Mooney coach assaulted by player’s father

Paladin1aa said:
I have no horse in this, but knowing Pelini over the years, here’s my assessment- when Mooney pushed Fecko out and hired Pelini, they bought all his baggage. No parent or kid should be attacking a coach, but the conditions under Pelini were always there for a spontaneous reaction. My outlook is Pelini has always been a jerk. And his personal life problems speak volumes about him. Mooney is not in a good situation right now, athletically and academically. While this incident MAY not be his fault, the bleeding the Diocese is doing with this guy points to a potential divorce to stem the negative PR. Mooney football is a shell of its former self. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

He got on a player for his role in the fight at midfield during the Harding-Mooney game with about 0:30 remaining. I actually have the footage, but never saw fit to release it (on social media). A bit over the top, but just football stuff really. The player's father took exception of whatever discipline came down.

From the outside looking in, I never understood the firing of Fecko. However, whether or not Pelini's perception proceeded him in this case (if it did, the kid shouldn't be playing for him to begin with), it shouldn't have resulted in him being assaulted. Heck, it's well known around here that in the past, I've been highly upset with numerous decisions made by Harding in regards to a young man who was under my care, but I've never resorted to violence. It was ugly to, but cooler heads prevailed.
 
Worm02 said:
He got on a player for his role in the fight at midfield during the Harding-Mooney game with about 0:30 remaining. I actually have the footage, but never saw fit to release it (on social media). A bit over the top, but just football stuff really. The player's father took exception of whatever discipline came down.

From the outside looking in, I never understood the firing of Fecko. However, whether or not Pelini's perception proceeded him in this case (if it did, the kid shouldn't be playing for him to begin with), it shouldn't have resulted in him being assaulted. Heck, it's well known around here that in the past, I've been highly upset with numerous decisions made by Harding in regards to a young man who was under my care, but I've never resorted to violence. It was ugly to, but cooler heads prevailed.
Click to expand...
A good reminder that the Steel Valley needs more Worm02’s. For that matter, our world needs more Worm02’s.
 
jdizzle said:
wins shouldn't invite an altercation between a coach and parent/player. I am assuming you said this sarcastically. At least, I hope you did
Click to expand...
It was sarcastic as it pertained to the specific situation. It wasn't sarcastic as it pertained to what others have outlined on here based on how the coach & admin have acted. The CM ship has been taking on water for quite some time. They need to decide if their pride is going to be something talked about at alumni events & taught in history class or if they're actually investing in maintaining it. If it's the later, then one of the first questions to ask is if the current staff is the right one for them.

Absolutely ugly incident, but also the kind of incident those familiar with CM could not have imagined happening in the past. There were relationships that went well beyond the field. Not sure those exist any longer.
 
Last edited:
When my kids were playing sports my motto was"unless the coach was doing someting physically, emotionally or mentaly to cause harm to my child, stay out of it". There was one point where I felt a coach was harming my son emotionaly, I called the coach, made an appointment and presented my case to him. We did not get into an arguement. He understood my point and said he didn't look at it from my perspective and he understood how I did not see it from his. I guess my point is to cool down, state your concern and listen to the other side. Not a Pelini fan, but no one deserves this.
 
Paladin1aa said:
I have no horse in this, but knowing Pelini over the years, here’s my assessment- when Mooney pushed Fecko out and hired Pelini, they bought all his baggage. No parent or kid should be attacking a coach, but the conditions under Pelini were always there for a spontaneous reaction. My outlook is Pelini has always been a jerk. And his personal life problems speak volumes about him. Mooney is not in a good situation right now, athletically and academically. While this incident MAY not be his fault, the bleeding the Diocese is doing with this guy points to a potential divorce to stem the negative PR. Mooney football is a shell of its former self. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
You fire an employee who just got assaulted (wether deserved or not) rather than support them and you are facing a lawsuit. Cheaper to keep him until contract is up and just not renew rather than bleed more $
 
Kballer said:
You fire an employee who just got assaulted (wether deserved or not) rather than support them and you are facing a lawsuit. Cheaper to keep him until contract is up and just not renew rather than bleed more $
Click to expand...
This is 100% true. And while most will be distracted by the reports in the news, that fact is the part that will make lots of Cardinal booster ask "how did it come to this?"
 
