Barcless to step down as PDS hockey coach

School looking into foundation’s financial aid

By: Justin Feil
   Chris Barcless is expected to step down as head coach of the Princeton Day School boys’ ice hockey team as the school addresses a violation of its financial aid policy.
   "That is not why I’m resigning," said Coach Barcless, who has led the Panthers to seven Prep B state titles in eight seasons at the helm. "I have too many things going on. I need to take a year off. I won’t rule out coming back.
   "I will miss the kids deeply," Barcless said. "For the kids, it’s a shame. They kind of knew. They kind of saw it coming.
   "I’m encouraging the kids to come back," he added. "They’re getting a great education."
   The school would contend that some hockey players are getting a bit more than that education.
   According to an e-mail statement sent to the PDS community Thursday, "In late February, the school learned of the existence of ‘The Friends of Princeton Day School Hockey,’ a private foundation established by individuals who were using the school’s name and, over the years, were providing financial assistance (including tuition payments) to families of selected ice hockey players without the school administration’s knowledge or consent and in violation of several athletic regulations. Our coaches’ handbook explicitly states that PDS does not offer athletic scholarships and that all matters related to financial aid be referred to the Admission Office and the Director of Financial Aid."
   PDS Head of School Judy Fox said, "We’re asking the foundation to cease its existence and certainly not to use the Princeton Day School name. The information we’ve gotten so far is that it’s been (going) several years. That’s available on the Internet."
   A 2004 tax return for Friends of Princeton Day School Hockey Inc., which is registered as a charitable non-profit organization, shows that the foundation took in $15,500 and paid a $9,000 teaching stipend to Barcless and a $4,500 scholarship to PDS. The Packet did not discover any more recent contributions, and calls to the foundation’s 2004 chairman David Denise of Princeton were not returned by deadline.
   Mr. Denise’s sons were members of the PDS team. John Garrett Denise graduated in 2002 and Will Denise in 2005.
   Tuition for a PDS upper school student is $23,600 and 19 percent of students receive financial aid, averaging $13,470, according to the school’s Web site.
   In its statement, PDS said the school reported its findings to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and the New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association, and the state did not level any sanctions. Jack DuBois, assistant director of NJSIAA who handled the case, was not available for comment Thursday.
   It is unclear how many students were helped by the foundation.
   "I know of several over the years," Ms. Fox said. "I don’t have full information."
   "A player couldn’t afford tuition," Barcless said. "It was another parent being nice enough to lend tuition. That’s basically it. It wasn’t a big deal. They went to the NJSIAA and they wouldn’t penalize the school. I wasn’t forced to resign. There were a lot of factors that made my decision."
   PDS athletics director John Levandowski met Thursday with the boys’ ice hockey team — the only team that was funded by the foundation, he said.
   "It’s very hard on the kids," he said. "They’re caught in the middle. They’re great kids. That was a difficult conversation to have. I was very proud of them. I spoke to them about having three or four leaders among the team to work with me. They’ll play a role in interviewing candidates for the position.
   "I recognize and realize all that Chris has done," Levandowski said. "I’ve worked with him the last eight years. I wish him the very best in whatever he does. For me, at this point, it’s a time to move forward. I want to do my best to move forward and support our kids."
   Barcless will continue to coach the Mercer Chiefs bantam major and pee wee major ice hockey teams as well as continue to work at Ice Land in Hamilton. He’s stepping down after leading the Panthers back to the Prep B championship this winter.
   Many in the PDS community expressed their dismay at Barcless’s decision to resign.
   "Chris and Judy and the school weren’t able to resolve the matter quickly," said John Cook, a former hockey player at the school and current PDS girls’ head coach. "Chris decided to step aside for the moment.
   "Chris is a terrific leader of people. He’s a terrific motivator. He’s had a lot of success. He does a lot with a thin talent pool. He’s a good tactician. He’s a talented fellow. I got a kick from having him around the rink and went to him for things I could do with the girls."
   Added Ms. Fox in the school’s statement, "He has been an outstanding coach on the ice and has meant a great deal to the students and families that have been part of our hockey program over the last nine years, and I regret that his association with PDS has ended this way."