Baseball: Burbank Burroughs cancels its season [Updated]

The administration at Burroughs High School in Burbank has canceled the varsity baseball season, Athletic Director Marty Garrison confirmed Tuesday.

Principal Emilio Urioste Jr. said 18 players were disciplined and four varsity coaches, including the head coach, were dismissed as the result of an incident during a spring break tournament in Arizona that involved the "coaching staff making inappropriate decisions involving young people."

The school released a statement Tuesday revealing that during a trip to Arizona, "an adult coach purchased beer and made it available to students while in their hotel rooms. Eleven team members admitted to drinking beer during this incident. Seven team members admitted to being aware of the beer but not participating in the drinking."

Coach J.R. Schwer told the Burbank Leader he and three assistants who were present at the mid-March tournament were fired by Urioste on Monday. He acknowledged that a large number of players were served alcohol by an assistant coach, whom he declined to name.

Schwer said he only became aware of the incident last Friday.

“I do my best to hire the best coaches that I can, and we do everything to take care of the kids. For a coach to do what he did...” Schwer said, his voice trailing off. “I don’t think the kids have to suffer by Burbank having their season taken away from them. ... I just feel terrible for the kids.”

The 11 students have been suspended five days from school and four weeks from the baseball team. The seven other players received two days suspension from school and four weeks suspension from the baseball team.

Former Burroughs Coach Jose Valle will take over the program on an interim basis.

The team will forfeit the remaining games on its varsity schedule. The junior varsity team will continue to play.

School officials said a report has been filed with the Burbank Police Department.

-- Eric Sondheimer

 

Comments

[I'mjustaDad]

Team? Not when a bonehead move is done...are they a team if 3 kids and a coach tear up the hotel room? are they a "Team" when they sneak into the bar? are they a "Team" one the stud player gets a scholarship?
New Era got it right! let the 7 play and call up the JV! make the rest sit and watch!
Then Again whats up with a "DEATH PENALTY" for drinking a BEER?
Really?

[thomas]

SFV SPORTS FAN, your argument is rubbish! These kids could have been driven by peer pressure...more than likely...the desire to be known as cool or part of the team supercedes anything these kids might have felt about whether or not their head coach would enforce some type of punishment on the other kids.

The locker room code of ethics, which basicaly states " what happens in the locker room stays there" played a part in this ...and if you've coached or played, you KNOW that exists, and that would also supercede any "feelings" you might have had about how the kids felt about their head coach...

Finally, you prove Sammy Culture's argument about dealing with the consequences of one's actions...rather than hold the kids to account, as they had first hand knowledge, and most likely real time knowledge, and should have brought it to the head coach immediately, you blame the head coach for the ills of the kids.

NewERA, great points on recruiting, and you are correct on all accounts. I see it everyday....jeez, I saw a Catholic high school coach at an 8th grade travel spring league the last two weeks...he has no kids in the league, but according to him, was checking out a kid they are trying to get into his school...hmmmm

I think, however, Culture's point wasn't about Burroughs being a school that recruits, just that in this era, it seems to be getting more and more justified...and wrongly so, by those who are most engaged in it...wrong is wrong, and no matter how someone tries to put perfume on that pig...it's still a pig...there ain't no right way to do the wrong thing

[Mayberry Dad]

SFV Sports Fan - As someone who says they have coaching experience I am surprised by your comment of this being easier for the 7 than having to play and lose with JV players. Clearly you think winning is more important than playing. Most kids would rather play anywhere at anytime than being banished to the sidelines. Strongly disagree with you there.
New ERA - Great stuff. So much different than when I played hs ball in the valley. You hit the nail right on the head. Maybe SFV Sports Fan is refering to some of the players you are talking about. Still think those types are in the miniority... Happy Easter all.

[SFV Sports Fan]

Sammy Culture I couldn't disagree more with the following statement:
"One could argue that their lack of courage to do the right thing cost their head coach his job, and the balance of their season, for if they had reported it immediately, the head coach would have disciplined the asst. coach,..."

I feel it is a Head Coaches job to deliver the message that he will enforce the rules beyond ANY doubt. If the players kept quiet it is because they had at least 1% of doubt as to the reaction of the head coach. The 1% of doubt is not the players fault,it is their reality, it is the Head Coach's fault. I have a bit of coaching experience and feel pretty strong that the kids would have told me if an assistant coach was serving alcohol.

Does anyone think it would have been harder for the 7 who DIDN'T drink to play the rest of the season with JV players and lose every game? I think this punishement is easier for those seven. In the long run I doubt the suspension will be on their record.

[New ERA]

Fire the Head coach only if he knew about the drinking. Lets also fire the principal any time his or her staff makes a mistake. You punish the guilty.
Someone must of came forward or we would not have heard anything.
Fire those involved. Disapline those who knew. Bring up the JV and keep the 7 and let them get varsity experience. I wouldn't put JB in the classification of a recruiting school. They are no where near Chaminade, SVHS, CHS, OC, SB, HWL and many of the other private schools. Kids don't buy into the team concept. They have played for so many travel teams and scout teams that they are use to taking their bag and playing with whomever courts them. It is sad, but kids and parents are all about "What will I get out of it." They are recruited from youth leagues to attend schools they don't live near. They attend different middle schools to get around boundries. Parents on youth league boards influence players to attend certain schools. Travel team coaches influence players to stick together and attend the same high school when they get older. Everybody wants to be wanted and parents look for the best deal for them. TEAM- I think that is something of the past. Gun for hire is where sports have gone. Don't belive in the Miles of lies these type of assistant coaches send out as they hang around youth games and all star tournaments. They recruit for schools that have coaches that can't coach unless they have a stacked deck. Role out the ball and keep telling yourself your a good coach. Prety soon the Times will have to start publishing the best High School Recruiting Class for next season.

