Fired Lake Forest Coach: I Wasn't Verbally Abusive
Swim club board accuses former coaches of being 'immature' and 'irresponsible,' parent says.
Fired Lake Forest swim team coach Eddie Zappile, 22 and Louis Pessolano, 19, who was not fired, said they were not verbally abusive to swimmers on the team, contrary to what was allegedly said about them in a meeting Friday night of the Lake Forest swim team board and parents of children on the team in 2012.
The meeting was originally scheduled to include “anyone who loves the black and blue of the LFST. All current swim team families are welcome at the meeting, including former coaches,” according to an email from Jim Brown, swim team board president.
However, a subsequent email from swim team treasurer Diane Hyland said the meeting would discuss “issues that occurred during this past swim season” and would be “for current 2012 LFST families only and will not be a public meeting.”
“First we were invited, then we were uninvited,” Eddie Zappile said. “That, to me, is suspicious.”
Zappile's brother, Chris, 20, was also fired. He is away at college and could not be reached for comment following Friday's meeting.
According to parents who attended the meeting, the firing of the coaches was discussed.
“They [the board] said the coaches were fired because they were immature, irresponsible and verbally abusive to swimmers,” said Michelle Terpstra, who has a son on the team.
Other parents supported Terpstra's claims but declined to comment on the record for this story.
Eddie Zappile said the claims aren't true.
“I would like to talk to any parent or any child who thought I was abusive,” he said. “In fact, I’d be happy to meet with any of the parents and kids at any time.”
“I just want the opportunity to defend myself,” Pessolano said. “We treated every kid on that team with respect. We did everything that was expected of us, and all we were ever told, by parents and Mr. Brown, is how good we were doing.”
Meeting attendees also said the board claimed the coaching staff was fired because they threatened to quit.
“It’s true that I told the board that I was unsatisfied with the way I was being treated and the way the season was going, and that I wanted to move the team to a different place to get away from the unhealthy environment at Lake Forest,” Zappile said. “But I didn’t quit. I gave the board the opportunity to do something to change the situation. Instead, they fired me.”
Repeated attempts to reach board president Brown, treasurer Hyland, board member Paul Sabia and Lake Forest Commodore Ray Calogero were mostly unsuccessful.
“I won’t be replying to this, friendly or otherwise,” Brown said in response to an email from Patch.
Now, Zappile’s future is uncertain. He is looking to start a new team, and is currently looking for a place to call home.
“I have families that will come with me, I just need to find a place,” he said.
Robin Pym Duranik
9:44 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012
I have a hard time believing the allegation of verbal abuse from these coaches. As a former owner of a private investigative corporation and in the business of decifering lies vs. truths, I question why a Board would wait until after the award banquet to fire the coaches. Waiting to address verbal abuse to the swimmers places the Board in a position where they were on notice, but failed to act to protect the children. Instead, they gave the coaches the microphone at the banquet where they could have the opportunity to continue this alleged conduct. Would coaches who participate in verbal abuse have a team that continually grew? Would swimers bake goodies for verbally abusive coaches? Would this type of conduct be unheard by parents of swimmers throughout the season? No, I think not.
Verbal abuse are strong allegations that I would not take lightly. These young men are beginning their careers and may want to consider legal action for deflamation of character. It is a sad time for Lake Forest to have people in leadership positions that are not being truthful. Clearly this appears to be a knee jerk decision to fire these coaches as a pay back because they expressed their frustration and considered leaving the LF facility. Have the minutes to the meeting where the decision to fire the coaches been provided? I would urge LFST to request these minutes to verify these allegations.
Beachbum
2:36 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
As I understand it these minutes have been requested and it has been over one month and they have not been provided. Many of the parents are afraid to stand-up to this board for fear of retribution. I do not even have a swimmer on the team but I can still tell when something stinks and this smells to high heaven. Get a board in there that is open and transparent about their actions.
Dee Preston
9:11 am on Thursday, September 20, 2012
Interesting enough, There wasn't even talk of taking a vote.I too would of insisted on a vote, Then you would know were the parents stand. There are to many things don't add up. I spoke to me kids and the coaches treated them fine. The President did not according to my kids. Parents need to wake up and vote the board out.