I have been blessed over the years to have the privilege of speaking to dozens of high school and college football teams and even a professional team or two. I love sports so I always do it for free for educational institutions.

Occasionally you get a surprise when you show up at a speaking venue. I was about to deliver the motivational keynote speech to Atlantic Electric in the early eighties when the CEO announced a layoff of 15% and an across-the-board pay cut in the same amount. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, here’s the motivational speaker!” Talk about being cold-cocked.

My son, Cory, is the Head Weightlifting Coach at St. Cloud High School in St. Cloud, Florida. He is also an Assistant Football Coach in charge of strength and conditioning for the Bulldogs. His Head Football Coach, Bill Buldini, recently invited me to do the motivational pre-game speech for their opening conference game with Edgewater High of Orlando.

Cory arrived in the cafeteria where I was to speak with the players in tow. He quickly pulled me off to the side. “Dad, we have a problem. Coach Buldini has been suspended for providing housing for a homeless player. You need to know that before you speak.”

Out the window went the prepared speech. Thank God for Toastmasters! For me, getting through this was easy. For the players and the remaining coaches it was hard. Clearly distracted, they lost a close game that night that they should have won.

Coach Buldini was suspended for helping a homeless player who could not help himself. The rule is clearly there to prohibit coaches from recruiting star players from other districts to play for their team. The young man involved here comes from a difficult family situation. The father lost his job and their home and moved north to find work.

This young man didn’t walk onto campus last week. He has been a member of the St. Cloud Bulldogs for three years now. With due respect to him, at best, he is a mid-level player who is probably better in the classroom than on the gridiron. I’m told he’s an A-B student who is more likely to earn an academic scholarship than an athletic grant. There aren’t hundreds of schools begging for his playing services in college. All the kid wanted to do was finish high school with his classmates, earn a diploma and play out his senior year. Now he has lost his temporary housing and his eligibility has been suspended as well. Unless reversed by the powers that be, he will never play again.

St. Cloud High School may now have to forfeit two hard-earned victories over teams they beat earlier in the year. In addition, the school may have to pay significant fines. The fact that the school self-reported the violation should lessen the fines and should be in their favor. However, it is fair to expect sanctions will be levied.

Thousands of people are up in arms and are pounding the internet with indignation over this situation. Cory personally asked me not to write about this until the process had run its due course and I respected his wishes.

Coach Bill Buldini, who is a teacher of modest means, reportedly receives a $3,850 stipend as head coach. At the time of this writing, he is subject to financial penalties and severe sanctions that will forever blemish his coaching record. This is a shameful situation. It penalizes a coach for doing the right thing.

Coach Buldini has temporarily been reinstated. When I spoke to him before his team’s victory over Evans of Orlando, I put my arm around him and told him that he did the right thing. He chose values over victories. When he stands before his maker, he will be judged kindly for reaching out to help another human being, for feeding, housing and caring for a homeless player.

The bigger question here is what will happen to this young man now? I’m the ball boy for Cory’s freshman team and I get to see the young man as he prowls the sidelines slapping kids on the helmet and coaching them up at freshman, junior varsity and varsity games. He has been deprived of his passion of playing for the rest of his high school career, but it doesn’t mean he cannot be an inspiration to others. Perhaps he will find a new calling as a coach and a mentor to others. Will this make him bitter or better? Only time will tell.

My main concern for him now is his personal welfare. He was to take his SAT’s recently. Hopefully the team Chaplain, who is a local Youth Minister, can assist him in getting to the testing site.

Hopefully, he can find some housing and sustenance that doesn’t violate some law or rule.

Hopefully, this young man won’t end up on the streets on drugs because all his other options have been exhausted.

Hopefully, the system will come to its senses and put a stop to any further sanctions or penalties.

Hopefully, this will make him better, not bitter.