Paweł Skokuń is a former player of TOP Bolesławiec. Last year, he trained and played in cadet competitions. At the time, Andrzej Skałecki of the Lower Silesian Volleyball Association took notice of the player and wanted to call him up to the provincial team. It might have seemed that nothing would prevent the 17-year-old volleyball player from playing for the Lower Silesian team. As it turned out, Paweł was playing under someone else’s name, and his potential career fell apart.
No medical examinations
The young volleyball player appeared in the team as Radosław T., another TOP player. Those details were entered in the match report. According to Robert Tomczyk, president of TOP Bolesławiec, the reason for this “substitution” was the lack of medical examinations. Paweł did not have current examinations, while Radosław did. “He joined the section late; everyone else had already had their examinations,” Tomczyk explains. According to the president, Paweł Skokuń’s mother agreed with him that her son would undergo the examinations independently. “He wanted to play, so he appeared,” says the TOP president. Coach Adrian Graczyk explains the reason for the players’ “substitution” in the same way. In his view, the club wanted to help the volleyball player. “Paweł came to us late. He knew he was playing as another player. His mother knew too,” he says. According to him, Paweł’s mother undertook to complete the necessary examinations together with her son.
A chance to play for the provincial team
Małgorzata Skokuń-Jakubowicz learned that Paweł Skokuń was playing under another name from her son’s account after TOP’s cadet match against Gwardia Wrocław. His mother resented and still resents the club. In her view, Paweł would have played for the provincial team, but the club prevented him from achieving that goal. “My child played under Radosław T.’s name,” the woman complains. The volleyball player’s mother claims that a call-up for Radosław T. arrived at the club. According to Ms Małgorzata, TOP sent a reply to Wrocław saying that Radosław would not attend the training camp for health reasons. Paweł’s mother reported the entire matter to the authorities of the Lower Silesian Volleyball Association.
Meanwhile, Paweł was supposed to move from the cadet group to the junior group. He went to a training session and called home shortly afterward. “He called me and said through tears that he was coming home and that, in front of the other volleyball players, he had been insulted by coach Bogusław Mienculewicz. I asked Wrocław to draw consequences against Mr Mienculewicz,” says Małgorzata Skokuń-Jakubowicz. The DZPS replied that resolving the problem was the club’s responsibility. “I pointed out to him that he had behaved in an uncooperative manner. He took offense. It is true that there were some harsh words, but there were no obscenities, and I did not throw him out of training,” explains Bogusław Mienculewicz, coach of TOP Bolesławiec’s junior team. Mienculewicz believes that, for the entire matter of playing under another name, the volleyball player is just as responsible as his then-coach, Adrian Graczyk. As for how he actually treated Paweł, his teammates can be asked. Nevertheless, Mienculewicz would like Paweł to continue training and playing with the team. “Back in September, I was still telling the boys that he could play and attend training sessions,” assures the TOP junior coach.
Paweł and his mother resent the club
Robert Tomczyk tried to ease the situation on behalf of TOP. “I met with the president. Mr Tomczyk apologized for the entire situation and invited my son to training sessions, but I believe that matters have gone too far and that I will not leave it at that. It would have been enough for Mr Mienculewicz to apologize for the way he behaved,” says Paweł’s mother. The woman resents the club. “My son is still affected by it. It is hard for him that he is not playing volleyball; it was his dream. He does not train and has lost heart. He had great hopes connected with volleyball,” says Małgorzata Skokuń-Jakubowicz. Paweł himself says that he probably will not return to the sport. He had not trained since April 2008. In his view, after such a break it is difficult to start over.
Penalties for the club, coach and players
Following Paweł’s mother’s intervention, the DZPS took action against the club, the coach, the team captain and Paweł Skokuń himself. TOP was fined 500 złoty. Coach Adrian Graczyk was suspended from managing the volleyball team until April 30, 2009; the team captain received a reprimand; and Paweł Skokuń himself was suspended from player rights until December 31, 2008.
(MZ information)