‘Told in Advance, Still Removed’: Negaunee High School  High Football Player Loses Spot Over Two Missed Practices for Hunting Trip!

December 10, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on December 12, 2026

A mother named Tiffany Store took to her Facebook to share an incident about her son, Gaven, a basketball player at Negaunee High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, who was kicked off the varsity team after missing two practices to go deer hunting with his family.

Tiffany explained that the trip had been planned long before the season started.

Gaven told Coach Billy Hill face-to-face two different times that he would be gone hunting, first right after tryouts, again on a Friday.

In fact, the family even followed up by text about it.

They thought everything was fine because no one ever said the absences would cost him his spot on the team.

Then, the week after the trip, the coach removed him anyway, saying varsity players have to be at every practice with no exceptions.

When the trouble started, they went higher up: they contacted the athletic director, Jake Skewis, and even sat down for a meeting with both the athletic director and the school superintendent.

Even with all of that, nothing changed, and Gaven stayed off the team.

She wrote that the whole thing felt unfair, especially since the school is small and the team is short on players. Tiffany wrote:

There were no verbal or written expectations of attendance before Gaven talked to coach Hill about being gone for hunting.

She also pointed out that Coach Hill himself posted that even a “family vacation” would not count as unexcused and could get a kid removed, which shocked a lot of parents.

People quickly jumped into the comments, and most were on the family’s side. Brandee Sandy wrote:

I still stand by my thoughts that family first. Didn’t matter what Gaven was doing. He had family trip planned and gave notice of such… a CHILD should never be put in the position to decide between a sport or his family.

Brandee Sandy

Likewise, another supporter named Jacqueline JackieNiemi said,

It’s really hard to watch a kid who lives for a sport get kicked off the team for taking two pre-planned days to go hunting with his family… Hunting with dad or grandpa during deer season? Those are the stories Gavin will still be telling when he’s 50. Two November practices nobody will remember in six months just ended his chance to play the game he loves.

Jacqueline JackieNiemi

Karen Rehn added, “Some of these coaches act like it’s the pros. I’m sorry but it’s youth sports. None of it is that serious… Childhood is short. Missing 2 days for something shouldn’t be an issue.”

You May Read:

That said, a few people backed the coach. Lexie JB commented:

Missing practices to go hunting?! Yeah, coach was in the right. Some of you are acting like this kid had some sort of family emergency.

Lexie JB

Others got upset that Tiffany was deleting comments she didn’t like. Jaime Holsworth pointed out, writing:

Why keep deleting comments that don’t fit your narrative? This was written by a Varsity player offering their own experience and perspective. When you start silencing the other side, you undercut your entire argument.

Jaime Holsworth

Jaime also shared a screenshot of the comment Tiffany deleted from Easton Guenette, which read:

Multiple players on this team gave up hunting time and work time, nobody is complaining, or quitting. We communicate and work around it, our coach is very flexible and easy to talk to.

Similarly, Jeff Rogers said, “If you’re gonna delete comments from kids, you might as well delete the original post. Very sad.”

By the next day, the story had spread all over town.

Someone even made a joke post saying Ted Nugent, a singer and spokesperson for Hunter Nation and an advocate for gun rights, hunting, and conservative causes, showed up to talk to school officials and get Gavin back on the team.

Parents are still talking about it, some saying the coach went too far, others saying rules are rules and kids have to learn commitment.

You May Read:

• Check other Articles on

Aditi is an avid music lover whose interest's goes beyond the realm of music, with passion in digital marketing. A Gen Z who loves her personal space and is keen to exploring new things. An optimist who seeks silver lining in every circumstances life throws at her.

Related articles

May 13, 2026

May 12, 2026

May 12, 2026

May 8, 2026

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Share article

- May 13, 2026 Residents of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, are raising serious concerns after a series of violent incidents involving a group of young boys who have been targeting...

- May 13, 2026 Andrew O' Donnell of Fairfield, Connecticut, passed away at the age of 39. He was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, and later moved to Ancramdale, New...

- May 12, 2026 Judy (Evans) Milby of Rockwall, Texas, passed away on Saturday at the age of 80. Milby was born on July 25, 1945, to her father,...

- May 12, 2026 Residents of Dromore, Co. Down, are calling for action after a deeply concerning incident at the local play park, where older children were reported...

- May 11, 2026 A video circulating on Facebook has sparked a heated debate among Bell Gardens residents after police were called on a group of kids riding...