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Post by easye17 on Jul 11, 2007 13:27:50 GMT -6
How many of you coaches have a no tolerance policy when it comes to drugs or alchohol? Or, maybe a better question would be, what is your policy towards drugs and alchohol?
I've had a differing opinion with my head coach about this issue. I'm more of a no tolerance kind of guy. Just curious what others are doing.
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Post by briangilbert on Jul 11, 2007 14:33:24 GMT -6
Yea I'm going to have a no tolerance policy on drugs with a 15-17 year old kid? Why? Kids are going to make mistake and getting them off a team that could give them structure seems to me like you wouldn't be doing the best thing for the kid, more like the best thing for your sense of morals which by the way could be just as WRONG as the student who drank or smoked.
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Post by coachorr on Jul 11, 2007 15:24:38 GMT -6
Let the athletic director set the policy. You stand by it and make it happen. Without the backing of the administration you are creating a liability. I say this in luie of a random drug screening we do at our school and we work with the administration to ensure that this takes place.
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Post by fbdoc on Jul 11, 2007 18:57:23 GMT -6
We've kicked this around before on this board. Our school (Christian academy in South Florida) just changed our policy from 1 week suspension to 1/2 of the season based on games played. The logic behind it is to have a consequence that is severe enough to help kids "say no" if presented with the opportunity to drink. Will this totally eliminate drinking at our school? No, but if it helps a little, I'm for it. I'm also the HC and the Dean of Students. Not saying this is the answer for everyone, but for our school I like it.
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Post by CVBears on Jul 11, 2007 23:02:04 GMT -6
I have a tough time with "no tolerance" policies in general. It seems like there is always an exception to the rule/should be one for that one kid in that certain situation/etc.
Obviously drinking, drugs, etc., should be one that is cut and dry where there shouldn't be an exception. But, enforcement is difficult. Someone isn't going to tail each kid on the team all the time. So the policy really punishes those that are stupid enough to get caught. Pros and cons...
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Post by easye17 on Jul 12, 2007 6:45:13 GMT -6
I'm with you on several fronts, including the cons. After rereading my original post, I guess I didn't clarify enough. When I say no tolerance, I don't mean the kid should be removed from the team. I'm all for the enforcement of school rules and going with the school rules.
How about this. What do you do when a parent approaches you and says I caught player x, y, and z smoking pot in my basement? This occurred last season with our team and our coach didn't even address it with the kids. Just let it go.
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Post by airman on Jul 12, 2007 8:07:37 GMT -6
who says the parent is acting in the best interest of the program when they say they saw x,y, and z smoking pot. if it was such a concern to this parent, the parent should have called the police at once.
I am always leary when parent comes in and says they saw so and so drinking.
in my way of thinking, you can only punish those who have been caught by the law. the rest is all he said, she said. now that does not mean you turn a blind eye to the situation. you take notice and look for future events which might lead to dismissle.
as my high school coach used to say, if you are going to drink, you better not get caugh by the police. if you do, you are done for one full year from the date of being caught.
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Post by coachcb on Jul 12, 2007 8:15:19 GMT -6
I have been in programs that have had no tolerance policies; but only if the kid was charged by the police.
Its just such a grey area; as airman pointed out. The "he said, she said" stuff leaves you open for huge liabilities.
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Post by easye17 on Jul 12, 2007 8:37:14 GMT -6
In that case, one of the x, y, and z was her son.
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Post by airman on Jul 12, 2007 11:15:45 GMT -6
In that case, one of the x, y, and z was her son. then she should have turned her son into the police. If a parent came in and said x,y and z, z being my (parents son) son were smoking pot in my basement and I want you to do some thing about. I would say no. I would tell the parent you need to discipline your child in the manner you see fit. they may have violated the athletic code but unless they were caugh by the police, you have no case. all of a sudden you have lawyers from the other kids calling. yes what they did was wrong and I would look out for them. No I am not going to slap a penalty on them. |
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kdcoach
Sophomore Member
Posts: 194
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Post by kdcoach on Jul 12, 2007 11:35:13 GMT -6
Our school has a zero tolerance policy. We have to remove kids from the team for the remainder of a season. Two years ago I had a kid come up to me to ask if I could talk to his parents, when I asked him what about he told me (you'll never believe this) "they found my pot and want to ground me". I told him that not only were his parents going to ground him but I had to kick him off the team since I knew about it.... You should have seen the look on his face, he was really disappointed in me. I'm not sure what he expected from me, he knew the policy (they all know and they and their parents have to sign a form)and my personal opinions are well known about it as well. Pretty unbelievable.
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Post by briangilbert on Jul 12, 2007 13:17:17 GMT -6
Oh no you mean players drink beers and smoke pot... That's never happened anywhere. And I'm sure any player who engages in these activities is such a terrible person, I'm also sure that for every player who plays HS football; football is the most important facet of his life.
Drinking and smoking can obviously destroy a persons life but if a kid tries it I really don't see why it's a huge deal. If he was abusing drugs and alcohol then obviously something needs to be done, but if not then who cares? The only time a kid should be punished is if he is caught by the authorities or it's assured that it is effecting the kids ability to live. Hence he's addicted.
I'm aware these kids are minors but I don't see how it's a coaches responsibility to punish a player for a morality decision that as a minor is primarily the parents decision to discipline. I'm willing to bet most if not all of us on here have had alcohol in HS, and I'm sure we all live enjoyable lives.
Any time I hear this zero tolerance stuff kicked around I start to think this country is just as screwed up morally as every fundamentalist Islamic nation, unreal.
Some of you I think take it personally if a kid drinks or smokes, whatever.
^^^ Why kick a kid off the team because he had pot? Why not punish him and then try to mentor the kid, obviously he's searching for something in his life, why turn kids away from HS football because you don't have the same morals. You didn't have to kick him off even if it is a rule; in my opinion that rule hurts the kid it doesn't help him.
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Post by coachpoe on Jul 12, 2007 13:40:33 GMT -6
Let the administration set the policy and enforce it...my leaning on these issues are very close to briangilbert. Realistically I think you can only punish a player if caught by the law or school (drinking/drugs at school function). Can go with he said she said stuff IMO.
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Post by coachcb on Jul 12, 2007 14:00:18 GMT -6
I have seen no tolerance policies bite school districts in the butt though.
I know of a situation several years ago where a school district had to change their no tolerance policy of risk getting sued. A volleyball player picked a couple of her non-athlete friends up at a party one night. They called her for a a ride while she was sitting around with her folks- too drunk to drive. She drove to the party and ended up having to walk into the party to find them. She drove them to their homes and went straight home.
The next week, it was all the rave that she was at this party because she was very clean cut and didn't drink. It got back to the administration and they tried to kick her off of the team. Mom and dad brought out the lawyers, the girl stayed on the team, and the district changed their policy.
This was one of those gray areas where the girl was doing the right thing. The district will now only suspend people from sports and school if they are charged by the police.
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Post by playfast on Jul 13, 2007 4:50:04 GMT -6
Follow school policy!
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Post by warrior53 on Jul 14, 2007 8:24:22 GMT -6
You have to follow school policy on the issue - there is no doubt.
I also think there are a lot more people (who are good people) than we think involved in drug use and abuse. I believe there should be a punishment for the kid who gets caught, but I also believe it is our responsibility to try and mold that young man and try to help him. I do not believe kicking someone off the team is the right answer, unless they just need to get away from athletics in order to get their lives straight.
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