Raylan_Givens said:
It was sarcastic as it pertained to the specific situation. It wasn't sarcastic as it pertained to what others have outlined on here based on how the coach & admin have acted. The CM ship has been taking on water for quite some time. They need to face the point of it their pride is going to be something talked about at alumni events & taught in history class or if they're actually investing in maintaining it. If it's the later, then one of the first questions to ask is if the current staff is the right one for them.
Click to expand...
The bolded, for sure.

Even if one sets aside the "Ursuline football > Mooney football" dynamic, in the bigger picture you have

  • a school(-community) that currently doesn't have the same level of boisterous community pride as 'The U'
  • a school(-community) that also doesn't have the same amount of 'new, exciting things' (e.g. capital improvement projects, flashy uniform combos) as 'The U'
  • a school that has been facing major weaknesses to its reputation of 'safety' because of the neighborhood it is located in
All of which are already difficult for Mooney as a school to contend with, ceteris paribus as it relates to football... but then, in the Carl saga, you have
  • the hiring of a coach who became 'available' (if you want to call it that) due to a well-known and highly unceremonious departure saga from the D1 game
  • with that coach, there was already negative attention brewing due to post-game happenings involving Carl('s staff)
  • and now, sadly, the school and its football program is getting linked to an incident of violence that happens on the 'inside.'
Run both of those third bullet points together. CM has taken a string of hits over the recent years. Some were avoidable, some they were never in a position to meaningfully change themselves. The self-imposed errors were already a big cross to bear, but now this incident really calls into question the image of the school. It's still a good school, but, in the marketplace of education, they're the Catholic school in town that somehow ended up with a kid hitting on his football coach? The bad apple can eliminate the positive reputation of a student body, at large. Not good.

It's a sad, darkest hour moment. Sad and dark for Mooney, sad and dark for those of us who appreciate the intents and missions of schools like Mooney.
 
Parents are so sensitive to seeing coaches yell at or discipline kids now it is truly amazing. Well with the lawsuits to follow the father and son will learn the hard way how wrong they were.

I will say this , you think it’s bad now, the parents of this next gen (6-11 year olds) coming up are different. I fear we are going to see a lot more of this stuff in the future.
 
Worm02 said:
He got on a player for his role in the fight at midfield during the Harding-Mooney game with about 0:30 remaining. I actually have the footage, but never saw fit to release it (on social media). A bit over the top, but just football stuff really. The player's father took exception of whatever discipline came down.

From the outside looking in, I never understood the firing of Fecko. However, whether or not Pelini's perception proceeded him in this case (if it did, the kid shouldn't be playing for him to begin with), it shouldn't have resulted in him being assaulted. Heck, it's well known around here that in the past, I've been highly upset with numerous decisions made by Harding in regards to a young man who was under my care, but I've never resorted to violence. It was ugly to, but cooler heads prevailed.
Click to expand...
The grass ain’t always greener on the other side with coaching, when you fire a state championship coach you better have a damn good back up plan, and I don’t think Mooney did
 
UnDone said:
Parents are so sensitive to seeing coaches yell at or discipline kids now it is truly amazing. Well with the lawsuits to follow the father and son will learn the hard way how wrong they were.

I will say this , you think it’s bad now, the parents of this next gen (6-11 year olds) coming up are different. I fear we are going to see a lot more of this stuff in the future.
Click to expand...
It's interesting. My oldest son is 28 and played through college and is now coaching. My youngest son is 14 and a freshman. I have seen a huge difference in parents. I also still coach youth wrestling and see even younger parents.

