of a football player makes for a heartwarming story.

In real life … not so much.

On the surface, it appears that a coach with a humanitarian streak was suspended for trying to help a kid in trouble. The reports from the Orlando Sentinel indicate St. Cloud High School coach Bill Buldini sat out his team’s most recent game with Edgewater after the school self-reported a violation of Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) code that is theoretically designed to curb the recruitment of athletes.

The rule that was broken is pretty clear – it states that school employees or representatives of the school’s athletic department cannot provide or promise free or reduced-cost housing for a potential athlete in their program. The apparent issue also seems clear, the coach provided housing for a player who had become homeless.

Of course, there are two distinct ways to view the issue. One is that an adult with connections to a teen learned of his negative circumstances and stepped in to help someone in need. That is the good Samaritan angle and the one we hope tells the true tale.

The second is that a football coach, fearful that one of his players might not be able to play football, ensured his continued participation and thus the potential continued success of his program. This angle gains significant consideration if the young man just so happens to be one of the best players on the team.

At this point it is not clear if the second view is pertinent in any way. The student’s name has not been released for privacy reasons so it is unclear if he was an impact player or just one of many boys participating in the program.

Interestingly enough, the violation of Florida athletic code did not mirror district policy regarding employees though news sources indicated that district “regulations call for the district to work with homeless and dispossessed students directly rather than rely on its employees.” If the district felt that the coach had acted inappropriately they certainly did not indicate as such. After sitting out one game, Buldini has been reinstated to both his coaching duties and day job as a social studies teacher.

But according to new sources, the FHSAA is continuing to look into the matter. And if they find he has acted against Florida regulations new sources indicate the association could fine the coach monetarily and also act so as to vacate some of the team’s victories.

Unlike the college athletic environment where coaches are paid millions, Buldini is paid a $3,850 annual stipend for serving as the football coach. Clearly his actions, even if they were to help keep a valuable player in the program, are doing little for his financial future.

But the school has taken the step of holding the player out of practice and games for the time being. This step of course eliminates any potential conflict of interest and ensures that the humanitarian effort is not about winning football games.

While a logical step, those who work with high school students know that athletics actually keeps many kids in school. Without the chance to participate, that could well be the eventual outcome here.

It is a challenging situation and mirrors the complexity of today’s world. Sadly, it is a situation that furthers the view among our young people that society isn’t about helping them.

But there is one clear lesson here. Too many of our adult rules work against people trying to do right by kids.