Sorry, Not Sorry

Usually I try to stay away from opinion pieces and try to write objectively, but today I have to do a public call-out of Austin Krause, the Farmington High School goalie who intentionally scored on himself, flipped his coaches the bird and walked off. Here is the article where he states his reason for doing it was because he wan't the starter (except for Senior night, obviously).  My post serves two purposes:  to vent about it, and to make a plea that other young athletes don't find this cute and copy him.

First off, whether he thinks so or not, this did not prove his point by any means.  In fact, it reaffirms the coach’s decision to play the sophomore over him.  From the outside looking in, it appears the coach’s decision to play him this game was the mistake; not his decision to not play him before.  I can say as a competitor that I hate losing more than I could ever hate a coach, no question.  If Mr. Krause didn’t have that attitude, he has no business backstopping his team.

Second, this is one of the most selfish plays I’ve ever seen.  Even if he claims some of his teammates were okay with it, I guarantee not all of them were.  Whether he liked or didn’t like his coach has nothing to do with it; the fact that he cared more about proving a point to his coaches than to battle hard for the boys he’s played with since youth hockey is one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen in sports.

Third, perhaps the most disheartening thing for me when watching and reading this was the lack of respect for the game he has.  Positive Coaching Alliance urges coaches and parents to create Triple Impact Competitors:  Athletes who make themselves, their teammates, and the game better each and every day they are there.  As someone who absolutely loves the sport of hockey, I’ve always taken this to heart.  Mr. Krause didn’t just show his coaches up or let his teammates down; he dishonored the game of hockey.  From a coach/player/fan’s perspective, the game of hockey took a step forward yesterday when he walked away from it.  Here’s to hoping athletes across the nation don’t see this kid as a role model and replicate things like this.  If you love the game of hockey, honor it.  Go out there every day and attempt to make it better.