Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Four Waddell players dismissed from boys basketball team

Four Waddell players, including two starters, have been dismissed from the team after they were involved in a hotel room theft during a holiday tournament, sources told the Observer.

Last month, Waddell played in a holiday tournament in Spartanburg. MEGA 7 conference mate Olympic was also there. While Olympic was playing, one of the four Waddell players went to the front desk at the hotel and told a clerk that he’d lost his room key. Only, he asked for a key to a room that actually belonged to Olympic coach Ty Baumgardner. The clerk apparently didn’t confirm the room key was for the proper room.

Two videocameras and a watch were stolen from Baumgardner’s room. Baumgardner would not comment when contacted by the Observer. Sources said he would have the stolen items returned.


CMS police investigated last week and the players were removed from the team. They will not play for the remainder of the season for a team that is contention for a conference championship and was among the favorites to make a strong run in the N.C. 3A playoffs.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg spokesperson Lauren Bell said CMS could not comment on any disciplinary actions taken against any student and referred the Observer to the CMS code of conduct. That code considers stealing a Tier 3, 4 or 5 infraction. Penalties range from zero to 11 days of out of school suspension (Tier 3), up to 365 days out of school suspension (Tier 4) or explusion.

The four players did not play in Friday’s 60-44 win over Garinger or in Tuesday’s 73-66 loss to Harding. Waddell is 13-6 overall and 5-2 in the MEGA 7 conference, tied for second place with Harding.

29 comments:

Jay Hanig said...

Waddell? Why am I not surprised?

Anonymous said...

What terrible writing. Does anyone edit columns anymore?


Baumgardner, who sources said would have the stolen items returned, did not press charges and would not comment when contacted by the Observer

Are we to assume that Baumgardner would have stolen the items back?

Anonymous said...

They steal and are not arrested just because these scum are athletes?

Anonymous said...

They steal and are not arrested just because these scum are athletes?

Anonymous said...

If the players are on an IEP, then they cannot be suspended, they are free to terrorize the school with impunity.

Anonymous said...

I hate when people post things that are assumptions and not factual. CMPD could not press charges because the do not have jurisdiction over the theft since it happened in a different city and state.

Anonymous said...

I want to know if these kids were ever enrolled in Bright Beginnings.

And how many Free or Reduced lunches they've had.

Sportsdon said...

My son is on an IEP and he has been suspended every time he broke a school rule...but he doesn't play sports either.

Anonymous said...

I guess stealing a towel is out of fashion.

anonymous said...

If you steal CMS property CMPD may be able to step in.

wiley coyote said...

I wonder if all those people who desperately want to keep sports programs within CMS and who always state "we can't cut sports because they build character and teamwork", read headlines such as this and the ones surrounding Butler over the past year.

Yeah buddy. We're producing student athletes with wonderful character!

Anonymous said...

Having had a son involved in sports at CMS, I would say we are producing athletes with good character; however, that has more to do with parenting and outside support than it does with CMS. It is not up to the school system to parent our children. One of the boys involved in this (and yes I know who they are, not hard to figure out), has been involved in other trouble, is trouble on the court and off and it would appear that little has been done to curb that. We need a balance of good athlete, good student and good human being. Too many times we see coaches wanting to win so they put up with bad behavior. Without consequences the bad behavior continues. Personally I think coach should have pressed charges in SC where it happened and had them arrested. We should expect greatness from every child, they were not created for less.

erin said...

WTH does free or reduced lunch have to do with anything????

I had free or reduced lunch throughout school (thank goodness) and am a college graduate with a home and family.

Only poor kids steal? Ha, the biggest thieves, losers, and druggies I knew growing up were my private school friends.

Anonymous said...

Where is the NAACP? Where is your excuse or blame to society for these theives. Want another aduit, woops, thats a bad word around the NAACP these days.

Anonymous said...

How did we fail these young men? Im sure they are just misguided and should get another chance. We can't give up on these young men.
LOL..................

