Do we take ourselves too seriously?

Yes. It's a kid's game, that's all.

What does easy have to do with this business?

Yes, generally speaking.

yes....but in a different way. Every time I see a new glossary term or acronym for something I have to roll my eyes.

Look, first off, I'm not taking a job where I can't be me. No game, or job is worth that sh!t. We ain't on this rock long enough to be doing something we aren't, or being something we aren't. I try to be a good role model, but do I drink...yes. Have I ever been in trouble....yes. Doesn't mean I'm some sociopath who's out to destroy young men's minds. I think you need to be YOU and if that doesn't work...find a line of work that allows this. I'm not changing for anybody. There's a sh!t ton of crappy coaches out there, if you want a guy who doesn't know his a$$ from a hole in the ground just b/c he doesn't drink and goes to church on Wed. and Sun. nights, that's fine, good luck. Me, I'd be looking for good quality men who have some character. Maybe a guy that did get arrested for disorderly conduct, got things worked out and learned his lesson. He can tell the kids a whole lot easier about life's mistakes than a guy who goes and locks himself in his house at 6:30 after practice and doesn't show his face again til' 6:30 the next morning.

My point is, you have to ask yourself at some point, "Why am I doing this?". If your job, boss or whatever is forcing you to be something you're not, why stay? That kind of job will do nothing but make your life miserable. Me, I want to laugh, have fun and enjoy the sh!t out of life til' I turn around and stumble face first into the grave! If my job won't let me do that, it ain't worth doin'!

Duece

Yes. I think we take aspects of our jobs too seriously. I think its ok to be serious about modeling character and helping to influence young men to be better people, but modeling great character doesn't always fit into the same box. I also think we take certain aspects of the game too seriously. I realize that it is our job to be successful, but sometimes we make it more about ourselves than the kids. I have to constantly evaluate the things we are doing to make sure we are putting our kids first. If the answer is no, we have to make changes.

You have to be intense enough to get this job done, but relaxed enough to enjoy it, too.

We have always lived in district where I taught-coached full time.

Yes, you can be under the microscope, and if you associate with some people more than others (your kids go to a certain elementary-play on youth teams with some parents' kids, you go to one church, you shop at one store instead of others etc.) it can create enmity in small-minded people.

Even if you don't frequent the local watering holes.

But in this profession they don't need much of an excuse to dislike or at least resent you, and won't have to work too hard to come up with one.

And if you DON'T live in the community, they can view you as a carpet bagging outsider who will take their money in salary but is "too good" to live there.

So do what you perceive to be right and makes you happy.

Coaching is almost always a terminal profession anyway.

I think like many other things with the job, it depends on where you are as to what you can do in public. There are some communities I've seen that definitely wouldn't like it if a coach drank a beer in public. Other places, they'll buy you the beer. I went from one to the other a few years ago and was floored when I walked into the restaurant and had parents wanting to buy me a drink. I was also uncomfortable. After a couple of years, I became comfortable with it.

I live in the district where I coach. After every game we go to a local bar&grill where we reserve a side room. A ton of our kids and their parents go to the same place after games, and see us there. In fact. many times the kids and/or their parents come over to congratulate or console us about the game. They all see us with beer in our hands or on the table. I think it's ok that kids see us in this light, especially since they see us as RESPONSIBLE. None of us are loaded, out of control or obnoxious. It kinda' sends a message that it's ok to have a beer or two(legally) as long as one can do it in a responsible manner.

I think the original post is more about professionalism and not so much taking ourselves too seriously. Think of it this way, our players/students and their families are our clients (to make a connection to other professions); now if I were a businessman I wouldnt want my clients seeing me hanging acting out as I did when I was in college.

Granted, there is a slight difference in that we are mostly dealing with kids, but I think the comparison remains.

That being written, I think there are some ways that coaches do take themselves too seriously, but most of those examples are media driven stereotypes of how coaches behave.

I know we take this game seriously. Its a passion. We expect everyone around us to have the same passion. They dont and never will.

When we schedule 3 hour practices to watch film, lift and throw the ball on Saturdays, I know our kids and their parents groan.

Its just not that important to them.

Yes, overwhelmingly football coaches take themselves, the game and their programs WAY too seriously.

So one guy eats at a restaurant that is nothing more than an ad campaign built around unfulfilled promises and the pitchforks are out, but another guy sneaks minors into a strip club and recreates Varsity Blues and nobody minds?

What was "inappropriate" about what she was saying?

I'm an English teacher. I've noticed that a lot of kids will twist things around and complain that anything they don't want to talk about is "inappropriate" because they want to get their teacher in trouble and get out of doing their work.

For example, I've had parents blow their top because I was "trying to make their kid worship the devil" (i.e. read the Odyssey and a short unit on mythology). I had my assistant principal flip her lid at me over bringing an anti-bullying news article into the classroom because it profiled a kid their age who committed suicide over it--I was told these "children need to stay innocent."

These same "innocent children" come into class talking about having orgies in middle school and how great their favorite drugs are...

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