|
Post by phantom on Apr 27, 2010 11:13:09 GMT -6
The discussion about Myron Rolle and the draft led me to wonder how far we as coaches are willing to go to allow young people to develop off of the field. Here are a couple of scenarios. I'm curious what you'd do in each case. A few parameters:
1. Since this is hypothetical let's assume that you have a viable replacement for any player.
2. Let's assume that this is public school.
Here are the scenarios:
1. A substantial number of your players want to donate blood at the school drive, which takes place on a Friday which is the day of a game.
2. Your starting QB tells you that he's a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity so he can't play on Saturdays. You have three Saturday games scheduled and they can't be changed.
3. A player tells you that he can't practice on Wednesdays for religious reasons (remember that this is a public school).
Thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by tothehouse on Apr 27, 2010 11:22:20 GMT -6
1. The Red Cross is open all the time. You don't need to give blood the day of the game...you can go at another time....maybe even after the season.
2. The schedule comes out in January. If you..as the coach...knew this was going to be a problem...maybe the kid isn't your starter. Plus, since he knew the schedule came out that early...maybe the player can manage to make a switch in his other responsibilities.
3. Not sure about this one.
I think that these scenarios...the player needs to understand that football is a team sport. If the coach decides to play someone else, or not play the kid that week because he missed practice and everyone else made it to practice the player needs to understand that.
These are probably great kids but, if it is a situation where these scenarios are vastly more important to the person then maybe they shouldn't play on the team.
|
|
|
Post by hamerhead on Apr 27, 2010 11:22:52 GMT -6
Fun idea. Assuming what you said....
1. Not happening. Sorry guys but its not very responsible and you're potentially letting your teammates down. Help organize it, publisize it, but don't participate. Maybe as a team, we go to another blood drive after the season, or even the following week on a day other than Friday. Maybe we organize one. But that's not happening and if they do it, they're not playing. It's not safe.
2. That's a great. I think it's a noble cause. If that's a choice he's going to make, I respect it. However, QB is not a position where I can have that kind of inconsistency, it's too much of a leadership position and too hard to replace. Maybe we need to look at him playing [x] position and develop another QB.
3. I respect that and I'm sure his teammates will too. Put in some time late after practice on Tuesday or before school on Wednesday. He won't be playing a position that is gameplan intensive, but I can make this situation work if he's willing to put in some extra time or if his position is relatively static game-plan wise. (DT for example).
|
|
|
Post by darebelcoach on Apr 27, 2010 11:24:36 GMT -6
Phantom,
Interesting dilemas that you have presented and I am sure, in some way or another, each of us has had to deal with something similar to what you have posted.
1. As far as the students wanting to donate blood at the school blood drive....I would put a foot down and say no way...in my experience as a teacher (and back when I was a student), most kids want to donate blood to get out of class, so I would say no....if the kids are that determined to donate blood, I would tell them that I will set up a different date/time to do it and I will personally take them to a blood bank...see how quickly they decide they don't want to do that anymore.
2. This is a tough one...you have a starter who is basically not going to be able to play in your Saturday games...you mention in the scenario that viable backups...I think I would sit down, have a talk with the player and captains and see what they think, but I would be inclined to let the kid miss the Saturday games for Habitat for Humanity.....maybe it is just me, but we are not only trying to coach football players, but turn these kids into responsible adults...Habitat for Humanity seems like a place where a kid is going to learn a lot about life. I would possibly have some type of consequences though for missing, such as not starting the first half of the next game, etc.
3. This is a tough one...religion is always a topic that I would prefer to stay out of...I mean, even in the pro's (baseball Sandy Koufax), people have missed games because of religious beliefs. I think I would sit down with the player/parents and see if there was something that could be worked out where he could be at part of the practice or just observe practice (not actively participate) etc....if not, again, some sort of consequences, i.e. probably not a starter anymore but still get substantial playing time...
Like I said, good post Phantom...makes you think
|
|
|
Post by sandstorm on Apr 27, 2010 11:27:06 GMT -6
1. A substantial number of your players want to donate blood at the school drive, which takes place on a Friday which is the day of a game.
I will first commend them, then instruct them that they will have an opportunity to donate on Saturday at the local Red Cross. That will be the time I will be donating.
2. Your starting QB tells you that he's a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity so he can't play on Saturdays. You have three Saturday games scheduled and they can't be changed.
