Soccer float was not a symbolic kegger

Editor,

This letter is regarding the boys soccer float in the Polson High School homecoming parade, on Oct. 13. I am the coach of the boys soccer team at Polson High School and when I found out that some of the members of the Polson community were offended with the boys soccer float I was saddened.

The boys soccer float consisted of living room furniture (couches and chairs), television, stereo, working Bar-B-Q and a small keg of Glacier Brewery root beer.

This float was meant to symbolize an end-of-the-season get together with a group of guys at a friend's house, to eat hamburgers, drink soda pop and watch ski videos. But to some members of the community, this float looked like a version of a "keg party." I assure you this was not the intent of the boys who put the float together.

What the community members didn't realize was part of this was an inside joke that the boys brought back to life. During the soccer season, I ban soda pop for any of my players and throughout the season I am constantly reminding them not to drink soda pop, but since our season had ended nearly a full week before the homecoming parade the boys thought it would be funny to have root beer on the float to remind me that they could again have soda.

The root beer was poured into red plastic cups and given to guys who were on the float. I had a cup of root beer, too. I was told later that these same cups symbolize a "keg party." That surprised me because I have used the same style cups at picnics and family reunions. One of the guys bought a bottle of sparkling cider and drank that instead of root beer, and I agree that this bottle could have looked like a wine bottle to the casual observer but it was in fact sparkling cider.

I do not wish to have our float confused with condoning or encouraging underage drinking of alcohol; that was not the intent of the float and to those members of the community that were offended by our float, I apologize for the confusion.

None of the actions by team members were meant in a malicious or harmful way, it was meant in fun and celebration. That is how I saw it while I was riding on the float, that is why I didn't put a stop to the celebration while we were on the parade route.

I was the only adult riding on the float and I don't feel like the boys should be punished for their actions on this float. If punishment needs to be handed down, then it needs to fall on my shoulders as the coach of the team and adult supervisor riding on the float.

The boys on the team worked hard throughout the entire season and even though our record didn't reflect a winning season, I am very proud of them and I think they deserve the community's support as well.

Jess Kittle

Polson High School

Boys Soccer Coach