[sammy culture]

What up, G? Always wanted to say that.....thank you, I can now cross that one off my bucket list....

First, the principal punished the TEAM...this is a TEAM SPORT...the Burbank 7, as I am certain they will be referred to in the history books, KNEW what was going on and did nothing about it. All they had to do was go to their head coach and tell him what was happening, and he would have, by all accounts, put a stop to it. One could argue that their lack of courage to do the right thing cost their head coach his job, and the balance of their season, for if they had reported it immediately, the head coach would have disciplined the asst. coach, probably firing him on the spot, and cancelled the rest of the trip...thus ending an ugly trip, and incident, but probably serving as enough punishment for all involved, and the principlal would have not had to make such a decision...but..because they remained quiet, they became part of the cover up, and dragged their head coach into it as well, because it was found out afterwards....

The principal hired the coach to be responsible for the team....and he acted upon hearing about the incident and the cover up....he levied the discipline on the school...and thus himself, because he punished his school....now, he has a school board and district heads who have to decide whether or not he keeps his job, but, I would imagine that the self imposed discipline will prove to be enough.

How this relates to recruiting? It's all about doing the right thing...The right thing is to coach the heck out of the kids who show up to your school, and not recruit kids from god knows where...and then pretend you are a good coach.

The sad thing is, as a society we LOVE to make choices! Yet, we hate to deal with the consequences if our choices don't work out as we thought they would. And because nothing is more expensive than regret, we have conditioned ourselves to go straight past regret and attack those who have to dole out the consequence or punishment.

[Tarpin]

The players who knew but didn't speak up were probably worried about the shame and retaliation they would face if they snitched, especially from the assistant coach himself, who was supposedly an authority figure. If this school has a history of overreacting, they were probably already scared to report it.

What will the school administration do next - start suspending kids who've been molested by their teachers because they are too ashamed to speak up about it?

[G]

Sammy- so if the seven players are guilty for not saying anything....and the principal is disciplining HIS team as you say...why isn't he also disciplining himself? With your logic everybody associated w the team on that trip is guilty and should be punished. Whether they participated or not. Wouldn't that also include administrators who hired the coaches and approved the trip?

Bottom line is the ones who are guilty of the crime should get punished, not those who were there making decisions as leaders to NOT participate

Your statement that if any of the kids died as a result of this....Haroof would blame the principal is off the point, however it appears you don't think the principal would hold any responsibility in your example, but yet a student who doesn't drink, but is just as guilty as if he had is responsible and should be penalized is troubling

I don't get how you associate this w recruiting issues?

[jmk25]

You get 7 kids who choose the right path and stay away from drinking and then get punished?! Tell me how that makes any sense at all. We teach our kids to not be followers and to make the right choices for themselves and then when they do that some pathetic excuse of an administrator still punishes them. Those 7 kids dont deserve anything but a pat on the back. The coach who gave them liquor should be thrown in jail, but the other coaches who didnt even know about the situation dont deserve to lose their jobs.

[Mia]

Cancelling the rest of the season is harsh, and the boys who did not drink but knew about it should have spoken up. They are a 'Team'. What one player does affects all the players. Thank you Principal Urioste.

[Mia]

The decision to cancel the rest of the season is a harsh punishment, but it is the right one, and those who did not drink should have spoken up. Thank you Principal Urioste.

[sammy culture]

If the 7 players who didn't drink knew about it, they should have shown the leadership to put a stop to it.

In these days of transfers for purely athletic reasons, and member schools bringing litgation against the CIF because they can't get all of the players that they recruited...allegedly...eligible to play, behavior equivalent to spoiled 2 year olds throwing a tantrum....and parents like Haroof...who, rather than use this as a teachable moment on the importance of leadership and ethics, would prefer to deride a principal for disciplining HIS TEAM AS A TEAM..afterall, he is responsible for the TEAM...it is refreshing to see an administrator take a stand for what is the right thing to do....because goodness knows if one of these kids died in an alchohol related crash after the party, the Haroof's of the world would have blamed this principal for not knowing about or protecting these poor misguided youths from the perils of drinking..and a ridiculous coach(es) who provided the alchohol in the first place.

Like John Wooden said, " Discipline yourself so someone else won't have to"....

[Buroughs Alumi]

If only you knew that principal Emilio and the rest of the administration are the problem!

[G]

So the school dished out virtually the same punishment whether an athlete drank beer or not? That makes sense

How about great job making the right decision when your team mates and coach made a poor one?

Lesson learned? No benefit for doing the right thing, unless you turn in your coach and friends too. Are the AD and principal going to be fired/suspended themselves ? They are as responsible as the 7 players who didn't drink

[Bob Merlin]

Cancelling the season is a bit Draconian! I think the principal is over reacting!

[PhantomFan]

Good for you Principal Emilio!

[legalchick]

Seven players didn't drink but were suspended? Why?

[Stephenk]

What a shame.

[Rosario]

Feel bad for the student(s)/person(s) who made it known to school officials or authorities. The suspensions and displine action will have adverse consequences on them. Yet, the adult coaches should be the ones who face harsh consequences for facilitating illegal drinking for the young athletes. What is the world were they thinking?

[Haroof]

So seven players steered clear of that trouble-waiting-happen but still get suspended because they knew about it?

Pathetic.

Thank God my kid doesn't go to that school.