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Post by WTR on Aug 17, 2015 9:12:16 GMT -6
Anyone ever had a player get a DUI during season? If so, how did you handle it or how would you if it happened on your team?
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Post by blb on Aug 17, 2015 9:28:11 GMT -6
Every district I worked in had an Athletic Handbook or Code of Conduct that proscribed consequences for violations of Training Rules.
Coaches had no say in penalties.
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Post by gators1422 on Aug 17, 2015 9:32:19 GMT -6
Had a kid get in trouble with marijuana off campus. It was right before spring ball, he had a ton of running plus we suspended him the spring game, fall classic and the first regular season game.
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Post by blitzology on Aug 17, 2015 9:42:10 GMT -6
Assuming this player has not had a history of off the field issues.
What we have done:
#1 Make sure the player knows the coaches care and want him to get his life in order. A mistake does not mean your life is over. Also make clear that a second alcohol incident of any kind will result in dismissal from the team.
#2 To continue to be a part of the program the player must participate in some form of alcohol & drug usage assessment and counseling. If he doesn't, he is out. Typically this means being suspended for a period of time to take care of his responsibilities. We have also had players we required to complete other tasks to be allowed back.
#3 Address the situation with the team. Make it clear the team has offered the player a set of actions he must complete to allow a path back. If he does, the team will let him back. If he does not, he will be dismissed. This puts the ball in the player's court. The whole team knows he has a chance to come back if he is willing to do what is required. They also know that if he isn't back it is because he didn't care enough about the team to do what he must to be back. This leads to positive peer pressure on the player to get back. It also helps avoid a player or his parents who try to put blame on coaches if the player ends up dismissed. Everyone in the program knows what the player has to do to get back. It is all on him. By allowing the player to earn his way back, the team helped create a positive situation for the player. The players wasn't given anything nor was he thrown away for making a mistake.
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Post by Wingtman on Aug 17, 2015 10:52:19 GMT -6
Our athletic policy says 1/2 season suspension (which can carry over to another sport) plus must complete a rehab program for the first offense. Full season in all sports for the second. That goes for criminal charges, DUI, Drugs.
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mhs99
Junior Member
Posts: 250
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Post by mhs99 on Aug 17, 2015 12:11:11 GMT -6
Our state athletic association, like I'm assuming many others, has a policy when kids violate chemical health guidelines. We have policies on other issues in terms of discipline and suspensions
The more interesting part is what Coach Jenkins put in his response about suspending with pending criminal charges. It becomes a very slippery slope when kids are suspended when charged with a crime that they tell you they didn't commit. You have the issue of innocent till proven guilty piece and there are issues if you don't wait for adjudication. We had a case of the neighboring town suspending an athlete for two seasons- fall and winter- because he had a domestic assault charge against him (girlfriend). Proved to be completely false and the parents sued the school district and then settled out of court for a large sum of money. I still think you have to spend those kids are charged with crimes, but in our society especially very liberal states, these things are become coming more common
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Post by s73 on Aug 17, 2015 12:25:02 GMT -6
Anyone ever had a player get a DUI during season? If so, how did you handle it or how would you if it happened on your team? Your district should have a policy in black and white for such matters. If they do not shame on them. Experience has taught me that if they aren't willing to take a stand against it to begin with they probably aren't willing to support you if you do. So I PERSONALLY would not be willing to "extend my neck" for the chopping block. Report it to the AD and walk away. They get paid a lot more than us, let them earn their money. As always, JMO. |
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Post by blitzology on Aug 17, 2015 12:36:29 GMT -6
If your athletic department/athletic association has a policy that is strictly a suspension, I strongly encourage you to require the young man to get counselling. We are educators who are developing men. If we want men to act like men we need to help them grow. DUI's happen because of unhealthy behaviors related to alcohol. Helping the player address those issues will go along way to helping him develop.
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Post by 33coach on Aug 17, 2015 12:38:11 GMT -6
I don't know that a coach should have a say in the punishment. That's a legal/district issue.
The only time a coach should have a say is if nothing happens.
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jaydub66
Sophomore Member
Varsity D-Line Coach
Posts: 223 
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Post by jaydub66 on Aug 17, 2015 14:46:44 GMT -6
Most schools have an automatic system or protocol in place for off the field or personal behavior.
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Post by dubber on Aug 17, 2015 18:25:28 GMT -6
At our school it is 2 games, then 1/2 season, then full season.
