Way to go Coach Spagnoli! The boys cross country team showed up at East Campus to practice Wednesday morning but unfortunately were not allowed to workout on the track without a coach supervisor, nor head out for a run. So, the team was allowed to go inside the building to work on the bikes! Coach Spagnoli, thanks for focusing on the kids!

What he said the the kids had such an effect on my son. He told them that they came first before what was going on and that he stood with them. He showed these boys what it meant to be a man, a mentor and a friend by putting them first. Thank you Coach. You are the best!

i have a new found respect for Coach Spagnoli. His actions may be the best lesson the boys learn at LFHS...what it takes to be a leader and what it means to be dedicated to a team. I am sure the union will retaliate against him, but he has earned something they cant take away and the union doesnt have...respect. All of our yound people should take note

Both sides claim to have to student's best interests at heart....well...THIS man ACTUALLY does!

i have mixed feelings about Mr spagnoli's decision. Was he doing it for the teams glory or his own glory? One would think that the action is beneficially mutual? Either way it shows he cares.

My guess is that he was a vote against the strike. There would have been more had the union bosses allowed a secret ballot. This man knows that he has a great deal and is not interested in diminishing his reputation by standing in front of the school with a silly yellow sign.

I am now starting my third season as a player parent for coach Spagnoli. One thing I have learned from Coach is NOTHING is to get between his players and their "team". Parents are told, plan everything around what the team is doing. "Johnny" is not to miss any team planned activity for a party, dentist appt, haircut, parent week end at college to visit an older sibling, nothing! Week end getaways from middle August to the end of the season do not happen because of practice saturday morning and Labor Day Monday. This committment of his players is unwavering and year round. Wednesday was Coach Spagnoli's opportunity to reciprocate and practice what he preaches, he came thru with flying colors. With this mutual dedication to the team comes mutual respect and a bond that should not be broken, (especially by greed).

If the teachers union and school board can not lead by settleling their differences, then follow and get out of Coach Spagnoli's way. He has team that wants to play a game on friday night and a stadium full a parents and students that want to support them!
ps. union, the community tide is going out not comming in.

Bruce L. McILvaine

Considering how bad LF football is, he probably figured they needs the practice. And we all know what's most important is football, not having the courage to stand with the other teachers who have the guts to protect their pay against cuts in one of the wealthiest districts in the nation where kids get private school level education from top-notch teachers. Nooooo....losing team football! Go Scouts!

-LFHS alum '98 (who stands with the teachers in a union-hating town).

Yes, the best lesson the boys can learn: throw your colleagues under the bus, don't stand for anything except your concussion-causing sport. Brilliant.

With all due respect Louis, your comment above displays profound ignorance of the courage that Coach Spagnoli has shown not to give in to Union bullying. We have all learned that during the Strike vote that Union representatives stood immediately in front of the faces of the teachers who had courage to vote against the Strike. Further, with your spiteful comments about students who have courage to compete for LFHS - in any sport - please do us all the favor of dropping the 'LFHS Grad' from your signature line.

I immediately thought about Mr. Spagnoli and his predicament when the strike began. I have always been proud of LFHS and our Scout athletic teams. This action shows remarkable commitment, thank you Mr. Spagnoli for showing us your character. you put your kids first. The positive impact on your students is likely to be carried forward in their lives well after this single football season.

Hats off to Coach Spagnoli!!!!!After practice last night a few of the players were at my house. Obviously , they are upset about all of this as they said, " unlike the teachers who get the summer off to travel , spend time with family etc. we have worked nonstop to better ourselves, none of us were able to take a summer vacation we stayed and worked as a team, all for those friday night games. Seems the only people that appreciate the time and energy we have put into this team are our coaches." Although this is not all about football or field hockey , in the end it is about our kids and teaching them, Coach seems to have taught them great lessons on values, respect and leadership. For these students/athletes to have to forfeit games after everything they have sacrificed for their sports is a shame and the teachers should be embarrassed with their behavior . End this already and show compassion for these kids. Take a few lessons from Coach Spags!! Trust me you need them. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to give union supporters a black eye, Louis. Your comments are rude and uncalled for. Coach is awesome for what he did. Maybe some of the teachers that didn't vote for this strike can now cross that picket line and get back to teaching. Both the Board of Education and the Union stink. They are worlds apart from an agreement and whoever blinks first has the students best interest at the forefront.

