Coach Grochowski and Player and Parent Overreact

The film of the New Berlin Eisenhower football coach pushing a Pewaukee High School player during a game on Friday has been examined like it was the Zapruder film.

Some background, from 620 WTMJ:

The [New Berlin Eisenhower] coach told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he shoved the Pewaukee player after the player head-butted him following a tackle along the sidelines.

But the player's father told Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Charlie Sykes there was no head-butt.

"My son was getting up off the ground, facing away from the play," he said. "As he turned to face the field, the coach was right there. It was a turn and instantaneous bump." The father of the Pewaukee player filed a police report claiming the head coach threw his son to the ground during Friday's game.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Tuesday:

Pewaukee High School football player and his father filed a complaint Monday with police against a member of the Eisenhower High School coaching staff, police said.

Police Lt. Mike Glider confirmed that police and school district officials are investigating a "pushing incident" between a coach and a Pewaukee High School player late in the third quarter at Friday's football game.

After a review of the incident, the New Berlin school district released a statement saying that Coach Grochowski has "accepted responsibility for his conduct."

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

New Berlin Eisenhower football coach Clint Grochowski has been suspended for two games, issued a letter of reprimand and ordered to apologize to the Pewaukee High School football coach, after Grochowski was accused of pushing a player on the opposing team to the ground at Friday's game, New Berlin school Superintendent Paul Kreutzer said Tuesday.

While the School District completed its review Tuesday, New Berlin police said they are continuing to investigate after the 17-year-old Pewaukee High School player and his father filed a complaint against Grochowski on Monday, Lt. Mike Glider said. The police plan to turn their investigation over to the Waukesha County district attorney's office by the end of the week for review, he said.

Glider would not identify the player or his father because, he said, the teenager is a minor and the potential victim of abuse.

Kreutzer called the incident "isolated" and said the discipline Grochowski has received as a coach has no impact on Grochowski as the school's Spanish teacher.

"He's a terrific coach and an excellent teacher," Kreutzer said. "He has a lot of integrity and is very cooperative."

Grochowski assured the district that such behavior will not occur again, according to Kreutzer. The district has ordered him to stay away from the team's next two games, but he can practice with the team.

Pewaukee school Superintendent JoAnn Sternke said she worked with New Berlin to find a resolution.

"It's a serious matter when a coach lays hands on a student and one that needs to be investigated thoroughly," she said. She said she believes New Berlin has done that and said her district and Pewaukee football coach Clay Iverson are satisfied with the result.

Sternke said the player is not under scrutiny because she believes that the player "didn't act with any sense of intent when his head bumped the coach."

There was contact but no malicious intent by the player, Sternke said.

Under no circumstances should a coach throw a player to the ground.

Under no circumstances should a player head-butt a coach.

Now, as Sternke says, the line is that the player's conduct was accidental.

OK.

Nonetheless, there's a lot of doubt out there. Many people at the game and those reviewing the tapes believe that the head-butting was no accident. It's easy to interpret it as an intentional, violent act.

The coach is being disciplined for his behavior by receiving a two game suspension and letter of reprimand, as well as being required to apologize to the Pewaukee coach.

OK.

What about the player?

I think the player should at least be required to acknowledge that he needs to be more aware of where other people are on the field so he doesn't "accidentally" head-butt someone again.

It's good that New Berlin Eisenhower and Pewaukee worked out a solution to the matter that was acceptable to both schools.

It's also right for Grochowski to take responsibility for his reaction and role in the incident.

But here's the problem: It's not over. The police are still investigating and the Waukesha D.A. should have the report later in the week.

Granted, Grochowski's behavior was out of line. Even though he believed a player intentionally head-butted him, he should not have responded in a physically violent manner. No excuses.

What I wonder is why the player and his father felt it was necessary to get police involved.


Filing a complaint with the athletic board or the school district or whatever body, and staying within the school system, would have been a far more appropriate response from the player and his father.

Grochowski's shove was a knee-jerk reaction. At the time, he believed that he was intentionally hit by a player wearing a helmet. That's no excuse, but that's what it was.

The player and his father, on the other hand, made the choice to contact police and cry criminal assault. It was a calculated and conscious decision on their part.

Although admittedly it was wrong for Grochowski to shove the kid, the player wasn't injured. Calling police was a colossal overreaction.

This was not a brawl involving multiple players and coaches throwing punches. Fans from the stands didn't descend on to the field and begin rioting, resulting in injury and mayhem.

The matter could have and should have been dealt with internally; but that's not what the player and his father were out to get.

They obviously wanted their pound of flesh from Grochowski.