All too familiar, Stacy, but what a great example by you as a coach for sticking to high standards for your athletes. It's a hard decision to make, but sports are about a lot more than the scoreboard, and one bad influence can sometimes do more to destroy a team than their contributions can possibly make up for.
Coach D might remember a few years ago when I cut a player (actually, never allowed him to try out) who was one of the previous season's leading scorers because of attitude problems, classroom problems, and unwillingness to cooperate. Hard decision, but his influence would have been more disruptive than helpful. It cost us, sure, but in the long run the team got much better when they knew they were either respectful, reputable, and coachable--or gone.
Speaking of Coach D...hey, Dave, how've you been?
