LETTER- If you sign, don't drink

As a parent of a rising ninth-grade lacrosse player, I find it unbelievable that so many folks are upset about the enforcement of a very simple principle: athletes on high school teams need to take responsibility for their own actions [June 1: "Western spate: Refusing an oath, 30 athletes ousted"]. 

If the coach sets up a program that requires the signing of participation rules, then the kids either need to abide by them or give up playing for the team.

It's hard to sympathize with kids who take all those years of training, practicing, effort, and sacrifice and throw them away for a couple of beers.

It really doesn't matter "what other kids are getting away with." When you make the team and are asked to sign participation rules saying you will not drink or abuse drugs, it's really very simple: Don't! 

Rusty Speidel
Charlottesville

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