We give them a 50% reduction for attending drug and alcohol classes
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Post by coachbdud on Aug 17, 2015 20:49:20 GMT -6
We'd have to automatically remove him from the team for the remainder of the season
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Post by WTR on Aug 17, 2015 20:55:12 GMT -6
There is no policy in place at the district level and if I don't do anything there will be no other consequence. We preach choices/decisions all the time in our program. I'll be danged if there isn't a consequence put forth for his actions. I've suspended him two games plus our jamboree, not allowed to dress out but must practice during suspension. Im going to look into the idea of sending him to counseling or something similar with the possibility of lifting a game. The only reason I haven't totally removed him from the team is because I'm afraid that will hurt him in the long run. He needs football more than football needs him.
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Player DUI
Aug 17, 2015 22:18:51 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by 3rdandlong on Aug 17, 2015 22:18:51 GMT -6
Doesn't he already have legal consequences? I don't know, maybe I'm crazy here but I don't think this is our business. We can help him, guide him, counsel him etc. but he already has reprimands coming his way. I always like it when a parent wants us to punish a kid for taking out the trash. That doesn't fall under football coach jurisdiction. By no means does this mean we don't care about the kid. Perhaps the standard structure of football would be a relief for him.
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Post by WTR on Aug 17, 2015 22:41:31 GMT -6
Playing football is a privilege, not a right. If he doesn't like he by no means has to stay. He represents the program on and off the field, therefore there are penalties for actions on and off the field. Our business is to help boys become men. IMO, that's what we're doing.
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Post by coachbdud on Aug 17, 2015 22:57:10 GMT -6
we kicked 2 kids off our team in the playoffs
just for being with kids who got caught having weed on them
DUI is 100x worse than weed IMO
i think removing him from the team is the most appropriate course of action
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Post by tothehouse on Aug 17, 2015 23:04:55 GMT -6
Dud - our policy used to be...not only was the kid done for the year....he was DONE FOR THE YEAR! Meaning...if he played other sports...he didn't get to play those either. I'm talking...done done.
Most of the time this stuff happens it effectively ends the player's season. At our place is 30 days and 6 drug classes. After completion the coach has discretion to keep the guy around or release them. Again...if this happens mid way through the season they are most likely done for that season.
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Post by blitzology on Aug 18, 2015 12:49:24 GMT -6
we kicked 2 kids off our team in the playoffs just for being with kids who got caught having weed on them DUI is 100x worse than weed IMO i think removing him from the team is the most appropriate course of action I disagree with you. Cutting a player ends any possibility of a coach helping that player grow. We as coaches demand total program loyalty. We ask our players to invest countless hours in the program and make huge sacrifices. Is all of the player's commitment to the program nullified from one mistake? Does the program owe that player no loyalty, no empathy? I am in no way suggesting there should not be consequences. There should be a punishment. But punishment only or cutting the player has not worked in my experience. Punishment alone doesn't modify the player's behavior. Exiling the player from the program has only exacerbated the substance abuse problems in my experiences. Our philosophy: #1 We believe in punishment by suspension, not getting to play in a game is a big deal. A DUI will likely result in more than 1 missed game. #2 We believe in education by counselling. I don't believe players will complete an alcohol/drug assessment and counselling program without the football program demanding it. If the coaches make it important the player will too. I have coached players who endured personal life hardships I can barely imagine. Some turned to substance abuse. I have coached players with affluent lives who used substance abuse as recreation. No matter why, counselling can help the young man deal with how the substance abuse started. It can also help the kid avoid falling back to the substance and avoid dangerous behaviors like DUI in the future. #3 A path back. Having goals in life is important. Having a specific goal after making a mistake is a great way for a player to start focusing on positive actions in his life to get back on track. Hope is powerful. EVERYONE IS WORTHY OF HOPE! Football is the reason I graduated HS. Football is the reason I went to college and got a degree. And coaching football is my career. I have made mistakes in life but being a part of football as a player and coach has helped me avoid a great many more. Football has also made me accountable for the mistakes I have made and taught me I have to get better everyday. I want that for guys I coach too. Why is DUI 100x worse than marijuana? Because of the dangers? DUI kills 4,700 teens each year according to MADD. Texting and driving kills 4,100 teens each year according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Do you kick every player you see texting and driving off the team? |
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Post by oguru on Aug 18, 2015 13:12:04 GMT -6
In my first year of coaching in 1996. We had our starting QB get arrested for intent to deliver drugs day of the game. The school suspended him for four games. However our head coach did not think that was enough so he let the coaches vote if he should be allowed to suit up the last two games we all voted no he should not and he was not allowed to suit up but had to practice and everything as the school allowed him to do that.
His dad threatened to sue us as we"ruined his opportunities to play college football" However that was not true as our head coach had every senior fill something out if they were interested in playing college football this player said he was not so he showed that to the prinicpal and AD as well as his parents and the sheet also said if you change your mind please let me know. Once the AD and Prinicpal saw that he said well he has no interest in playing college football. That was that he did not play but showed up every day at practice as the head coach also made it clear that if he didn't he would kick him off the team.
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