I may just sound like the old guy, but those parents don't want to hear "rule #1 is coach makes all decisions." "Rule #2 if you don't agree with coach, see rule #1"

I have seen parents argue play calling, how many touches their kid gets, what position, not to mention how a coach talks to their kid, which coach is allowed to coach their kid, etc. I couldn't imagine my dad dealing with that as a coach, nor doing it as my parent.
 
330Football said:
The grass ain’t always greener on the other side with coaching, when you fire a state championship coach you better have a damn good back up plan, and I don’t think Mooney did
Click to expand...

Back when I was a correspondent for the Tribune, I covered the ‘08 Harding-Mooney football game at Mollenkopf. After Mooney’s 17-0 victory, I interviewed Fecko, Braylon Heard, and Ray Vinepal. All were extremely nice and I’ve kept in touch with Heard & Vinepal via social media.

Recently, a close friend of mine hit me up and told me that he’s now working with Fecko. He was pleased to see some supportive posts of mine on Facebook.
 
falcons53 said:
It's interesting. My oldest son is 28 and played through college and is now coaching. My youngest son is 14 and a freshman. I have seen a huge difference in parents. I also still coach youth wrestling and see even younger parents.

I may just sound like the old guy, but those parents don't want to hear "rule #1 is coach makes all decisions." "Rule #2 if you don't agree with coach, see rule #1"

I have seen parents argue play calling, how many touches their kid gets, what position, not to mention how a coach talks to their kid, which coach is allowed to coach their kid, etc. I couldn't imagine my dad dealing with that as a coach, nor doing it as my parent.
Click to expand...
It’s brutal. This is also why middle school is struggling a bit , you don’t have lines of people wanting to coach.

Thanks for volunteering your time and coaching the youth, not many want to do it now.
 
Kballer said:
You fire an employee who just got assaulted (wether deserved or not) rather than support them and you are facing a lawsuit. Cheaper to keep him until contract is up and just not renew rather than bleed more $
Click to expand...
Buh-loney. Pelini’s W-L record would be quite enough to warrant a change at HC.
 
I don't care what they do just keep him and his Mooney team out of Hubbard. I know the Hubbard PD doesn't want him near the visitor's locker room down at Hubbard Memorial Stadium after what happened. It's actually the same night he went on the run as well. 😂
 
UnDone said:
Parents are so sensitive to seeing coaches yell at or discipline kids now it is truly amazing. Well with the lawsuits to follow the father and son will learn the hard way how wrong they were.

I will say this , you think it’s bad now, the parents of this next gen (6-11 year olds) coming up are different. I fear we are going to see a lot more of this stuff in the future.
Click to expand...
Last night I was talking to parents who recently lost their son to drug addiction. He was an athlete and they centered their whole life around youth sports practices, games and trainings all the while holding him to zero accountability around schoolwork, chores or other responsibilities. Through this experience and with speaking to other parents of addicts, they realize that years of never saying no or bending boundaries for them contributed to his path of addiction and ultimate death. Imagine reflecting that what you felt was taking care of your kid’s needs, actually contributed to their demise.
We have to learn from this, especially when they are young, so that a future generation does not go down the same path. Our inability as adults to create expectations of our kids and then to also support the schools and coaches when they try and hold our kids accountable should be viewed as a crisis.
This CM situation seems to reflect this.
Of course I’m not saying that all kids who are parented this way will end up a drug addict.
 
RiverRat72 said:
Last night I was talking to parents who recently lost their son to drug addiction. He was an athlete and they centered their whole life around youth sports practices, games and trainings all the while holding him to zero accountability around schoolwork, chores or other responsibilities. Through this experience and with speaking to other parents of addicts, they realize that years of never saying no or bending boundaries for them contributed to his path of addiction and ultimate death. Imagine reflecting that what you felt was taking care of your kid’s needs, actually contributed to their demise.
We have to learn from this, especially when they are young, so that a future generation does not go down the same path. Our inability as adults to create expectations of our kids and then to also support the schools and coaches when they try and hold our kids accountable should be viewed as a crisis.
This CM situation seems to reflect this.
Of course I’m not saying that all kids who are parented this way will end up a drug addict.
Click to expand...
A lot of parents push their kids to the extreme, that’s why “travel” sports brings in more and more whack jobs.
 
