htownoc
Sophomore Member
GATA
Posts: 186
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Post by htownoc on Oct 5, 2007 7:37:23 GMT -6
It's the Thursday before Homecoming. Coach gives the players a 10:00pm curfew and says if it is broken, you will not play Friday. At 10:00pm Coach calls all of his players and they are all at home. At 11:30pm 911 dispatch calls Coach and says 9 of your players have been picked up by the police for pulling pranks, teepeeing, etc. You have 45 players on your roster, all 9 picked up were starters. Your record to this point is 0-6 and the team you're playing is very beatable. How would you handle this situation?
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Post by justwingit on Oct 5, 2007 7:39:09 GMT -6
the 9 don't play.
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Post by hawkfan on Oct 5, 2007 7:52:53 GMT -6
Hope it was worth it...those 9 don't play.
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Post by gacoach on Oct 5, 2007 7:53:26 GMT -6
First of all, as a HC I would never say that "if you do this, you want play". I would never have a curfew for my players anyway.
That being said, the HC said if they broke curfew they wouldn't play....well, they broke curfew, so they don't play. Period. The worst thing he could do would be to go back on his word. If he wouldn't have had a curfew, he would have still gotten a call saying that 9 of his players got picked up and chances are they still wouldn't be playing, so it's a mute point about the breaking of the curfew.
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Post by superpower on Oct 5, 2007 7:58:38 GMT -6
The HC must keep his word on this issue or his word is no good for the remainder of the season.
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Post by coachmoore42 on Oct 5, 2007 8:07:31 GMT -6
The HC must keep his word on this issue or his word is no good for the remainder of the season. ...and probably the next three years. |
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Post by casec11 on Oct 5, 2007 8:14:09 GMT -6
When I was in Highscool the samething happened to us, 5 starters got caught throwing eggs by the cops in the middle of the night on holloween, and they did not play, simple. Those of us who ran away and did not get caught however were able to play  Kids are Kids, but they have to understand if they do the crime, they must do the time |
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Post by fbdoc on Oct 5, 2007 8:26:01 GMT -6
Coach - they don't play! Now, if you don't win the game, it's the starters fault and your NEW captains need to make that message clear. On the other hand, it you guys step up and you win, those 9 will find the scout team a very tough place to play for the next week or two. DON'T PLAY THEM!
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Post by coachcalande on Oct 5, 2007 9:15:49 GMT -6
It's the Thursday before Homecoming. Coach gives the players a 10:00pm curfew and says if it is broken, you will not play Friday. At 10:00pm Coach calls all of his players and they are all at home. At 11:30pm 911 dispatch calls Coach and says 9 of your players have been picked up by the police for pulling pranks, teepeeing, etc. You have 45 players on your roster, all 9 picked up were starters. Your record to this point is 0-6 and the team you're playing is very beatable. How would you handle this situation? no brainer, those players dont play and they have earned extra conditioning. IN addition, ID EXPLAIN TO THE KIDS THAT they just got fired from their starting positions. Obviously playing football and winning just isnt that important to them. The second stringers would be the starters for me until I was satisfied that the boys found TEAM and RULES important. |
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Post by cqmiller on Oct 5, 2007 9:23:01 GMT -6
They don't play...
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Post by coachcalande on Oct 5, 2007 9:29:19 GMT -6
I think its important to have this stuff covered prior to the first game of the season, the boys not only broke the rule about curfew but also embarassed the school, team and program. Itd take some serious soul searching for me to allow them to remain on the team. This one Id probably run by the AD and principal to get some imput on but for sure, they certainly cannot play - thats how coaches not only get fired but never rehired.
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Post by wingt74 on Oct 5, 2007 9:33:57 GMT -6
Yup, can't play them.
Be VERY careful what rules you set. Because once you set them, you must stick to them.
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Post by lochness on Oct 5, 2007 9:47:27 GMT -6
ditto, ditto, ditto...
Enjoy the bench boys.
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Post by Coach Huey on Oct 5, 2007 9:58:07 GMT -6
dance carefully around the "curfew" rule ... you are potentially opening up a can of worms that someone will say is "infringing" on their rights as individuals. curfews are for parents to set.
HOWEVER, you can hold them accountable for those actions in which they were cited by the police. That is what you should use as your justification in withholding them from the game. They violated a law -- not that they "violated" your curfew.
I'm with you on establishing guidelines to follow, but, at the same time, I try to keep any possible parent complaints and things that can "go to court" (for lack of better term) very gray to avoid those issues. Call it being "politically correct." Parents/kids will easily pounce on things they think are violating civil rights or whatever ... lol. But, using things such as legal issues (cited, tickets, breaking LAWS) gives you more ground to stand on ... IMO
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 5, 2007 9:59:28 GMT -6
Actually, after some further thoughts--they STILL don't play, but you have to be very careful in how you handle this. an 0-6 team...well, chances are this isn't a school with a proud tradition. This could be an excellent opportunity to exorcise all of the past demons, and say ..HERE...RIGHT HERE..is where we are going to start to build our program.
You have to be careful, because this can easily turn into a situation where those you are disciplining start to create the "football is a joke" mentality. The mentality where it is cooler to NOT play football, and make fun of the program, than it is to actually play.
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Post by eickst on Oct 5, 2007 11:08:16 GMT -6
Why is this even a question? Football is more than winning. This is a PERFECT opportunity to teach all involved a valuable lesson. The kids learn something, and the Coach learns not to make ultimatums.
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Post by mnpasso on Oct 5, 2007 11:14:40 GMT -6
I'm in line with Coach Huey on this one. Hopefully the curfew was just being consistent with the city wide curfew already in place and not just being mandated by the coach. That issue could get ugly fast in the legal system.
