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Posted November 19, 2008

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If you are here reading this, chances are you read my column in last Saturday's paper (Nov. 15) about the new Frankenmuth Athletic policy. I have received a lot of feedback both positive and negative regarding this topic, and just wanted to address that feedback in one big statement.

First and foremost, please do not take this personal. In no way, was this column meant to be a slap in the face to Frankenmuth administrators, teachers, coaches, community, or students. I have been asked many times why this column was so one-sided. My answer: because it is an opinion piece. I have earned the right as a sports writer to write columns on my opinion. My opinion is that i do not agree with this policy.

Now, I have also been notified that the copy of the policy released to the public (and posted on our website) was not an exact copy of the Policy itself, but rather a copy of notes, written up my administrators to talk about the new policy at the meeting. With that being said, people have told me that I took the policy out of context and misinformed readers of this policy. That is the exact reason i have posted the policy online for everyone to read. I have also been told that this policy is not new, it has been in place since 2005, the only thing that has changed was the 25 days of contact over the summer between coaches and players.

My response to that is, if the 25 days was the only thing that was changed, then why is this just now causing such an uproar among the community, and causing top-notch coaches to resign. This makes no sense to me.

Again, please understand that this column was strictly MY OPINION. That is why it has the side it does. There have been other columns wrote about the topic in other papers, that refuse to take sides, and that is pointless.

Thanks again for all of your feedback, positive or negative, it is still important to me to hear from you.

Thank You.

Chad Wingert