Suspended for Swearing

Go to bat for your coach! Work with your AD and see if there is some sort of "plan" or situation that can work for all parties. Try to sell how good of a teacher/mentor he is for the kids -- even though he cusses. AND, you have to get your assistant on page to tone it down - if he truly wants to be a part of it, he'll have to cool it.

Was the DC warned before the suspension? If so, then I can understand the AD's apprehension. But if he wasn't warned then the AD should sit down with your DC tell him what behaviors are NOT allowed if the DC can't handle that then he doesn't want to be back too bad. As a guy who has butted heads with an AD before (and lost) this is how I wish my situation had gone.

what a bunch of mother {censored} {censored} those {censored} don't know {censored}

Had a mildly similar situation happen to me this year. I dropped a F bomb during the middle of the game which was apparently audible for everyone in the stadium to hear. I try not to just blast out cuss words, but it was a reaction (kid dropped a 4th down pass on our their 15) and I thought I wouldn't be heard due to the loud groans of the crowd. A mother of a player heard it and also noticed the throwing of the clip board and head set.

She called in that Monday to express her concern and her conversation with the HC did not go well. Needless to say a meeting was set up with myself, HC, AD, supt, and her. To make a long story short, the thing that I did to try and smooth the situation over was to 1) admit fault. I made a mistake and it was something I wish I had not done. 2) I affirmed what her concerns by saying that she was correct in that we as coaches are role models and need to act and talk accordingly. 3) Let her and everyone else know that my language and sideline behavior is something that I will be much more aware of and make an effort to keep under control.

After doing that it really seemed to get everyone on the same page and there wasn't another issue all season. So to recap this is my advice
1. Admit fault and apologize
2. Affirm the other persons concerns
3. Make a plan of corrective action

I think there is a fine line there between how much a coach should swear and when it becomes a problem. Before I got to the school I am at the previous coaching staff had major problem with swearing kids up and down. With these being 14-18 year olds they shut down after hearing how f-ing bad they were for the millionith time. They did win games and all from watching game tapes and talking to kids you could tell they were timid and just played to not screw up because the next day in films they were going to get ripped. As soon as you take the fun out of the game you take all chances of accomplishing anything out. Now, that being said, our coaching staff at times swears. The difference now is that the kids are understanding we are doing it to really drive home a point and voice our displeasure. We also never do it in a manner to make the kid feel belittled or as though they can not do the task we want them too. I think in the heat of any athletic event or competition you are going to have some possible outburts. That includes players as well as coaches. Football is a game built off emotion and intensity. However, you must keep the outburts and the swearing within the bounds of sportsmanship.

I hope your not infering that a coach that swears from time to time is a coach that does not have any class. Now, one that belittles his players and uses swearing as a way to insult or bring shame to his players is another story. I love a player that beats his chest and gets everyone into the game. That kind of intensity is contagious. There a line there that a player must not cross and there is little gray area around that line. If a player uses his mouth and gets in the face of an opposing player, even if he does not get a penalty, that player will be taken off the field. However, if a player makes a big play and comes off the field yelling and screaming at his teammates than that is encouraged. I would have to say football is the only sport we have that beating your chest and talking big is something that has come to be excepted. No other sport do you throw your whole body around with reckless abandon. It is as close to being barbaric as you can get, and sometimes we see those animal like tendencies come out in people

can a 'case' be made FOR swearing? I doubt it......

it'd be nice if none of us swore, but for some, it's a way of relating - right or wrong. I dunno.

Would it be ideal to have a sanitized product on the field? Sure...it's more pallatable for moms.

However, I don't think I can repeat ANY of my father's stories of playing football for Jesuit priests at Campion HS. So WTF? ;D

I am not making a case or an apology for swearing...because it IS uncouth, however, to further the discussion, one could point to the rationale behind the blue language of the series "Deadwood" , where profanity was utilized to set one's place within the culture, establishing a common ground of where one stood - profanity HAD to be used to set the culture apart from mainstream.

airman,
that might be the coolest thing I have seen posted in a lockerroom.
awesome.

That is where I am coming from on this issue. I don't swear much but I do drop the "A" word or the "SOB" phrase (not at anyone just in general) or a dammit now an then. If this offends people I am sorry. I try not to do it. But when I do the kids know I am highly pissed off. I do have a swearing policy with my players. They do 10 updowns for each letter in the word. If I swear I do pushups the same way. To me that tells the kids I am not "above the law".

As for the coach I think you need to go to bat for him. But maybe the admin's reaction should serve notice to the staff that swearing is no longer tolerated.

I hear all kinds of crap in the hallways from kids. Many kids today just swear b/c they listen to EMINEM or whatever. THey think nothing of swear words in music or on TV.

We as coaches should be the role models of good behavior. But NOBODY is perfect.

Question: Why is the coach a public relations nighmare according to the new AD? Where do the principal and supt weigh in on this?

Principal is the AD and the Super(female) has no idea about athletics (her exact words) she just makes a decision based on what she hears and what the AD thinks. He says he is a public relations nitemare because he went to a near by high school and was to say it best a bad@ss type kid(had no home life football got him into college) he had a couple of run ins with the law when he was still in college (beat up a local bouncer outside a bar)......No one really cares about that basically the kids that he doesn't play have parents that are on staff at school so, what the AD gets is my son isn't playing and oh yeah he swearing so he says i will take care of the swearing....He was put on a good PR show lately he has gone to some Volleyball games and is running the weight lifting here but i don't know if it will be enough....I need this guy on my staff....Got any IDEAS ?

How much is he willing to compromise? Is he willing to work on cutting down his swearing? Not using the F-bomb would be a step in the right direction. There is a certain amount of decorum that we need when working with kids.

CAN YOU IMAGINE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CALCULUS TEACHER..."TOMMY, SOLVE THE F*&^% PROBLEM LIKE A SUMNOBIAAAAAATCH"....

Can you imagine asking a calculus student solving a calc problem by tackling the kid with the worksheet? Football field behavior and classroom behavior are 2 different things. The football field is a place where certain behaviors that would get you in trouble off the field are not only allowed but encouraged. What makes a student/athlete in my opinion is the ability to flip that switch from aggressive/dominant football player to mild mannered student. Same thing applies for coaches.

if a kid farts in class would it be appropriate?
if a kid rips on in the huddle is it not appropriate?