On Thursday, Florida Atlantic football coach Carl Pelini and defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis resigned in the wake of allegations that the two smoked pot while at a private social function. Rumors of evidence have tickled the newswires, but have yet to surface.
With the decriminalization of marijuana use, both for medicinal and social purposes in various states across the U.S., the debate has meandered it’s way into the sports pages, forums, and television debates. If pot is made legal, should coaches and athletes be allowed to smoke it? After all, coaches and of-age athletes are allowed to consume alcohol. And so the lines begin to blur.
The performance of an athlete is the output of an input. It will be a product of the food he eats, the substances he absorbs, and the vices in which he imbibes. If you don’t believe me, just ask the 2011 Boston Red Sox how their season of “chicken and beer” went.
If diet makes a difference in an athlete’s performance, how much more so does alcohol or drug use tire down a body, affecting performance on the field? While coaches are not athletes, they set the standard for the type of performance and the expectations and commitment that will be produced by the team. Excellence in workouts, excellence in academics, excellence and integrity on the field and off the field. The bar is set by the coaches.
The issue in Pelini’s case is not a question of morality, but of legality. It is irrelevant whether recreational marijuana use is wrong, in and of itself; in the state of Florida, it is still illegal. If the allegations are true, Pelini’s choice to partake in such a public forum is inexplicably foolish. A rookie mistake. A Manziel-esque blunder.
We may never have an answer as to why Pelini made such a drastic slip in judgment. A losing record can do a lot to a man’s self-esteem. It can hurt his pride and distort this judgment in ways that we see demonstrated often in public and political circles. And this fall from grace reeks of self-destruction.
Any good coach will tell that it’s all about the wins. If the wins come, the rest doesn’t matter as much. One has to wonder: if this P.R. nightmare had taken place at a university with a more recognizable name and 7-0 record, would it have been swept under the rug for the sake of the season?
However, long after the scores have been tallied and the trophies handed out, student-athletes will leave with a concept of identity and integrity strongly molded by their coaches, teachers and leaders. Hopefully, they’ll have also picked up a guideline or two about how to safely, responsibly use alcohol and legal drugs… out of sight from camera phones, for starters.
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