I would commend him, and explain that when choosing to compete in a team sport like football, he must learn that his decisions just doesn't effect him, but all of his teammates. If Saturday is the only day that he can do it, and he has decided that it is what he wants to do. Pat him on the back, and find a new quarterback, immediatley.
3. A player tells you that he can't practice on Wednesdays for religious reasons (remember that this is a public school).
I totally support the players religious beliefs, but we will be practicing Wednesdays. If he wants to be a part of the team, he will be there. Accountability is a must.
|
|
|
Post by blb on Apr 27, 2010 11:30:52 GMT -6
1. Check with trainer or team doctor. If he/she advises against giving blood day of competition, compliment kids on school-community spirit but tell them to give another time.
If any still choose to donate, must be cleared by trainer or doctor to participate.
2. You can work for Habitat For Humanity (or anywhere else) the rest of your life. You get only so many "at bats" at HS football. If kid chooses HFH, he's no longer starter. Responsibilty to teammates.
3. Faith comes before football. Excused absence if it's for church obligation, or religion somehow prohibits football practice for two hours Wednesday afternoons.
These hypotheticals make my head hurt, phantom - have enough problems with real-life situations.
|
|
|
Post by phantom on Apr 27, 2010 12:07:52 GMT -6
3. Faith comes before football. Excused absence if it's for church obligation, or religion somehow prohibits football practice for two hours Wednesday afternoons. These hypotheticals make my head hurt, phantom - have enough problems with real-life situations. I picked Wednesday intentionally because that's a hard work day for just about every team. I don't know exactly what Wednesday practices are like at your school. Would the player not be missing a substantial amount of important work by missing every Wed. practice?
|
|
|
Post by blb on Apr 27, 2010 12:14:36 GMT -6
I picked Wednesday intentionally because that's a hard work day for just about every team. I don't know exactly what Wednesday practices are like at your school. Would the player not be missing a substantial amount of important work by missing every Wed. practice? Yes it is a full pad, heavy work day for us. I have never had a kid miss Wednesday (or any other day) because of a church obligation. Have had a couple who left half hour before end to attend church Wednesday evenings. Family thing over which kids had no say. Like I said, hypotheticals hurt my head.
|
|
|
Post by coachgup on Apr 27, 2010 12:57:24 GMT -6
Great questions. We deal with a blood drive on a Tuesday(thank god) when we should be hitting like maniacs, running around and having an otherwise wonderful Varsity D day. I agree with the comment to set it up yourself and provide transport. I do it 5 or 6 times per year anyway so I would take some football kids there happily.
I'll give you all a real one we are dealing with. We have a young man who will be a junior this year. Last year he was a backup C/G, he started one game for us but played in just about all of them. In the spring of the previous year he was selected to a very prestigious youth orchestra which meant he could not practice on Tuesdays. We took it to the captians and they were OK with him playing O but since he missed the big D practice every week, he played no defense. This same young man who would probbaly win a starting spot on O this year has the same issue plus was selected to a very good summer program which will cut into double sessions as well. Music is his future, not football so I'll let him go and find a replacement but interesting scenario.
|
|
|
Post by CoachMikeJudy on Apr 27, 2010 12:58:45 GMT -6
Phantom- these are tough... I'm going to preface this by stating that in the parent meeting this stuff needs to be addressed. The commitment thing needs to be put out in the open. Football is not for everyone- if you can't commit then maybe it's not for you.
1. A substantial number of your players want to donate blood at the school drive, which takes place on a Friday which is the day of a game.
NO WAY. If they want I can take them after practice on Monday. Giving blood is an anytime thing- not specifically on Friday afternoon before a game.
2. Your starting QB tells you that he's a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity so he can't play on Saturdays. You have three Saturday games scheduled and they can't be changed.
First I'm going to ask him to compromise and volunteer during the spring. Hopefully he has established this ahead of time so we can have a backup plan (treat him like he's injured...minimal reps and we can be sure the backup gets the majority reps).
3. A player tells you that he can't practice on Wednesdays for religious reasons (remember that this is a public school).