The fact that the players were home at 10:00 and then went out later speaks volumes in a negative way about how the season is going. Blatant defiance and a lack of respect towards the HC are major issues.
The fact that the HC got the call from the dispatcher is an issue. That is the principal's call to take. They are student-athletes! Students first, athletes second, in all ways. Let the city (curfew) and school rules be the primary rules.
When a kid screws up, they are students first. I was HC at a school where the culture was to go to the HC when a player was being an idiot in class, or whatever. Every time I told them to go to the Dean of Students as they are students first. I am not going out on a limb for a kid when they are doing something I wouldn't allow in my own classroom. Later on, there would be some sort of opportunity to think about their actions and/or behaviors while doing a bear crawl weave up a really big hill.
As coaches I believe we are secondary enforcers of rules. I believe the coach put himself in a bad position in a number of ways to be the primary enforcer of rules, which is the role for police, administrators, and parents respectively.
It then becomes our role to co-op with these people to encourage good behavior for team reasons, perception reasons, and so on.
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50Murf
Sophomore Member
Posts: 212
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Post by 50Murf on Oct 5, 2007 11:31:50 GMT -6
"Do the crime - Do the time"
In this case, spend time on the bench and then come Saturday morning spend a lot of time meeting Mother Nature in grass drills.
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Post by coachcalande on Oct 5, 2007 11:51:19 GMT -6
Why is this even a question? Football is more than winning. This is a PERFECT opportunity to teach all involved a valuable lesson. The kids learn something, and the Coach learns not to make ultimatums. even if the coach didnt set a curfew hes got to decide to discipline the kids if he cares at all about the image of his program. just my opinion of course. |
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Post by hshelmetcreator07 on Oct 5, 2007 12:01:29 GMT -6
those 9 guys dont play... Im not a coach... but i think if i were, they wouldnt play...
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Post by coachsky on Oct 5, 2007 12:20:35 GMT -6
To me this is a no brainer. They sit. Leasson learned. We benched a Senior who skipped first period last week, he threatened to quit because we were being tougher than we have in the past. We gave him 24 hour to make up his mind with the caveat he had to apologize to his coaches and teamates. He's back! This is my first year on the varstiy staff at this school and one of the things that they have done is create a new attmosphere where discipline, citizenship, sportsmanship, grades, and postive attitude a prerequisites to being part of the program. They let it get away from them last two years, a lot of D-1 talent and crappy attitudes. It's been a huge turnaround. Less kids - higher character = better environment for players and coaches. Check out this article; A school in our area had 5 players arrested for 2 cases of Robbery and Assault. They were suspended for two games and have been reinstated until trial. I believe they have admitted their involvement. THe coach says it's the best place for them. YIKES! seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/craigsmith/2003917853_smitty02.html |
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Post by coachcalande on Oct 5, 2007 12:30:41 GMT -6
discipline is easy, get rid of all of those that lack it. (stolen from holtz on motivation)
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Post by wingman on Oct 5, 2007 13:00:07 GMT -6
They don't play. And I wouldn't have a rule like that then when they are out scrwing around, you can punish them Sat. any way you want. The fewer rules the better. We have one. "Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to b ethere, doing what you are supposed to be doing. Break that and I decide the punishment.
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Post by wingman on Oct 5, 2007 13:02:54 GMT -6
Another classic:
A few years ago a school had their players break into the coaches' office of their rival and trash it. Both very successful programs. They got caught and their punishment was to sit out a game ( any game ) . They chose to sit out a game vs. a doormat and played against the rival.
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Post by threeback on Oct 5, 2007 13:07:34 GMT -6
They don't play.
"What you tolerate, you encourage."
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Post by ajreaper on Oct 5, 2007 13:10:58 GMT -6
At one point in my coaching career I believed in dumping players who screwed up significantly but my old high school coach pointed out- where do those kids go from here? You may be the last chance at reaching that kid and teaching some important life lessons to him- you can't do that if he's not around. Obviously suspend them from playing but also offer the possibility of earning their way back.
In this case it's a no brainer- suspend them for game and provide some additional conditioning and move on.
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Post by coachcb on Oct 5, 2007 19:16:03 GMT -6
It's the Thursday before Homecoming. Coach gives the players a 10:00pm curfew and says if it is broken, you will not play Friday. At 10:00pm Coach calls all of his players and they are all at home. At 11:30pm 911 dispatch calls Coach and says 9 of your players have been picked up by the police for pulling pranks, teepeeing, etc. You have 45 players on your roster, all 9 picked up were starters. Your record to this point is 0-6 and the team you're playing is very beatable. How would you handle this situation? Sit 'em for the game. If you play them, you're going to have a mutiny on your hands. |
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Post by coachcoyote on Oct 6, 2007 2:13:43 GMT -6
Sit 'em. Make them do extra work, not only because they broke curfew, but also because they broke trust with their team mates and the coaching staff. Demote them, let them earn their spot back, and don't put yourself in the position of imposing a curfew next year. Although in manycases we are their parents, we don't have that leeway.
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crl
Junior Member
Pick me , pick me... I want to be on the RNC location scout team.
Posts: 476
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Post by crl on Oct 6, 2007 2:31:07 GMT -6
The Die is cast.
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Post by bulldogoption on Oct 6, 2007 7:18:03 GMT -6
You've painted yourself into a corner. I can't see how you could let them play after saying that. I like to use the phrase, choose your battles wisely. I may not have chosen to fight this battle, with all the battles we need to fight with kids and parents these days. I have told my players they know the difference between clean fun and being stupid. Then I hoped for the best.  |
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