Mr. Regnier 6/28/07 FOIA # 117
I am making the following FOIA requests:
Mr. Bruce Patrick was hired by Mr. Jansen to assist him with complaints from FISS. He conducted investigations into these complaints by meeting with FCPS coaches, SAD, school officials, FISS members and commercial business owners.
I would like copies of all reports/documents regarding his findings to FCPS officials.
I believe Mr. Jansen would have (Read the article)
The following is part of the training that all FCPS coaches have received from FCPS.
Conflicts of Interest - An employee of FCPS may not advertise, promote or direct a student to any business entity in which they are employed, they own or otherwise have financial interest.
Coaches may not direct athletes to a specific camp, clinic, team or league.
Coaches may not be involved in the selection, direction or placement of high school athletes in a specific clinic, camp, on a team or in a particular league.
Coaches may not promote any business or encourage involvement in any business in which they or members of their family have a financial interest.
If coaches are compensated by a clinic, camp, team or league they can not use their high school position to promote or direct the placement of any student.
If a coach is called by a business and offered the opportunity to bring “x” number of students to a clinic, camp, team or league for instruction and the coach participates, the coach is most likely ” coaching out of season”.
It is a conflict of interest if the coach is paid or otherwise compensated by the organization for the students you direct/send/bring to a clinic, team or league.
Coaches may not provide telephone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses to businesses or parents interested in contacting students.
Coaches should not be actively involved in the organization of any out of season activities that are not open to all students.
Coaches should not be selecting teams for out of season leagues, nor should coaches be recommending who should be on what out of season team where participation is limited.
These are just part of the rules that all FCPS coaches need to follow.
Mike Grasso
Paul- 6/12/07I would also suggest that you review the Langley High School sports website and links. It seems Langley football coaches are also promoting only one private camp this summer and that is the one owned by Gjormand/Skinner. FISS would like to know what FCPS employees/coaches are going to be employed by this firm at these camps. They advertise that “there will be no conditioning at camp” so we would like to ensure there are no out of season activities going on here.
Also on the Langley HS site/boys varsity lacrosse is a link to www.shootingstarslacrossecamp.net. It is identified on the Langley site as “The official site of Langley Boy’s Lacrosse”. I guess there is a relationship between the Langley HS program and this company. When you click on the link, you will see information about Shooting Stars. The director of the camp is, by the way, Earl Brewer, Head Coach at Langley High School. The field director is Richard Desomma, Head Coach of Langley girl’s lacrosse.
It would seem these coaches are violating a number of FCPS policies on promoting businesses where they have a financial interest.
Mike Grasso
Paul- 6/12/07Based on your last response, you indicated that your office was reviewing the other school’s websites to assure that they were in compliance with FCPS rules. I noticed on Woodson High School’s football website (www.woodsonfootball.com), there are a number of references to camps, all but one sponsored by the private company owned by FCPS employees Gjormand/Skinner, Greater Vienna Sports Camps. Here is what I find troubling about the information being offered to FCPS students and parents:
If schools are going to promote private camps, they should be required to suggest alternative camps (parents should be given choices).
The language used on the website promoting these camps hints that these camps are not open to all students. Examples are; “for all returning skill players”, “for anyone who will be playing for WTW in the fall”. The message MUST be: These camps are open to anyone and a player’s attendance at these camps has no impact on them making the team.
Will any Woodson coach be attending these camps? Are any Woodson coaches being paid to participate in these camps? Is there any kick-back to Woodson for any players that are attending these camps? It seems peculiar for Woodson to ONLY suggest camps sponsored by Greater Vienna Sports Camps. How can other private businesses obtain a foothold into Woodson Football?
There are three camps being promoted on this site. A passing camp, a pit camp, and a middle school camp. Why is Woodson promoting a middle school camp?
The checks are being collected by Coach Trey Taylor and are being sent to Woodson High School and they are being promoted on Woodson Football’s webpage. If I were a parent, I would assume that FCPS and Woodson High School are sponsoring this camp.
The only camp on the Woodson Football website not sponsored by Gjormand/Skinner is a “Cavalier Football and Athletic Booster Youth Camp”. It is for ages 9 thru rising 9th graders. As you know, it is imperative that parents are told that their kid’s participation has no impact on them making a football team or getting an advantage with the program and/or coaches. Given that, let’s review the language in the brochure:
“Improve their chance for success in the upcoming season” means chance in making the team?
“Campers will have a head start on the competition this season”
“For many players this will be the winning edge they need”
WHEN WILL IT END?
Mike Grasso
Paul 6/11/07
We would be happy to meet regarding camps. Please give us some dates and times.
I believe you have a very big problem regarding school web sites, booster web sites, coaches web sites and school sport sites which may lead to conflict of interest.
Please review all sights ASAP so non of the above takes place.
These sites need instructions regarding what is permitted and what is not. People who are users need to be trained and someone has to have oversight to insure only permitted information is allowed.
Looks like to many hands in the cookie jar and no controls.
Please let me know when all sights are cleaned up so that FCPS will not be embarrassed.
Mike
PS We still have a few questions that have not been answered.
Gentleman 6/11/07
When will it end? Two years and nothing is done.
Check out McLean HS’s boys lacrosse page. At the very bottom there is a link to the head coach’s business-called Madlax. They not only do camps but it is a sporting goods store that specializes in lacrosse gear.
FCPS coach’s are promoting their businesses on FCPS web sites and FCPS is letting them get away with it.
FCPS IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB WHEN FISS HAS TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THESE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BY COACHES.
Mike Grasso
President
Fairness In School Sports, LTD
Vienna Sun Gazette
From The Sports Editor: That Stinky Political All-Star Process
(Created: Saturday, June 9, 2007 7:03 AM EDT)
It’s that time of year throughout Northern Virginia and the United States when the selection process is on going to choose the young baseball players who will field the various all-star Little League and Babe Ruth teams. And boy, don’t believe anything else, because what a filthy political process it is. Basically, a kid has two ways, maybe three, to be chosen as an all-star. One is on merit alone. If players have extraordinary talent, they will be an all-star, even if they might not be the most coachable, are unselfish and just aren’t very nice kids. Second, players are often chosen not based on their talent and upstanding character. Instead, it’s all about what their dads or moms do for the league. The bigger the bigwig mom or dad is in the league, the better the chance their child has of being chosen an all-star. You don’t think so. Then just look at any of those all-star rosters. (Read the article)