How would you handle this…?

Honestly I see no point to running him or having him do some type of physical punishment- many kids could care less about having to do something like that. Get caught doing something that's against the law and I run- so what. I'd require him to speak to students at the middle school- explain the poor choice he made, what it cost him- from suspension to breaking the trust he had built with his parents, coaches and team mates. Having to do something like this will likely register with him more strongly and reach far more kids then having some see him running.

I thing I have done in the past is to not allow these players to occupy the positions of leadership i.e. captain or even lead stretch lines until they had earned back my trust. The last year I was a JV head coach 5 of our freshman had a drinking party in the spring. 1 of their teammates got alcohol poisoning and went to the hospital and that led to their getting caught STILL DRINKING AT THE SAME HOUSE! 3 of those kids were ineligible by the start of football and the other 2 both projected starters including one that would have been a varsity starter had a 2 game suspension from the school. Those 2 still with me were not allowed to be selected as permanent captains by coaches or their teammates nor were they allowed to be game captains upon their return. They were relegated to being members of the pack and not lead dogs and this humbled them enough to be at least smarter in their rule breaking if not actually rule abiding.

My gut reaction is not allowed at our school. I would kick him off the team...well, at least that is what I would want to do. I probably wouldn't do that if I took some time to cool down. Which is what I should do.

The drinking issue has always been a real sticking point with me. I have never had a drop in my life, ever. Not bragging, just using it as basis for the argument. I am tired of the way we treat matters like this. We have so many people who do very little in the way of punishment, because they did the same crap when they were in HS. So, suddenly it's OK? This is breaking a law (regardless of how you feel about it). We need to be more proactive with this, but we do the same thing every year.

"Come on guys, huddle up. Hey, no one do anything stupid during the season. I know you're going to party, just be smart. Don't get caught drinking. We can't afford to lose you to suspension."

The problem is in the message. We assume they will party and be idiots. We, as a people, tend to associate drinking as a "Man's" thing. We will preach for our players to become men. To mature and lead the team like a real man. However, our model is typically someone who drinks. Which distorts the message. We need to let the kids know that drinking has nothing to do with being a man or a leader. Drinking can often be the thing that holds someone back from being a real man/leader.

I have heard way too many coaches admit, "Yeah, I drank in high school...but it was different." Some use another typical response, "Yeah, I'll admit I drank, it was stupid. I was wrong. You shouldn't do it." WOW, you really showed that kid that it was a mistake. Really, made a difference in his life. You suffered by becoming the head coach of a team that penalizes players for that very thing.

We need to teach kids proper character. Yet, we are sometimes caught up in saving face, rather than saying what needs to be said. We have so many people who drink in today's society, especially in the schools. We rarely celebrate those who don't. We don't pay a lick of attention to the kid who does everything right. We just pat him on the back and move on. Yet, the kids who make the stupid choices get a special relationship with the coach. They get checked up on. They get pulled off to the side and encouraged. We sometimes even "bend" the rules for them. It is so unfair to the kids who do right. We should tell the kids not to drink, not because we don't want them to get caught, but because it is what someone with character will do.

To answer your question, I have to agree, there may not be much else you can do other than what the school calls for. However, you can celebrate those who made the right choice. Let them know you are proud of them. Encourage the ones who do right. You will find out those guys who are "getting away with it," will often times change because the expectation is to do right. That is where the reward is. No longer will the expectation be to not break a rule, or worse, get caught. There is a difference in those two mindsets. I also think you can still hold the kid up as a leader. He can still do it, if he admits wrong and makes the change. You can't just ostracize him for his behavior. But, he needs to be able to see that his leadership skills still need improvement and that you are looking for qualities in him that you find in some of your "lower" players.

I am probably rambling now, but wanted to get that of my chest. BTW, in no way do I condemn drinking. My family doesn't drink, I didn't grow up around it and I have a strong conviction not to (part faith/ part drunk, abusive, jerk great-grandpa who pretty much turned off everyone in our family to drinking). I also think I would set a bad example for my kids (and my players) if I did it. Sorry to hi-jack the thread. And in no way, do I accuse anyone here of these shenanigans.

some schools in our state have anywhere from 20% - 50% loss of participation in games for the sport they are involved in. If out of season it carries to the next sport they are a member of.

In our state, for the first drinking violation it is 2 weeks or 2 games whichever is longer. I haven't been able to get to this point at my current school, but I think what we did at the last school I was at worked pretty well. We had put a policy for football in place, you will serve your 2 week suspension, and then you can practice but will not set foot on the field again until the next season. AD said it was a "playing time" decision and backed us on it. I have since heard from a couple of player who have said that they did not drink after we put the rule in place because they didn't want to lose game. Only problem with this is, you have to have the policy in place before anything happens.

I'd jerk the captain status for sure and probably make him apologize to the team. It's good that you're being proactive in dealing with it.

We had a situation like that about 3 years ago- starting RB/MLB/team captain got caught drinking in the off-season. The coaching staff gave him a lecture and then let the school district deal with the punishment. It was dealt with very lightly and the kid knew it- he got caught doing it again in the middle of the season and we lostn him for the year.

I don't know if I would say too much. I would probably ask him that he needs to decide his fate and give him a couple of weeks to come up with a decision. And if the decision doesn't carry merit, I would than make a decision.

Speaking to others about the pitfalls of doing the wrongs things, as others have posted, is good punishment.

A good friend of mine is a high school principal, and for several years he has been telling me that drinking, drugs, and tobacco should not be a school issue but a parent issue. I didn't agree at first, but with various experiences over the years, I have come to agree with him. The school administration or the coach is always the bad guy, but really the discipline should come from the home.

This is what makes these things so difficult. I agree this "should" be a parent issue. But, often like tribepride said no discipline comes from home.

We had an institute day a couple of years ago where a Union guy came in and told us what to do if kids get into a fight. He said we are only obligated to say "stop," then we are liability free. He said the only reason to step into the middle of it would be if a kids life was in danger. I thought this was horrible. Most of us get into this gig because we want to better the lives of those around us. When we pass responsibility, we are looking for a cop-out. We aren't doing what we really believe in. It's an easy out. We need to step up and be that leader that we are always preaching to the kids about. Is it a parent issue- yes - but we are called to equip these kids and I think that means we need to step in and put our foot down. We may be the only shot some of these kids have.

I think that the best thing you can do isn't give him the fear of God.

First, apologizing to the coaches and team is especially important. You make it known that he let the team down and he should rectifiy that.

Second, I like the talking to the middle schoolers. That will really hit home.