Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why mcps allows these clubs to use the name of its high schools. The teams are run by parents and funded by parents and in no way are affiliated with the school. They are private clubs - going forward MCPS should require all the clubs to change their names and state clearly they are not affiliated with the school. There are plenty mcps teachers who coach other sports for private clubs outside of school - none of those clubs are named after the high school and there is no confusion about whether MCPS has a role to play.

The entire format of the club is ripe for this type of thing to happen. The cost alone automatically creates an exclusive environment and expectations. When the Varsity Blues scandal broke, I automatically thought about these teams. Knowing folks who have had kids row at Whitman, it always seemed like it was a way for kids who don't play varsity sports to round out their resumes for college. The required year round participation just seemed like a ridiculous gimmick.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if Shipley was considered a good teacher. It seems unlikely he put much thought or effort into teaching if crew took up so much of his time year round. Before school and after school. He seemed to live and breathe crew

I had him as a teacher 18 years ago for AP Euro back in 2003. A decent teacher, not the most engaging lecturer and sometimes phoned it in but I still retain a lot of what he taught. You know, "Joan of Arc was barbecued" and Martin Luther had "95 theses and 95 feces," or the significance of Disraeli and Gladstone, stuff that has still stuck with me.

In hindsight and years of life experience there were red flags back then.

He definitely had his favorites, (all teachers do), the crew kids got special treatment, especially the girls.
He would sometimes have crew kids over to his house and I think he would reach out to them personally.
He had a chummy relationship with some students, but back then he was in his early 30s and only a decade older than seniors so it didnt seem as weird.

That said, when I found out this summer what happened, lets just say I wasnt surprised, 15 year old me sensed something that remained dormant until this summer.

I hesitate to call it creepy since from the perspective of a kid in his class it was just stuff I heard on the side. Knowing what I know now both about grooming and from life, I think he was laying the groundwork by giving out his cell phone number and having crew kids go to his P Street house.

I am interested in hearing from people with more recent interactions?

Also what role does the school and MCPS have here? It is unlikely that all of the predation and grooming occurred solely off school grounds? At least it appears Alan Goodwin didn’t perform an overt coverup. I would be sad if he did.


Wow! That is interesting that you were not shocked or surprised. Seems like he was a bit creepy towards girls even back then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if Shipley was considered a good teacher. It seems unlikely he put much thought or effort into teaching if crew took up so much of his time year round. Before school and after school. He seemed to live and breathe crew

I had him as a teacher 18 years ago for AP Euro back in 2003. A decent teacher, not the most engaging lecturer and sometimes phoned it in but I still retain a lot of what he taught. You know, "Joan of Arc was barbecued" and Martin Luther had "95 theses and 95 feces," or the significance of Disraeli and Gladstone, stuff that has still stuck with me.

In hindsight and years of life experience there were red flags back then.

He definitely had his favorites, (all teachers do), the crew kids got special treatment, especially the girls.
He would sometimes have crew kids over to his house and I think he would reach out to them personally.
He had a chummy relationship with some students, but back then he was in his early 30s and only a decade older than seniors so it didnt seem as weird.

That said, when I found out this summer what happened, lets just say I wasnt surprised, 15 year old me sensed something that remained dormant until this summer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why mcps allows these clubs to use the name of its high schools. The teams are run by parents and funded by parents and in no way are affiliated with the school. They are private clubs - going forward MCPS should require all the clubs to change their names and state clearly they are not affiliated with the school. There are plenty mcps teachers who coach other sports for private clubs outside of school - none of those clubs are named after the high school and there is no confusion about whether MCPS has a role to play.

The entire format of the club is ripe for this type of thing to happen. The cost alone automatically creates an exclusive environment and expectations. When the Varsity Blues scandal broke, I automatically thought about these teams. Knowing folks who have had kids row at Whitman, it always seemed like it was a way for kids who don't play varsity sports to round out their resumes for college. The required year round participation just seemed like a ridiculous gimmick.

I don't think that is entirely accurate. Could someone row on this team that wasn't a student from Whitman? Shipley was also a teacher at Whitman.

