Whatever a Coach is....humiliation of players is not part of it

[speedo]

I don't think that there are many coaches that set out to humiliate a player. I know from my own expierance that you can sometimes get caught up in the moment and rip a player for a bad play and it can embarrass a player. I have also went back an apoligized for it. As long as they know you care for them and you are tring to make them better they are ok. It is like a parent and a child relationship some time you have to be the bad guy. If you don't care about them and you are ripping them all the time they are not going to respond to you.

The coach has the responsability of getting a goup of teenagers to focus on accomplishing a goal that he and the team has set to acheive. That is a fancy way of saying they are trying to win. There are alot of dynamics that are involved. You as a coach are trying to mesh poeple form differnt backgrounds, home life and maturity level for just a few examples into one unit that can accomplish a goal. Sometimes you can't say please and you can't beg them to do it. Many times you end up ripping a player to get him to do what he or she is suppost to be doing. Most kids don't know how to work or work at the level it takes to win on a regular basis. It is not always easy or fun to put out that effort so you half to get after them in paractice and in the game. So some times what you see as a fan is not in the context of what is really going on between the player and Coach. You are seeing a snap shot what is really going on or has gone on in practice. You can't always judge until you have been there.

I am not saying it is ok to purposely attack or humiliate a player. I don't think you should ever cuse at a player in High School but many Coaches choose to do that. Just know what all it takes to do the job before you make a harsh judgement.

[Gerry Bertier]

Some responses in this thread are down right ludicrous. As a teacher and coach to be I have this to say. I will never humiliate a child in the classroom or on the court. There is a time and place for everything and calling a child out is never acceptable in the classroom or on the court, field, etc.

 

Why should a Coach call out a player who failed a math test the day before in the middle of practice? For motivation? To get the player's head straight for practice? What does that have to do with ones performance on the court. It would be like a History teacher calling out a child in class for missing 5 free throws down the stretch at last night's game. All of it is unacceptable.

 

For those who think winning is the only thing, then you need to grow up, open your eyes, or just get in touch with reality. The majority of high school athletes will never take their game to the next level. Your goal as a teacher/coach (notice teacher comes first) is to have every single child to show improvement in academics, athletics, and social situations when that child leaves you after 4 years. If you do that then wins will come.

 

To me coaching is more than X's and O's, wins and losses, it is about making a difference in a child's life so that child is set up to succeed not only on the court, field, but in the classroom and in the social world.

 

But hey that is just my opinion.

[Courtside]

Some responses in this thread are down right ludicrous. As a teacher and coach to be I have this to say. I will never humiliate a child in the classroom or on the court. There is a time and place for everything and calling a child out is never acceptable in the classroom or on the court, field, etc.

 

Why should a Coach call out a player who failed a math test the day before in the middle of practice? For motivation? To get the player's head straight for practice? What does that have to do with ones performance on the court. It would be like a History teacher calling out a child in class for missing 5 free throws down the stretch at last night's game. All of it is unacceptable.

 

For those who think winning is the only thing, then you need to grow up, open your eyes, or just get in touch with reality. The majority of high school athletes will never take their game to the next level. Your goal as a teacher/coach (notice teacher comes first) is to have every single child to show improvement in academics, athletics, and social situations when that child leaves you after 4 years. If you do that then wins will come.

 

To me coaching is more than X's and O's, wins and losses, it is about making a difference in a child's life so that child is set up to succeed not only on the court, field, but in the classroom and in the social world.

 

But hey that is just my opinion.

You must have coached at a school that did not win much, here is the real world. For most coaches their teaching job is also connected to their coaching job. If they lose their coaching job they will also be let go from their teaching job. With that kind of pressure to win from boosters, administrators, and parents you better win. That does not excuse any excessive abuse of a player, but that is the real world. If you want a league where everyone gets to play equally, treated extra nice, and winning does not matter, join a saturday league.

[krichunaka]

This is a little off-subject, but obviously relevant.

 

Speedo, Gerry; Excellent posts! The kids DO come first.

 

Courtside, Great Points. I know of several teachers coaches who have left a school after losing their coaching jobs; but I'm not aware of the legality of such a maneuver on the part of an administration, unless, the coach lacks tenure. I'm sure it happens, and I'm aware I appear a little naive, or even downright facetious for such a question, but what are the actual laws concerning firing/retaining teachers/coaches?

 

I often play Devil's Advocate on this site; but not this time; not here. I really don't know. Are you referring to private schools, only? or are Public Schools (Administrations) allowed to hire and fire based on coaching success/failure alone? If so, we all have a lot to think about on this subject. Again, thanks.

[PrepFanatic]

Some responses in this thread are down right ludicrous. As a teacher and coach to be I have this to say. I will never humiliate a child in the classroom or on the court. There is a time and place for everything and calling a child out is never acceptable in the classroom or on the court, field, etc.

