HS runners DQ'd for ‘LiveStrong' wrist bands

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » October 12, 2004, 11:12 am

This is so fucking weak.

HS runners DQ'd for ‘LiveStrong' wrist bands
"LiveStrong" doesn't add up to "run fast," at least for one high school official in Virginia.

More than two dozen high school track athletes were disqualified from an Oct. 6 event in Virginia Beach, Va., after an administrator ruled Lance Armstrong's popular "LiveStrong" wristbands amounted to jewelry, banned under district rules.

Some 26 athletes were wearing the yellow plastic bans and were subsequently disqualified from the track event, according to a report in the The Virginia Pilot newspaper.

"It's the stupidest rule I've ever heard," said Lanny Doan, one of the high school coaches. "We're talking about a rubber band. It's not going to harm anyone."

Some 12 million of the wrist bands have been sold nationwide to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The wrist bands have become a cultural phenomenon, with big-time sports stars and even presidential candidates sporting the plastic bands.

The wrist bands, however, fell afoul with school officials in Virginia who have banned all except religious or medical jewelry from high school track events. The Virginia Pilot reported high officials notified coaches by e-mailed prior to Wednesday's with reminders that the rule would be enforced.

Several athletes won their heats but were later disqualified after wearing the wrist bands. One of the school's girl's squad lost out on the team competition because of the ruling.

"Basically, we lost because of a cancer-support bracelet," Ocean Lakes coach Mike Nestor told the newspaper. "This is a friendly sport. I'd rather be told kids had to take them off before they run than told ‘gotcha' afterward."

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » October 12, 2004, 11:16 am

whatever dipshit thought they were going to make their year by nailing a couple of kids for a bracelet infraction might find himself out of a job.

haha, i bet he didnt anticipate national media attention to his being a cocksucker.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 12, 2004, 11:31 am

I saw that yesterday, Ten... What a complete load of shit. I hope that fucker is fired. Maybe later today I'll see if I can find an email address for him or for his school and post it.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » October 12, 2004, 11:38 am

Here's a name to start off with:

EDIT: too fucking easy.

Linda Babb, Kellam High school’s athletic director and the administrator who oversees Beach District cross country, said she twice issued warnings to coaches about the “no jewelry” policy. She added that coaches received copies of the rules at the beginning of the season and were e-mailed prior to Wednesday’s meet with reminders that the rule would be enforced.

FLOYD E. KELLAM HIGH SCHOOL
Home of the Knights
2323 Holland Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23453
Main Office: (757)427-3232 | Guidance: (757)427-1564 | Clinic: (757)427-1515 | FAX: (757)427-6265

Babb, Linda J.
Bus: (757) 427-3232 (voice mail 59035)
E-mail: LJBABB@vbschools.com

Here's her principal's contact info:

Biehl, Bruce
Bus: (757) 427-3232 (voice mail 59004)
E-mail: BBIEHL@vbschools.com

Deward · Post by **Deward** » October 12, 2004, 12:08 pm

As a Junior High football coach, it is very easy to miss a rule. THey give a pretty big list at the beginning of the year and it is easy to miss something during a game. I have had cases where players forget to take a necklace or wristband off. Luckily the referees will just point it out and the kid can rip it off real quick.

They should have told the kids to just remove the bands before they ran instead of telling them to take it off afterwards. Sounds like a fixed match to me.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » October 12, 2004, 12:28 pm

In looking at the original story on the Virginia Pilot newspaper, they also DQd a female runner after the fact for having a deadly and vicious hair elastic on her wrist.

They also mention that exemptions are given routinely for plastic banded wristwatches, many of which have bands made of the very same material as the LiveStrong bracelets.

I plan to email the principal and the athletic director to voice my displeasure and to request sanctions against this coach.

Raistin · Post by **Raistin** » October 12, 2004, 5:58 pm

good, they should be punnished for going along with a steriod pounding ego freak.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 12, 2004, 6:09 pm

I shouldn't even bother to respond to that Raistin, but I'll ask one question...

Even if Lance Armstrong has taken more performance-enhancing drugs than any other athlete on the planet, in what way does that diminish his contribution to the anti-cancer movement?

My email to the principal/athletic director:

Mr. Biehl,

Because I live in California, events at a Virginia high school cross-country event don't often get my attention. However, due to the actions of your athletic director reported in the article which I originally saw on velonews.com (but is now on nearly every major sports web site throughout the country), the disqualification of 26 athletes at your school caught my eye. I am a supporter of the Nike/Lance Armstrong 'LiveStrong' campaign. It is especially important to me after watching my best friend's father die of lung and lymphatic cancer approximately 5 years ago. As such, I was dismayed to see that these bracelets, which stand for something so positive, have become associated with this negative situation.

