Post by PukaPants on Oct 9, 2006 18:03:21 GMT -5
www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/09/20/sports_local/sports_local.1.txt
Stroud hopes to clear his name
CSI community reacts to press conference
By Eric Larsen
Times-News writer
TWIN FALLS — Nearly a month after his firing, Ben Stroud told his side of the story.
Stroud and attorney Bill Mauk met the media, along with a crowd of Stroud supporters, current players and interested members of the CSI community for Tuesday’s 11 a.m. press conference at the Turf Club in Twin Falls. After a whirlwind three weeks that saw Stroud’s ouster as CSI head coach and an NJCAA sanction that banned the Golden Eagles from postseason play, Stroud and his attorney categorically disputed the charges against him.
“Well, I think I’d just like to get my name cleared,” Stroud said. “I’d like to see our team get reinstated.”
Mauk released a 12-page press release that included statements from Tasi Talia, the recruit the NJCAA’s seven rules violations charged to CSI were based around, and Talia’s sister Vai. A group of pro-Stroud supporters attended the one-hour conference and gave Stroud three rounds of applause throughout the course of the proceedings.
While Mauk said that no decision had been made about making any possible legal action against CSI, Stroud’s lawyer did say that a lawsuit may be pursued, hinting that the end of this scandal may not be within immediate reach.
Stroud spoke publicly for the first time about how the firing has affected his family.
“Well, I think it’s been tougher on my family than it has on me,” Stroud said. “I mean, my daughter, her whole life — and all you people know Hailey — her whole life has been being around volleyball. And that’s what she knows and it devastated her. It hasn’t really been easy on me either, because I feel so bad for our team more than anything. That’s where my heart’s at.”
The entire 2006 CSI team and assistant coach Delphine “Babes” Kalulu attended the conference. Sophomores Kaylene “Pudgie” Finau, Christine Manuel and Aneli Cubi-Otineru all voiced their support of Stroud, who they won the 2005 NJCAA Division I National Championship with.
“Coach has always been our backbone and I could always lean back on him to help and take care of things,” Finau said. “We’re having to just depend on each other now.”
All three sophomores decided to sit out the season after it was announced CSI would be ineligible for postseason play this year and the three have been bombarded with questions about their futures and the state of CSI volleyball since Stroud’s firing.
“I’m sick of talking about it,” Manuel said.
“My answers have become so short,” Finau added. “It’s just like, ‘Oh, nothing.’ I’m just tired.”
Among the supporters who showed up to the Turf Club was Wade Bond, a longtime friend of Stroud and father of current CSI sophomore defensive specialist Whitney Bond.
“It’s been pretty devastating around the whole Bond household,” he said. “The girls’ mom cried all day and Whitney cried two days straight. She came back to play for Ben. She was going to redshirt, but Ben talked her into playing. My youngest daughter (Jessica) has been planning on playing for Ben quite a few years now, so she’s up in the air about things now. It’s pretty devastating.”
Reading off Tuesday’s release, Mauk also stated Stroud’s intent to return to the coaching ranks.
“Coach Stroud is willing to engage in mediation with the college to see if they can resolve their differences, including Coach Stroud returning to coach the women’s volleyball team at CSI.”
The quote was met by applause by Stroud’s supporters. The former Golden Eagles coach also said he was open to the idea of coaching elsewhere.
“That’ll happen — I hope — somewhere down the road,” he said. “Well, I have to make a living. I have to do something, you know.”
Three hours later and across Falls Ave., current CSI head volleyball coach Heidi Cartisser wrapped up the Golden Eagles’ Tuesday practice. While her entire squad attended the conference earlier in the day, Cartisser was focused on getting them ready for Friday’s Scenic West Athletic Conference opener against the College of Eastern Utah in Price, Utah.
“To me, it wasn’t a distraction,” Cartisser said. “I’m out here trying to do my job, put together a practice plan and try to get everything organized behind the scenes. I mean, I understand the situation the girls are put in, but at the same time, I’m just here doing my job.”
While Tuesday’s conference marked another chapter in an ongoing saga, most people who were questioned addressed their hopes for some amicable end to the situation.