Coach Spagnoli demonstrated to our boys that his first priority is them. The boys are devastated they might not be able to play their game on Friday. The Union continues to claim they are striking "for the students" but yet they are using our children as bargaining chips to achieve their own financial goals. The striking teachers are taking so much away from our children by their selfish demands. The Coach was purely self-less, team focused, and child-centric. Congratulations to Coach Spagnoli for standing up for what is best for our children even though it might be tough for him professionally. We parents and our players support you Coach! Thank you for your commitment to our children!

Louis, really what are you talking about. LF football is amazing, have you ever been to a game? The entire community comes out to see these boys. Do you not read papers? You have no idea what you are talking about, regardless if they are good or not what does that have to do with all of this? You obviously are not and were not an athlete. You must not know Coach Spagnoli at all, because if you did you were not respond they way you have. Lastly, this is not a union-hating town as you so ignorantly stated, we love are teachers and have always respected them until now, this all has been planed out perfectly to back the Board into a corner using ours kids to get what they want you are ridiculous and your comments are ignorant

Lake Forest Harrier Rugby proudly supports the decision of Coach Spagnoli.

Well done Coach.

Thank you very much Coach Spagnoli for standing up against the bullies for our children's future. Our children can not fight some of these harsh words being said about them as athletes or as human beings. You can and DO! This is what a real caring leader does; places himself last for the betterment of the whole community and world.

Great comment jody!!!!!! and thanks JTW!!!!!

TO THE TEACHERS AND UNIONISTS READING THIS:

Community fully supports Coach Spagnoli, the comments section in the Tribune and Sun-Times articles overwhelmingly supports the LF taxpayer, the commenters on LF Patch overwhelmingly supports the LF taxpayer, my Facebook feed of former LFHS graduates is making fun of you and your ridiculous stance.

YOU ARE LOSING THIS BATTLE & YOUR REPUTATION BY THE MINUTE...

Are any of you upset that Coach Spagnoli is a Physical Education teacher who makes $137,000?

I have so much respect for Coach Spagnoli. What he did took courage and teaches our children to stand up for what they believe. I wonder if the coach would be willing to open his practices to other athletes who are in training now; whose coaches did not show the strength he did?

i know there are many LF teachers that would like to cross that line but have had "threatening" innuendos spoken to them. They don't have the tenure or the leverage that coach S does. I think that if this goes on into next week, many teachers will cross the line. Teachers are VERY upset nothing is even scheduled!

With all the positive reaction,why can't we expand this out to the others?Something about football that is more important than the other parts of education?

why can't someone DEMAND that they meet? I don't understand this

Let's see. Spagnoli's hours our 6-7 am - 9pm everyday. Does he deserve his salary ? I think so. Tenure teachers 7:50 am - 3:10pm deserve salaries? I think not.

Good for you bubba. Much respect. Now make us proud

Way to go Chuck! Thanks for setting an example. That's what most good coaches with courage, integrity and the best interest of their kids in mind would do. Congratulations.

Furthermore, if Mr Gress and his LFEA sympathizers want to bankrupt our school system financially and academically, all while holding our children hostage, they should go somewhere else; it is a free country after all. If they feel under appreciated and uder compensated then leave and find anther land of entitlement. Try France on for size. Good riddance.

I'm glad to see a union member have the courage to cross the picket line. It takes a lot more courage to go against your peers, than to stand with them.

By the way, I'm not a sports fan. I've never watched an entire football game in my life. My respect for this gentleman is based solely on his actions. Hats off to Mr. Spagnoli.