CM plays a fairly competitive schedule on a weekly basis imo. The margin of loss usually doesn't appear that lopsided. Don't know anything about the politics of the school now but I have observed this program over the years especially when they were in their prime and having been on the losing end numerous times in the playoffs I still have respect for the program. The lack of discipline is not unique to Mooney from what I can see. I whole heartedly agree with the previous poster that something has changed and not for the better when it comes to sportsmanship and healthy competition. Too much intimidation mentality imo, but I guess that's where we are today.
 
smarcescens said:
CM plays a fairly competitive schedule on a weekly basis imo. The margin of loss usually doesn't appear that lopsided. Don't know anything about the politics of the school now but I have observed this program over the years especially when they were in their prime and having been on the losing end numerous times in the playoffs I still have respect for the program. The lack of discipline is not unique to Mooney from what I can see. I whole heartedly agree with the previous poster that something has changed and not for the better when it comes to sportsmanship and healthy competition. Too much intimidation mentality imo, but I guess that's where we are today.
Click to expand...
This is not happening only at Cardinal Mooney. Losing a year of socializing due to Covid and our current "in-your-face" mean spirited climate in the country are contributing factors. I hear it from teachers and administrators all the time. I was a teacher 39 years (retired) in Catholic high schools in SW Ohio and in '23 was asked to fill in for a teacher who was ill (I was there four months). Students were emotionally and socially immature at levels I was neither prepared for nor did I have the skills to deal with. It was the longest four months of my life. And this particular co-ed Catholic high school was once known for its discipline. Administrators at this once-renown school would respond to the situation by explaining why (Covid, spirit of meanness kids see in adults with an "anything goes" attitude towards others) but they themselves had no clue how to advise the teachers in the trenches. The incident at CM is to the extreme but it doesn't surprise me, not because its Mooney (this can happen anywhere) but because teachers are leaving throughout the country in droves because of it.
 
Cinciirish said:
This is not happening only at Cardinal Mooney. Losing a year of socializing due to Covid and our current "in-your-face" mean spirited climate in the country are contributing factors. I hear it from teachers and administrators all the time. I was a teacher 39 years (retired) in Catholic high schools in SW Ohio and in '23 was asked to fill in for a teacher who was ill (I was there four months). Students were emotionally and socially immature at levels I was neither prepared for nor did I have the skills to deal with. It was the longest four months of my life. And this particular co-ed Catholic high school was once known for its discipline. Administrators at this once-renown school would respond to the situation by explaining why (Covid, spirit of meanness kids see in adults with an "anything goes" attitude towards others) but they themselves had no clue how to advise the teachers in the trenches. The incident at CM is to the extreme but it doesn't surprise me, not because its Mooney (this can happen anywhere) but because teachers are leaving throughout the country in droves because of it.
Click to expand...
Cinciirish, if you only KNEW how accurate your words are, to EXACTLY what's going on today, not just in schools, but everywhere. I'm also a teacher/coach, in year 39, also in SW Ohio. What you describe is spot on for things we are seeing on a daily basis, unfortunately. Times have honestly changed, and the issues we see in our culture today, and bemoan about, can all be traced back to a few common things. Covid most definitely set kids back socially-emotionally, not just one year, IMO, but more than one. They tend to lack the grit needed to be resilient, about pretty much anything, in general. Add to that, parents seem to see it as their obligation to not just smooth over any bumps in their kids' road, but to now completely obliterate any obstacle that has even the slightest chance to have a negative impact on their kid...in ALL settings. AI has brought with it a new level of cheating, coaches can't freely "coach" so much today, & no, I'm not talking about those who should find another line of work b/c of their character issues & moral/ethical integrity shortcomings, but even those who are in it for all the right reasons. It's just not worth the mental & emotional, as well as physical toil all of this takes on teachers/coaches over time. I haven't even mentioned the enormous amount of time spent away from their own families, in helping others' kids develop. This incident @ CM is an extreme example, but none-the-less, these type of things are happening SO often today, I believe we've pretty much become normalized by how often they do happen.
 