We the people said...

I am always amazed at the critical and racially ignorant comments posted about these types of stories. It illustrates the average level of intelligence of those reading the online Observer. not very high.

wiley coyote said...


We the people said...
I am always amazed at the critical and racially ignorant comments posted about these types of stories. It illustrates the average level of intelligence of those reading the online Observer. not very high.


January 26, 2011 1:00 PM

Thank you for playing!

We have some lovely parting gifts for you...

Anonymous said...

You can't judge an athletic program at any school or system by the very small percentage of athletes that get in trouble just like you can't judge a police dept by the small percentage of bad cops. And that would apply to doctors, lawyers, plumbers, or anything else. Athletes get in less trouble at school, make better grades, and have better attendance than the average studnet. Sportsmanship is what coaches are always trying to push but sometimes the home gets in the way, ask the North Stanly coach.

Anonymous said...

Okay im a student at ee waddell and after all this yall people are still judging us give us a break dam when will you adults grow up stop being so racist against us what did we ever do to you just because we are a black school dont try to down us people make mistakes and all you that commented something wrong are a mistake you are a mistake that should have never happen leave waddell alone and mind your own business see people like yall are feeling bad about your selves so you choose to pick on others we are students youth i hope all your kids face stuff that we have to face every day you stuck up no good human beings God sees ugly so when you talk about us he sees that so dont believe that your going to make it to heaven judging kids america is a dirty place for people to talk down on kids leave waddell alone and get your lifes together before you worry about others

Raider Teacher said...

As a teacher at Waddell, I want to first apologize for the Waddell student who just murdered the English language. I know a few of these kids, and as cliche as it may sound, they aren't bad kids. I also did some dumb things at that age (even got my butt arrested my senior year one night). I'm not ready to write them off just yet. But they deserved to be removed from the team.

Anonymous said...

I bet there 3 point shooting percentage is going to rise!

Anonymous said...

Raider Teacher, I agree with you. I also know a couple of these young men. I don't want to write them off either and I actually was looking forward to keeping up with them as they hopefully became successful in college in the classroom and on the court. I would like their punishment to be such that they understand they cannot continue down the path they are on and they turn this thing around. One in particular has been given a "pass" the four years I have known him, because he is good on the court. I personally had a conversation with an AAU coach who told me he does not care if the child has a bad attitude or bad grades as long as he can dunk. My response "and that is part of the problem."

Like I already said, expect greatness. Parent your children. Be their biggest fan and their toughest disciplinarian. Don't give up on them but don't let them get away with bad behavior, even when they are very young. They are just too precious.

Anonymous said...

This is not the first time kids from this team stole and it was pushed to the side. Some players a year or so got caught breaking into a candy machine. The coach should be teaching these kids more about life skills other than basketball. Playing is just part of it, but to lead by example! more like it.

Anonymous said...

Let's take a look at the coach..Now where are your star players? Maybe if you took the time to mentor young men instead of trying to be pretty boy flyod ya might have still had some type of team INSTEAD of them being exploted out in the world. Was the coach monitoring his players? I know training starts at home but if you are involued on a daily bases with a child then you to have the RESPONIBILITY!

erin said...

Good God Waddell student....Stay in school, you're going to need it.

Anonymous said...

Almost everyone on here needs to use spell check. Instead of downing these boys go and get hooked on phonics for yourself.

Anonymous said...

Leave the coach alone. Like it has previously been said, it is not up to the school system to parent our children. A high school coach can't do but so much for a 17 or 18 year olds behavior. Children these days begin to think they are grown in middle school. Behavioral issues start at home. It's unfortunate that another bad story is associated with my school :/

Anonymous said...

These comments show how racist and ignorant of a TOWN (not city) Charlotte truly is; they're on EVERY Charlotte news website. A lot of you sound as if you have no education yourselves; as they say, the pot calling the kettle black. From a young, educated, black male who's a former CMS scholar athlete.

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