 

Why should a Coach call out a player who failed a math test the day before in the middle of practice? For motivation? To get the player's head straight for practice? What does that have to do with ones performance on the court. It would be like a History teacher calling out a child in class for missing 5 free throws down the stretch at last night's game. All of it is unacceptable.

 

For those who think winning is the only thing, then you need to grow up, open your eyes, or just get in touch with reality. The majority of high school athletes will never take their game to the next level. Your goal as a teacher/coach (notice teacher comes first) is to have every single child to show improvement in academics, athletics, and social situations when that child leaves you after 4 years. If you do that then wins will come.

 

To me coaching is more than X's and O's, wins and losses, it is about making a difference in a child's life so that child is set up to succeed not only on the court, field, but in the classroom and in the social world.

 

But hey that is just my opinion.

 

If this was football, would we even having this discussion? How can you say that you shouldnt call a kid out in basketball, when every single game it gets done in football. The coach is growing young boys into men, should they not know if they dont follow the boss's orders, they will get singled out. Everybody, unless you own your own company, has to follow what the boss says is the rules and do your job like he wants it done, they have to rely on their fellow co-workers (team mates) to get the job done. If you dont then guess what, the boss pulls you to the side. Sounds kind of like sports. huh?

 

Winnig is not everything, but why should I install a losing attitude into my son. I raise him to think winning is everything, when he loses a game I'm there to pick him up, but I want him to have the attitude that you need to play your heart out to win. Look at Derek Jeter, Micheal Jordan, or even down to Willie Kemp and tell me somebody told them that its ok to lose.

 

Winning isnt everything = Peyton Manning...................................................just a joke a Peyton, dont get on here and bash me.

Edited February 5, 2006 by PrepFanatic

[drag-buff-fan]

Some responses in this thread are down right ludicrous. As a teacher and coach to be I have this to say. I will never humiliate a child in the classroom or on the court. There is a time and place for everything and calling a child out is never acceptable in the classroom or on the court, field, etc.

 

Why should a Coach call out a player who failed a math test the day before in the middle of practice? For motivation? To get the player's head straight for practice? What does that have to do with ones performance on the court. It would be like a History teacher calling out a child in class for missing 5 free throws down the stretch at last night's game. All of it is unacceptable.

 

For those who think winning is the only thing, then you need to grow up, open your eyes, or just get in touch with reality. The majority of high school athletes will never take their game to the next level. Your goal as a teacher/coach (notice teacher comes first) is to have every single child to show improvement in academics, athletics, and social situations when that child leaves you after 4 years. If you do that then wins will come.

 

To me coaching is more than X's and O's, wins and losses, it is about making a difference in a child's life so that child is set up to succeed not only on the court, field, but in the classroom and in the social world.

 

But hey that is just my opinion.

Very good post "GERRY BERTIER FOR PRESIDENT" every coach needs your outlook

[The Sports Guy]

If this was football, would we even having this discussion? How can you say that you shouldnt call a kid out in basketball, when every single game it gets done in football. The coach is growing young boys into men, should they not know if they dont follow the boss's orders, they will get singled out. Everybody, unless you own your own company, has to follow what the boss says is the rules and do your job like he wants it done, they have to rely on their fellow co-workers (team mates) to get the job done. If you dont then guess what, the boss pulls you to the side. Sounds kind of like sports. huh?

 

Winnig is not everything, but why should I install a losing attitude into my son. I raise him to think winning is everything, when he loses a game I'm there to pick him up, but I want him to have the attitude that you need to play your heart out to win. Look at Derek Jeter, Micheal Jordan, or even down to Willie Kemp and tell me somebody told them that its ok to lose.

 

Amen!

 

When do those over protected kids learn the harsher side of life? Do you wait until the words "You're Fired" offer up their first taste of humiliation? Or maybe we could wait until the Judge humiliates them by sending them to prison.

 

Positive enforcement is always proper for positive behavior. If anyone tries to tell me that positive enforcement is also always proper for negative behavior, I will scream "HOGWASH" at the top of my lungs.

 

If my statements seem too far from reality, take your class on a field trip to the local couthouse during any typical day. You will see a lot of young people between 16 & 25 that haven't responded very well to positive enforcement, and are facing a reality check.

 

How humiliating is that?

[Gerry Bertier]

Everybody, unless you own your own company, has to follow what the boss says is the rules and do your job like he wants it done, they have to rely on their fellow co-workers (team mates) to get the job done. If you dont then guess what, the boss pulls you to the side. Sounds kind of like sports. huh?

 

Winnig is not everything, but why should I install a losing attitude into my son. I raise him to think winning is everything, when he loses a game I'm there to pick him up, but I want him to have the attitude that you need to play your heart out to win. Look at Derek Jeter, Micheal Jordan, or even down to Willie Kemp and tell me somebody told them that its ok to lose.