Just wondering. Three days ago many people were putting down all PE, health, and driver's education teachers, saying they weren't worthy of receiving an annual salary of over $100,000. But the second that Coach Spagnoli crossed the line, all of that was forgotten and now he is a hero and worthy of $137,000 a year. If another PE, health, or driver's education teacher (not a coach) had crossed the line, would he or she have received the same high praise as the football coach? I doubt it.

@Jim Anderson - I don't think the position of coach or head coach (this has nothing to do with the person, it's the position) is worth the compensation currently paid.

The difference in this case is at least this guy is willing to work. He gets it. He understands that he's well compensated, has a terrific job with amazing benefits and there's just no reason to strike.

So far, he's the only one with courage. He's willing to face whatever comes his way from the other teachers.

Remember the old adage, "Do a job that you love and you'll never work a day in your life? He's not working, he loves what he does for a living.

If everyone was like this guy, we wouldn't have a problem now, would we?

Tamara, I hope you enjoy your teaching job at LFHS. Your comments are uneducated and shallow. On top of mean and close minded!!!! I am sure as a teacher there you have meant this man that you so brutally talk about, with this in mind I would ASSUME!!!!!!!!!!!!! that you have completely lost your mind. As greedy as you all are acting I would expect you to be humiliated that this so called PE teacher has protected his reputation, students, players and program more then any of you have!!!!! You should be ashamed of yourself!!!!! most of what you have said are lies and only in the interest of shaming a man we all respect!!!!!I believe you are either high or have some other kind of problem!!! For you to imply that this man, that has proven himself over and over, regardless of what has been said through the past years, crossed the line for selfish reasons YOU RE OUT OF YOUR MIND !!!! to further this you have sated untruths about all of the things the teachers are asking for, being a teach I would think you know what is going on UNLESS your union leader has lied to you ( which wouldn't be the first time he has lied about things, this we know) If you feel so underpaid LEAVE find a better job ( WHICH YOU WON'T AND CAN'T THAT IS WHY YOU STILL HAVE YOUR JOB) And if this ever in a place were he need anything ( including a kidney) I hope he does knock on my door. .

PLEASE EXCUSE ERRORS!!!

To continue my thoughts , If you new his program AT ALL!! you would know that he has help BY FAR more kids then you will every have the pleasure to meet !! for example is a young man that had a lot of issues including learning, and behaviorally , this MAN made sure that his dreams came true, not only was he a part of something no one ever thought he would be but PLAYED!!!!! and because of this MAN that you are ripping apart , this NOW MAN is playing college football.

THIS MAN that you are bashing keeps in contact with player from 5 years ago to make sure they are O.K. Do you have any idea what that mean , most likely not.

Again if you are going to get on a site that asks people to be informative and know liable please do so. Your rants about insurance/ salaries/pensions , are all miss-guided , so in the future, please be honest and upfront. WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE GREEDY AND WANT TO HAVE IT ALL, but we , as tax-payers and parents are not willing to do that. FIND ANOTHER JOB YOU ARE DONE HERE!!!!!!!

With kid not only in sports, but also the ARTS ( which some said that this man was mean to , yea right) I know first hand that his intent is larger then the football ball program , look at the trainers and kid he has WORKING for him, in which he made that choice, from tech department to film HELLO. Lastly , please stop lying ( teaches union) we all know what is going on, either go back to work, or leave this town and all it's big salaries and move on WE DO NOT NEED YOU ! BUT OTHER TEACHERS NEED A JOB! GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK!

I respect a man who has sense enough to know that he has a great deal. He has the backbone to walk past the Union bullies and to do his job. The truth be told, I do think that he is grossly overpaid. However, I am not proposing that he should be stripped of any of his wages. Perhaps his successor will nor earn such a princely salary but he too will do well. Hopefully there are more teachers who will come to their senses soon. The BOE has made a very generous offer (in this or any economy) it is the teachers who hold the keys to solving this situation. Please act intelligently.

Tamara's comments are not needed or wanted stop posting lies!!

Tamara jenkins just wants attention. Shut up! Tamara! Mind your business!