Soccer players told the Campbell School Board Tuesday night about Coach Phil Atsis's positive influence and the influence that assistant coaches Dallan Patterson and Ariel Dimas had on their lives.

 

They asked for the superintendent and school board to bring their coaches back. 

 

"He helps us become better people. He helps us make money. He teaches us important life skills I don't think I learned from anywhere else besides my parents, Humberto Linberg, Captain of the Campbell Varsity Soccer Team said.

 

 "He's always giving rides and food. He's done everything to help. Last year he got me into refereeing and it taught me life skills," Noah Sferra added.

 

Becoming referees allows them to make money and helps open doors to better futures. 

 

Parents also spoke saying Coach Phil and the assistant coaches not only turned their soccer program around, they turned their kid's lives around for the better.  

 

 "I've seen my kid go from failing school, and having no interest in being in school, to turning it around ever since he became part of the soccer team, Edwin Bonilla, Sr. said. 

 

He told the superintendent and school board members his son now has opportunities to get scholarships.

 

He emphasized the Hispanic students need support in their sport of soccer, just as the football and basketball players get.

 

Coach Phil also spoke out for his assistant coaches and himself asking for the district's support and emphasized there needs to be better communication with the Athletic Director. 

 

"What do I want? I want to have a meeting saying Phil, how does your program work, what is the process. It will never happen," Coach Phil Atsas said. 

 

He told the board he believes the assistant soccer coaches have been treated unfairly along with himself. 

 

The two assistant coaches were suspended for ten days for not having their CPR recertifications on time.

 

The young men say their certifications were up to date before the first game, but they were issued a 10-day suspension.

 

Many people don't understand the punishment issued during those ten days.

 

We are told the restrictions imposed banned them from watching the games inside the stadium and banned them from watching away games. 

 

The two watched the home opener from outside the stadium and left when they were asked, yet both assistant coaches received suspensions for the rest of the season.

 

Some parents are asking if it is even legal to ban someone from watching a home game from outside the stadium and to ban someone from attending away games for not having a CPR recertification on time. 

 

Campbell School Superintendent Matthew Bowen explained the district can be held liable if coaches don't have up-to-date CPR and First Aid certifications. 

 

The Superintendent and board say ending the suspensions is not in their hands.

 

21 news will be contacting the Ohio High School Athletic Association to see if anyone else in the state of Ohio has been banned from watching a home game from outside a stadium and watching an away game, due to not having a CPR and First aid recertification. 

 

We are working to find out if punishments or sanctions are standardized or if they are arbitrarily made up by school districts.