LETTER: Lift the ban, and let Van Den Elzen compete

To the editor:

I’m requesting that the grandfather clause recommended by WIAA for Trent Van Den Elzen be installed at Suring Public School.

Taking away something from a child that has done everything by the book and has been a great teammate is one of the cruelest injustices I can think of. One of the questions I have been asked is what do the coaches think about what is going on with the school not allowing one of the most decorated wrestlers in the M&O Conference to finish his senior year as a dual sport athlete.

Let’s be clear: Coaches/teachers are employees of the district. Like most employees, if you were to ask them if they want more or less responsibility, what would they say? Do you want to deal with parents of children that cry about it isn’t fair? Do you, like the coaches from a majority of the schools in the area, want to make things work?

None of the coaches and athletic directors of school districts look forward to sharing athletes or dealing with parents that cry it isn’t fair, but they do because they know it is the right thing to do for the children.

If you’re an employer, are you looking to hire the employee that puts in extra effort to work overtime or the employee that complains about the one that is pushing. These are valuable lessons that the Suring School District has completely wrong. This is a case that again, if the district doesn’t reverse, shows that the overachievers pay for the underachievers.

I also would like to ask the taxpayers of the district with our district losing many of our quality students/athletes, why no concern? As taxpayers, I believe we should ask for our teachers/coaches not to exceed the other districts but at least match the effort of your counterparts.

This is a lost opportunity for athletes and coaches of the other district that have competed against Trent not to have the opportunity to do so this year. I’m asking the school board to reverse this anti-educational ban and allow the grandfather clause to be enacted.

Who will suffer if the ban is lifted? Trent will have his whole life to have things taken away; let’s not start here.

Mike Van Den Elzen, Suring