I thought about one of my former coaches last week and you will too after reading about Chase Johanson.
Have you heard about this guy?
Johanson is suing a high school in Ohio because he said he didn't get enough playing time and was kicked off the team when he took to twitter to complain about it. Johanson, who is now enrolled at North Carolina-Wilmington where he is on the track team, is suing his former high school, its basketball coach, athletic director, and high school principal for over $75,000.
Yes, seriously.
I was about four paragraphs into this story when I began thinking about Jim Schultz, our defensive line and linebackers coach in high school. Schultz was a World War II veteran who, one of my teammates joked, flung his helmet and rifle away and whipped the Germans single-handily with his hands, feet, and teeth. Schultz wasn't mean. He just couldn't tolerate whiners, slackers, or players who got sick while running conditioning drills.
So, I imagined how Schultz would've reacted had someone complained to him about playing time or tried to sue the school district because he felt he was mistreated. It wouldn't have been pretty, I assure you, and most of you probably had a coach who would've reacted the same way.
Johanson's relationship with his high school basketball coach apparently began to sour after he missed a game as a sophomore to perform in a high school musical. He claimed his playing time began to diminish shortly afterward and he was singled out for negative treatment. Johanson didn't make the team his junior year and he was mostly a reserve as a senior.
Johanson greatly disliked his role as a backup and took to social media to complain with tweets such as "Am I really THAT BAD that I can't even play for a losing team?" and "At this point, the trainer has been on the floor more than me." He also tweeted that opposing teams would love to have him if it were legal.
Johanson was kicked off the team shortly after his basketball coach learned of the tweets. The dismissal prompted Johanson to file a suit which, his his lawyer claims, "violated his client's due process, caused humiliation and embarrassment, and ruined his chance for personal enrichment and potential scholarships."
Yes, really.
Some cynics will read about Johanson's actions and insist he is a product of a growing entitlement society where people expect handouts instead of working for things. But I've covered high school athletics long enough to know that people like Johanson are outnumbered at least 100-1 by student-athletes who don't complain and work for everything they get.
But if you are a person like Johanson, know this: No one owes you a thing in life. Not your coach, your teacher, or your school. The sooner you realize this, the better off you'll be.
I also wonder about Johanson's parents, who've likely coddled their son for a very long time. He hasn't been prepared for the inevitable, when young people actually get jobs and must often do things they don't enjoy.
Like working overtime or weekends.
I don't know what degree Johanson is pursuing in college or what he wants to do when he finally looks for work. But I've been in the real world long enough to know one absolute fact about employers looking to hire people -- whiners need not apply.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTSWRITER FOR NWA NEWSPAPERS
Sports on 09/13/2014