When I first came across this story in the Coolidge Community Chat group, I was surprised. It felt like something any parent would find upsetting. A mom from Coolidge, Arizona, named Genevieve Rodriguez, posted that the Coolidge High School baseball coaches used her son Athyn’s name in games even though he wasn’t playing. She said she never permitted them to do that. Honestly, if this had happened during my school days, my parents would have questioned it too because it just feels wrong.
Genevieve expressed her annoyance in her post. She felt the coaches weren’t acting appropriately. She planned to raise the issue with the school office and even the district board because she believed the coaches knew what they were doing, but did it anyway. I once played cricket in school, and a teacher marked my name for an activity I wasn’t part of, which confused me on prize day. That same feeling of someone using your name without asking hit me again when I read her post.
She also mentioned that the coaches let some eighth-graders participate in ways she believes violate school rules. She sounded really frustrated because when she asked the head coach why they did this, he just said it didn’t matter. Comments like that always make things worse if someone said that to my parents or me back in school, it would make us feel like they weren’t taking anything seriously.
Genevieve wrote that baseball is more than just a hobby for her son; it’s his life. I understand that feeling because when you love a game in school, you invest all your time and energy into it. I used to carry my cricket bat everywhere, even when nobody asked me to.
She also pointed out that some coaches weren’t acting professionally. She called out an older staff member, whom she felt didn’t show the moral behavior expected from someone working with students. She didn’t mention his name, but other people in the comments quickly picked up on that.
Her post made it clear that she wasn’t afraid of anyone sharing it or taking screenshots. She said she didn’t care at all. When someone truly believes in what they’re saying, they usually express it openly like that.
People reacted quickly. Some supported her, while others questioned her choice to post publicly. One person named Amy asked if the season had already started. J. W. Willey replied that tournaments are different from school matches. Others weren’t very friendly. An anonymous comment claimed parents complain too much about playing time and suggested they shouldn’t join if they didn’t like it. It reminded me of those comments you often see under school sports posts, where people take sides.
Someone else asked about the coaches’ identities. Another person inquired about the game stats. A few suggested she should have addressed the coaches privately instead of posting on Facebook. I’ve seen this happen in school groups before, where some people want issues handled quietly while others believe a public post demands action.
There were also some random comments, including a sad Lilo and Stitch gif and someone saying to bring Rico back. People sometimes say anything to join the conversation.
As of now, there hasn’t been an official response from the school or the baseball staff. Genevieve said she intends to talk directly with the school. From her tone, it seems she won’t let this issue go easily.
For now, the community is still discussing it and trying to figure out what really happened with the name usage and the team participation rules. It has become one of those local stories everyone sees in their feed and feels compelled to discuss. You may also be interested in: Do You Know This Woman in Fulton NY Parent Looks For Answers After Son Gets Hurt During Open Skate