He has to know he will never start. Nothing against him, his worship is an excused absence from practice, but someone else just moved up the depth chart and the "hay's in the barn" by Thursday. If it were Monday/Tuesday then he'd have time to "win back" his starting role. You have to draw the line somewhere- he obviously wants to be on the team but there's no way he'll ever start. It's not fair for the people that are there 5 days a week. I respect his religious beliefs and that's what will keep him on the team.
|
|
|
Post by norcaldiaz on Apr 27, 2010 13:24:26 GMT -6
Interesting thread... at our school we always have one or two guys on the team who participate in Ramadan, which is a holy month for Islams where they (among other things) fast and do not drink water from dawn until sunset. The month is determined by the Islamic calendar but it is generally during September from what I understand. www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-19258076.htmlLast year early in the season one of our main receivers was observing and did not eat or drink anything from about 6:30am until halftime of a Friday night game.
|
|
|
Post by hsrose on Apr 27, 2010 14:25:37 GMT -6
Anyone dealt with Ramadan? Muslim players that observe it can't eat or drink during the day, and usually have extended family religious gatherings on Friday and Saturday nights. The lack of food includes water so they are weak. Lasts a month so you have to account for that in practices and such.
Blood drive - players reschedule
Habitat - play him when he's there, sub when he's not. I've got him for 7 games. If the backup was able to win all 10 games he'd be the starter.
Religious - That comes first.
How about Homecoming activities? During that week there are a lot of activities going on, including an all-nighter for each class. Kids are wiped out pretty much for the week. Issue is that the "good kids" are the ones helping out, and that usually includes the football players as they are responsible, helpful, outgoing, etc.
|
|
|
Post by phantom on Apr 27, 2010 14:46:44 GMT -6
Religious - That comes first. How about Homecoming activities? During that week there are a lot of activities going on, including an all-nighter for each class. Kids are wiped out pretty much for the week. Issue is that the "good kids" are the ones helping out, and that usually includes the football players as they are responsible, helpful, outgoing, etc. It may be that religion comes first but the fact is that the player is missing an important practice. Wednesday is defensive practice. How can we play a player on defense if he never practices defense? Homecoming? We just don't let our guys participate, at least not to the point that they miss practice time.
|
|
|
Post by wingtol on Apr 27, 2010 15:25:11 GMT -6
I am "just a PE teacher and coach" so my math my be fuzzy.....
I always tell our kids they have a small window of time to do certain things in life, football being one of them. So based on just HS football they have about 40 weeks of their lives to play roughly. Now say the average lifespan is 75 that's 3900 weeks. 40 weeks out of that is 1%. So you have basically 1% of your life to play HS football. I am pretty sure you can give blood for longer than 1% of your life. Pretty sure people are gonna need houses for more than 1% of your life. Those things will be around much longer than your football career. Don't miss the opportunity, there is no re-set button in life.
Now I am one of those evil Catholic school coaches so the religious thing may be different at our school and we have had kids who need to leave for confirmation classes or the like. But I am sure if we were at a public school we would say hey you are welcome to be part of the team but if you can not be here on Wed. then we will take that in to consideration when it comes to playing time.
|
|
|
Post by CoachMikeJudy on Apr 27, 2010 15:27:02 GMT -6
Right-
you have to make a decision- as a coach and as a player...
Players have to learn what is important- if football interferes with religion, then football is out the door.
|
|
|
Post by jjkuenzel on Apr 27, 2010 16:57:31 GMT -6
1. Be smart. Think of dumb things and do the opposite. Giving blood on game day is dumb.
2. Habitat will go on without you there. It is not imperative that you are present. There are plenty of Saturdays after the season.
3. Ah the old faith vs athletics dilemma. One that is near and dear to my heart. I grew up a preachers kid in a small town. Suffice it to say that there were many battles fought in our house over this issue. Let me just say this. What is important to the kid most likely isn't the same as the parent. More often than not, the kid wants to be at practice and not at the church/religious function.
I have a real problem with church leaders putting kids in this difficult position. It creates and either or situation where kids/parents must decide where their presence is most important. Why can't it be a both and situation. There are ways to be involved in church/religious activities without it taking away from athletic endeavors. It is not absolutely imperative that the kids be at church functions all the time. They will not wilt and their faith will not shrivel up and die if they happen to miss a few church functions.
I really can't stand those types of situations because they are complete and utter BS. I feel so bad for the kids because I know they are put into a tough spot. Yet I have been there and I know my decision was to always be playing ball. As a player it is a hill I was willing to die and as a coach it is one that I am willing to die on as well.
|
|