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Post by coachjuice on May 20, 2012 6:28:29 GMT -6
Several of our players just really don't care anymore. Instead of using sports as a way out they they look at it as a rite not a privilege. More and more of our players come from single parent homes, through DSS or really just do not have a care in the world. Our academic policy's make failing very difficult and aims to keep kids in school. Over the last 2 or 3 months we have over 10 of my players suspended form school and or arrested. We have numerous players involved in all out brawls after school or in community events. The gang issue has always been in the background but has become more and more prevalent in the last few years. I am the PE teacher in the building and the Head Football coach. My entire staff works in the building as well. When there was an issue the admin used to send them to me/us and we would "take care" of the situation. Our relationship with the players has always been good but more and more kids won't come to us with issues anymore. We have had team meetings, individual talks. I have brought people in who have gone through similar things. Our AD had Chris Herren come and speak to the entire school, we do Leadership council, we get all over the kids for not attending the weight room, grades etc...It has NO effect on them. I am worried about the future of these kids, the community as a whole and of course the football program. Through all the changes in the area we pledged as a staff that we would always remain consistent and I believe we have. If anyone else has gone through this or is going through this please let me know what you did or are doing. Our future is really hanging in the balance here.
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Post by blb on May 20, 2012 10:46:20 GMT -6
Coach, I have no experience in a situation such as yours so I hesitate to respond.
BUT - it sounds like you are making every effort possible, doing what's right and what you believe in.
It is not possible to do (or maybe undo would be better word choice) in a Football season or even school year what has not been done the previous 15-17 years.
Sometimes all you can do is all you can do.
Good luck, Coach. I wish you success.
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mhs99
Junior Member
Posts: 250
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Post by mhs99 on May 20, 2012 12:22:13 GMT -6
School culture is a product of the school administration and will kill an athletic program when it soft or emabing, especially in a city/urban environment. When you say they no longer are sent to you the red flag is an administration that is giving up on kids and kids will sense they are weak and avoid you.
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Post by blb on May 20, 2012 12:42:20 GMT -6
School culture is a product of the school administration and will kill an athletic program when it soft or emabing, especially in a city/urban environment. When you say they no longer are sent to you the red flag is an administration that is giving up on kids and kids will sense they are weak and avoid you. Excellent points. Near-impossible to run a program that is organized, structured, disciplined when those things aren't practiced during the school day. |
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Post by optionoline on May 20, 2012 12:51:35 GMT -6
School culture is a product of the school administration and will kill an athletic program when it soft or emabing, especially in a city/urban environment. When you say they no longer are sent to you the red flag is an administration that is giving up on kids and kids will sense they are weak and avoid you. Is would go beyond that and say a schools culture is the product of the community outside of schools far more than e community within the schools. If parents are irresponsible, if high crime is prevalent in the neighborhoods, if gangs are openly active, if drug used is common, if unemployment is rampant, etc. etc. etc. Good communities create good schools. Hard to fight against but doesn't mean we can stop trying. For the op, keep up what you are doing, I'm sure it is making a difference for a whole bunch of kids, we just don't notice the successes as easily as the failures. |
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Post by blb on May 20, 2012 12:59:28 GMT -6
For the op, keep up what you are doing, I'm sure it is making a difference for a whole bunch of kids, we just don't notice the successes as easily as the failures. Amen to that. |
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mcrsa75
Sophomore Member
Posts: 116
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Post by mcrsa75 on May 20, 2012 13:20:49 GMT -6
Coach, I want to commend you on all of your efforts. You are doing all of the right things so I won't give a redundant list of "do/not do" that you have heard before. In my 12 years of teaching experience, you can not impart positive values when the administration constantly makes excuses for the all the kids (not just players) at the school. At the end of the day, you are just putting a band-aid on an open wound.
Solution? I would suggest that you reevaluate how you define success in this situation. For example, your goals could include a) winning record (6-4), b) graduate over 50% of players, c) put kids in position to obtain scholarship (high ACT, SAT scores d) reward positive behavior. At the end of day, you must decide if you can accept goals which are feasible in your environment; if not, then you can make a decision to move on. Too often, I think coaches forget that their primary goal is to make young men out boys (I am not suggesting that you have). Based upon your post, I suspect that you are accomplishing these goals. In our world, success is measure by our won/loss record. I have learned as a coach and classroom teacher that it is not always feasible to measure success/failure by the world's metric.
Just my thoughts.
MCRSA75
MCRSA75
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tekart
Junior Member
Posts: 298
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Post by tekart on May 21, 2012 11:04:33 GMT -6
I will echo some of the others. Keep doing what you are doing and don't settle for less. Focus on the positives and reward them and hope that some kids come around.
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Post by coachcb on May 21, 2012 14:31:16 GMT -6
Although I think there is an administrative issue here, you will find that the community and parents are largely to blame for the kids f-ing up.
That's the issue around here. You can't exactly beat accountability into kids who aren't getting it at home.
I had a kid on the team last year that is an absolute athlete. All-State basketball three years running. He just disappeared from school and football for over a week. I called home and a)his mom didn't know where he was at, b)her best guess was that he was running around with Harry and Lloyd who were back from college (i.e. flunked out) and c) didn't know he was playing football. Come to find out he was drinking for four straight days.
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