There may be other connections in place that weren't covered in the article. On other school club teams that I know of, the school athletic director attends board meetings and coach performance reviews. The same may be true at Whitman.

DP - the crew team is not affiliated with the school. Whitman AD had no oversight over the crew team or coach performance review. They have their own board who oversees all of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why mcps allows these clubs to use the name of its high schools. The teams are run by parents and funded by parents and in no way are affiliated with the school. They are private clubs - going forward MCPS should require all the clubs to change their names and state clearly they are not affiliated with the school. There are plenty mcps teachers who coach other sports for private clubs outside of school - none of those clubs are named after the high school and there is no confusion about whether MCPS has a role to play.

The entire format of the club is ripe for this type of thing to happen. The cost alone automatically creates an exclusive environment and expectations. When the Varsity Blues scandal broke, I automatically thought about these teams. Knowing folks who have had kids row at Whitman, it always seemed like it was a way for kids who don't play varsity sports to round out their resumes for college. The required year round participation just seemed like a ridiculous gimmick.

I don't think that is entirely accurate. Could someone row on this team that wasn't a student from Whitman? Shipley was also a teacher at Whitman.

There may be other connections in place that weren't covered in the article. On other school club teams that I know of, the school athletic director attends board meetings and coach performance reviews. The same may be true at Whitman.

DP - the crew team is not affiliated with the school. Whitman AD had no oversight over the crew team or coach performance review. They have their own board who oversees all of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why mcps allows these clubs to use the name of its high schools. The teams are run by parents and funded by parents and in no way are affiliated with the school. They are private clubs - going forward MCPS should require all the clubs to change their names and state clearly they are not affiliated with the school. There are plenty mcps teachers who coach other sports for private clubs outside of school - none of those clubs are named after the high school and there is no confusion about whether MCPS has a role to play.

The entire format of the club is ripe for this type of thing to happen. The cost alone automatically creates an exclusive environment and expectations. When the Varsity Blues scandal broke, I automatically thought about these teams. Knowing folks who have had kids row at Whitman, it always seemed like it was a way for kids who don't play varsity sports to round out their resumes for college. The required year round participation just seemed like a ridiculous gimmick.

I don't think that is entirely accurate. Could someone row on this team that wasn't a student from Whitman? Shipley was also a teacher at Whitman.

There may be other connections in place that weren't covered in the article. On other school club teams that I know of, the school athletic director attends board meetings and coach performance reviews. The same may be true at Whitman.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Post story today was pretty damning

The story was largely told from the point of view of just-graduated and alum rowers and their families.

Perhaps colleges and scholarships were a driving force for them in rowing.

But that is not true of the parents or kids I know on the current team.

I want to know more about the current "team" - from the article it seemed like the girls were on their own. Who is going out in the launch with them now? Who is setting the practice routines? Who holds the insurance?

Former high school (and college scholarship) female rower here -- it is a sport filled with a$$hole male coaches who are manipulative and abusive, even if not sexually. The bnest ones I have had were married with families - I would be wary of any unmarried male coach over the age of 25 at this point. I am very proud of the rowers who wrote the letter and called him out for everything. The parents/board should be ashamed - it was like their own private little club.

And to those who said "find another team" - it's not that easy. You have to have boat house and water access and equipment and practice schedules that fit with travel and school schedules. If you really love the sport, it is often hard to find another team. That's the kicker that keeps so many athletes stuck in not great situations - it's not like rec soccer.

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why mcps allows these clubs to use the name of its high schools. The teams are run by parents and funded by parents and in no way are affiliated with the school. They are private clubs - going forward MCPS should require all the clubs to change their names and state clearly they are not affiliated with the school. There are plenty mcps teachers who coach other sports for private clubs outside of school - none of those clubs are named after the high school and there is no confusion about whether MCPS has a role to play.

The entire format of the club is ripe for this type of thing to happen. The cost alone automatically creates an exclusive environment and expectations. When the Varsity Blues scandal broke, I automatically thought about these teams. Knowing folks who have had kids row at Whitman, it always seemed like it was a way for kids who don't play varsity sports to round out their resumes for college. The required year round participation just seemed like a ridiculous gimmick.