I can certainly appreciate the need to have rules at athletic events, and to have those rules followed; but in this case, I think an exception should be allowed. On an almost daily basis, athletes are becoming the focus of the media for various negative reasons. This is a case of an athlete doing something very positive and something he doesn't need to do. I'm not here to try to sell you on Lance Armstrong, his foundation, or cancer awareness. However, it seems to me that the ultimate goal of our educational system should be to educate our children and if possible, instill some values that will make them better citizens. In this case, you have students who have made the decision to endorse a cause which is extremely positive and it seems to me that this would be the type of sentiment and attitude you'd want to cultivate among your students.

Of lesser note is that the news articles indicate that the students weren't aware they were violating the any rules prior to their competition. If this is the case, I don't really understand how you can fault the students on any ground.

I strongly encourage you to find some type of compromise to bring this situation to a positive conclusion for everyone involved.

Best Regards,
Noel Reynolds

Raistin · Post by **Raistin** » October 12, 2004, 7:12 pm

I dont know, I just said the most evil thing I could think of in order to provoke someone.

It worked!

noel · Post by **noel** » October 12, 2004, 7:31 pm

Raistin wrote:I dont know, I just said the most evil thing I could think of in order to provoke someone.

It worked!

LOL I figured you were just bored and baiting.

Markulas · Post by **Markulas** » October 13, 2004, 12:07 am

The rule is unfortunately is very true. I've had a yellow band for a few months now and i can say as a safety concern there is none because the rubbing of the band doesnt even hurt. Before a race now in Cross Country they do specifically tell you to take off these bands but you can have a metal watch.

Denadeb · Post by **Denadeb** » October 13, 2004, 12:15 am

Linda Babb needs to have her head pulled out of her ass before she suffocates. Thats the most idiotic thing I have seen in awhile. That was a pretty good email you sent and hopefully its taken to heart.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 13, 2004, 10:48 am

Suprisingly... they replied to my email:

Bruce Biehl <bbiehl@vbschools.com> Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 2:59AM
To: Noel Reynolds
Please be advised that the decsion to disqualfy the runners wearing the
Lance Band has been reversed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linda J. Babb <ljbabb@vbschools.com> Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 3:46AM
To: Noel Reynolds <wirespeed@gmail.com>
The disqualifications have been overturned even though most of them were not for bands.

Denadeb · Post by **Denadeb** » October 13, 2004, 11:23 am

Well thats good to know.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 13, 2004, 8:01 pm

School district backpedals on LiveStrong wristbands
By The Associated Press
This report filed October 13, 2004
Stung by criticism of its action, a high school district has reversed a decision to disqualify cross country runners for wearing Lance Armstrong LiveStrong wristbands.

The decision was reversed because "adequate prior notice had not been given to the participants," Bruce Biehl, Kellam High School's principal and chairman of Beach District cross country, said in a statement released Tuesday.

More than 20 runners were declared ineligible in a meet last Wednesday for wearing the popular LiveStrong bands, sold for $1 apiece. Proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides practical information to cancer survivors.

Runners will be allowed to continue wearing the wristbands for the rest of the district cross country season, he said. Biehl added that clarification will be sought on wearing the bands during regional and state competitions.

A flood of e-mails protesting the decision followed a story Saturday in The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk detailing the Beach District's action.

The decision to disqualify the runners, Biehl said, was in keeping with a recently drafted National Federation of State High School Associations ruling classifying the band as jewelry. But Biehl acknowledged that runners and coaches weren't given much notice. The Virginia High School League circulated the new policy to schools on Oct. 4, two days before the meet.

Many of the runners in last Wednesday's meet said they were unaware that the bands were classified as jewelry and would have taken them off had they known they risked disqualification.

"Our kids certainly weren't wearing them to be defiant," said Mike Nestor, coach at Ocean Lakes High. "We're kind of in awe of everything that's happened."

But Nestor said the controversy has served as a learning tool for his athletes.

"Sometimes you wear that band but forget what it's really for," Nestor said. "I've received e-mails from all over the country from cancer survivors voicing their support. Through their stories, we've learned what an inspiration that band really is."

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » October 13, 2004, 11:07 pm

fuckin A.