 

Winning isnt everything = Peyton Manning...................................................just a joke a Peyton, dont get on here and bash me.

 

You just helped prove my point. In the workplace the boss will pull you aside, not call you out in a meeting in front of your co-workers. I played football in high school and never once di my coaches call me or any other player out. It is a team game and if something went wrong it was the teams fault not just one player. If a coach calls out a athlete, he/she is setting the precedent that this is acceptable behavior and then athletes will begind doing it themselves, which can cause turmoil on the team.

 

Yes, coaches should correct mistakes made on the field or in practice, but in a professional manner. I don't care if a kid can take it or not, you have to be aware of the example you are setting to the entire team. Do you think a boss would keep his job to long or keep the respect of the employees under him/her if he/she kept calling out people in the office time and time again in front of people. It is a thing called professional behavior and that is not it.

 

Who said anything about instilling a losing attitude. To most people the winning attitude is counting W's and L's, well that isn't the way it should be. A winning attitude should be that you went out a gave it your all and tried your hardest and didn't leave anything on the field. If you win great, if you lose fine, you know you have to do to work harder(that is the attitude Jordan, Jeter, and Kemp have). But don't hang your hat on getting W's and L's. My best memory of high school football was not the season we advacned in the playoffs and beat the number 3 team in the state, it was the year before when we got to the playoffs for the first time in a decade and only won 5 games. Throughout that season we all improved as individuals and gelled as a team.

[Solomon]

Who said anything about instilling a losing attitude. To most people the winning attitude is counting W's and L's, well that isn't the way it should be. A winning attitude should be that you went out a gave it your all and tried your hardest and didn't leave anything on the field. If you win great, if you lose fine, you know you have to do to work harder(that is the attitude Jordan, Jeter, and Kemp have). But don't hang your hat on getting W's and L's. My best memory of high school football was not the season we advacned in the playoffs and beat the number 3 team in the state, it was the year before when we got to the playoffs for the first time in a decade and only won 5 games. Throughout that season we all improved as individuals and gelled as a team.

 

Alert the press, I agree with Gerry on something.

[The General]

I don't think that humiliation is a good way to get the best out of your players, but sometimes a good ''butt chewing'' is just what a person needs. Every player has a different way to get their best out them. If a player thinks that getting chewed out is something the coach is doing to just make fun of him, then the player doesn't have the right mind set to be playing competitive sports in the first place.

[hackashaq]

Being a good coach and good teacher are inseparable. Coach Wooden and Coach Krzyzewski, two of the best and most successful coaches ever do/did not chose humiliation or berating a player before the crowd as a way to motivate. Both Wooden and Krzyzewski preach and teach respect. Both love and care for their players like family. You just don't see them berating players before a crowd or anyone. I don’t care who you are, you deserve the respect of the coach under any circumstance. Being successful is not tied to purely winning. Some are saying that what you do on the court does not translate into work and life. I beg to differ. Yes, at one time company supervisors were allowed to cuss and berate their workers. But things have changed drastically. Every major company in the US now teaches the importance of being a team player. Even the supervisors are called coaches. Supervisor/Coaches understand if you berate a worker, you stand the chance of losing your job. Why? Because of law suits. We have a coach that has been selectively choosing players to berate (and it is under this “if I don’t yell at you, then you better be worried because I don’t care†disguise) them before the crowd in a psychological game to promote others. It is only a matter of time before some parent gets fed up with this nonsense and puts a law suit on the school. It will all come out in the wash then.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

John Wooden

[Gerry Bertier]

Being a good coach and good teacher are inseparable. Coach Wooden and Coach Krzyzewski, two of the best and most successful coaches ever do/did not chose humiliation or berating a player before the crowd as a way to motivate. Both Wooden and Krzyzewski preach and teach respect. Both love and care for their players like family. You just don't see them berating players before a crowd or anyone. I don’t care who you are, you deserve the respect of the coach under any circumstance. Being successful is not tied to purely winning. Some are saying that what you do on the court does not translate into work and life. I beg to differ. Yes, at one time company supervisors were allowed to cuss and berate their workers. But things have changed drastically. Every major company in the US now teaches the importance of being a team player. Even the supervisors are called coaches. Supervisor/Coaches understand if you berate a worker, you stand the chance of losing your job. Why? Because of law suits. We have a coach that has been selectively choosing players to berate (and it is under this “if I don’t yell at you, then you better be worried because I don’t care†disguise) them before the crowd in a psychological game to promote others. It is only a matter of time before some parent gets fed up with this nonsense and puts a law suit on the school. It will all come out in the wash then.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

John Wooden

 

Great Post