“I just hope something good comes out of it,” Finau said. “It’s just been really hard.”
Stroud hopes to clear his name
CSI community reacts to press conference
By Eric Larsen
Times-News writer
TWIN FALLS — Nearly a month after his firing, Ben Stroud told his side of the story.
Stroud and attorney Bill Mauk met the media, along with a crowd of Stroud supporters, current players and interested members of the CSI community for Tuesday’s 11 a.m. press conference at the Turf Club in Twin Falls. After a whirlwind three weeks that saw Stroud’s ouster as CSI head coach and an NJCAA sanction that banned the Golden Eagles from postseason play, Stroud and his attorney categorically disputed the charges against him.
“Well, I think I’d just like to get my name cleared,” Stroud said. “I’d like to see our team get reinstated.”
Mauk released a 12-page press release that included statements from Tasi Talia, the recruit the NJCAA’s seven rules violations charged to CSI were based around, and Talia’s sister Vai. A group of pro-Stroud supporters attended the one-hour conference and gave Stroud three rounds of applause throughout the course of the proceedings.
While Mauk said that no decision had been made about making any possible legal action against CSI, Stroud’s lawyer did say that a lawsuit may be pursued, hinting that the end of this scandal may not be within immediate reach.
Stroud spoke publicly for the first time about how the firing has affected his family.
“Well, I think it’s been tougher on my family than it has on me,” Stroud said. “I mean, my daughter, her whole life — and all you people know Hailey — her whole life has been being around volleyball. And that’s what she knows and it devastated her. It hasn’t really been easy on me either, because I feel so bad for our team more than anything. That’s where my heart’s at.”
The entire 2006 CSI team and assistant coach Delphine “Babes” Kalulu attended the conference. Sophomores Kaylene “Pudgie” Finau, Christine Manuel and Aneli Cubi-Otineru all voiced their support of Stroud, who they won the 2005 NJCAA Division I National Championship with.
“Coach has always been our backbone and I could always lean back on him to help and take care of things,” Finau said. “We’re having to just depend on each other now.”
All three sophomores decided to sit out the season after it was announced CSI would be ineligible for postseason play this year and the three have been bombarded with questions about their futures and the state of CSI volleyball since Stroud’s firing.
“I’m sick of talking about it,” Manuel said.
“My answers have become so short,” Finau added. “It’s just like, ‘Oh, nothing.’ I’m just tired.”
Among the supporters who showed up to the Turf Club was Wade Bond, a longtime friend of Stroud and father of current CSI sophomore defensive specialist Whitney Bond.
“It’s been pretty devastating around the whole Bond household,” he said. “The girls’ mom cried all day and Whitney cried two days straight. She came back to play for Ben. She was going to redshirt, but Ben talked her into playing. My youngest daughter (Jessica) has been planning on playing for Ben quite a few years now, so she’s up in the air about things now. It’s pretty devastating.”
Reading off Tuesday’s release, Mauk also stated Stroud’s intent to return to the coaching ranks.
“Coach Stroud is willing to engage in mediation with the college to see if they can resolve their differences, including Coach Stroud returning to coach the women’s volleyball team at CSI.”
The quote was met by applause by Stroud’s supporters. The former Golden Eagles coach also said he was open to the idea of coaching elsewhere.
“That’ll happen — I hope — somewhere down the road,” he said. “Well, I have to make a living. I have to do something, you know.”
Three hours later and across Falls Ave., current CSI head volleyball coach Heidi Cartisser wrapped up the Golden Eagles’ Tuesday practice. While her entire squad attended the conference earlier in the day, Cartisser was focused on getting them ready for Friday’s Scenic West Athletic Conference opener against the College of Eastern Utah in Price, Utah.
“To me, it wasn’t a distraction,” Cartisser said. “I’m out here trying to do my job, put together a practice plan and try to get everything organized behind the scenes. I mean, I understand the situation the girls are put in, but at the same time, I’m just here doing my job.”
While Tuesday’s conference marked another chapter in an ongoing saga, most people who were questioned addressed their hopes for some amicable end to the situation.
“I just hope something good comes out of it,” Finau said. “It’s just been really hard.”