Wow a coach being tough on players what a shame. For some of us that played in the mud a coach shaking your facemask until your head almost popped off was normal. Believe me back in the 80's and early 90's this would not even be a conversation. Parents nowadays are as soft as they come. No wonder kids aren't tough anymore. I could only imagine what the coaches were like in the 60's and 70's. There would be lawsuits filed.
 
Parochial schools have always provided an alternative to public education. Better or not is in the eye of the beholder. That being said, CMHS is not showing itself as a better alternative to anyone.
Everything is cyclical.
I do have a great- nephew attending Mooney because he was unable to get in to UHS. He loves it. I am sure he is getting a great education. The problem with this for Mooney is they are surrounded by excellent schools; Boardman, Poland, Canfield, and the like. They don’t appear to be a better choice.
 
devilcat37 said:
oh BS....there is nothing that could be said on the sideline that would warrent a parent entering a coaches office or the locker room and assaulting him....NONE, that is beyond unacceptable
Click to expand...
Who said that something was said on the sideline?
Do you know what or where this altercation materialized?
Was it words?
Did the coach talk crap about the player’s parents?
Was there a physical confrontation before the coach/parent incident?
I believe we all have the ability to beat the sh** out of someone if pushed hard enough?
I was just curious what it was.
Enlighten us.
 
NEOne said:
Wow a coach being tough on players what a shame. For some of us that played in the mud a coach shaking your facemask until your head almost popped off was normal. Believe me back in the 80's and early 90's this would not even be a conversation. Parents nowadays are as soft as they come. No wonder kids aren't tough anymore. I could only imagine what the coaches were like in the 60's and 70's. There would be lawsuits filed.
Click to expand...
you ain't kidding. I played in the 70's and witnessed many "assaults" on kids by coaches especially by today's standards. I know adults outside of the coaching staff would have seen some of the events as well since practice was open to observers for the most part. I never remember a coach being called out for it though. Just part of growing up in the 70's.
 
golden dawn said:
The cycle argument is true if you're simply talking about football records. However the two schools are now headed in different directions that go far beyond athletics. Take one example: Ursuline is building a new arts and athletics facility while Mooney is struggling to keep enrollment. I think it is going to take a dramatic move by Mooney alumni and the diocese to stop the bleeding - academic and athletic-wise. I feel bad for Pellini as that must have been an upsetting experience. I feel even worse for my Mooney friends who have invested so much in the school and the program over the years. A player participating in an assault on the coach? I can't begin to imagine what would have went down if this was the Bucci or Fecko era.
Click to expand...
Why would 2 schools in not only the same diocese but the same town/neighborhood have an advantage over the other when it comes to curriculum, academic opportunities, facilities etc? Is it just a case of one alumnus raising more money, is tuition revenue from increased enrollment making a difference? You would think from an academic and facilities viewpoint the two schools would mirror each other.
 
Crimson and Black said:
Why would 2 schools in not only the same diocese but the same town/neighborhood have an advantage over the other when it comes to curriculum, academic opportunities, facilities etc? Is it just a case of one alumnus raising more money, is tuition revenue from increased enrollment making a difference? You would think from an academic and facilities viewpoint the two schools would mirror each other.
Click to expand...
Even though they are in the same city and diocese they are still individual entities. Leadership at each school is driving the direction in which each place is heading. Mooney's leadership is severely lacking at Mooney right now.
 
NEOne said:
Wow a coach being tough on players what a shame. For some of us that played in the mud a coach shaking your facemask until your head almost popped off was normal. Believe me back in the 80's and early 90's this would not even be a conversation. Parents nowadays are as soft as they come. No wonder kids aren't tough anymore. I could only imagine what the coaches were like in the 60's and 70's. There would be lawsuits filed.
Click to expand...
We were coached hard in the 70’s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top