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Post by vince148 on Sept 16, 2019 18:08:46 GMT -6
I am the HC for a really small 8-man team. We only have 10 players. Injuries have already cut into our numbers, so every body counts. This kid does not give full effort and when I call him out, he throws his little temper tantrum and pouts. I decided to make the whole team do gassers because of his attitude. He refused to do them. He then laid around on the ground as I was working with something else with the team. He then made some smart alec comment and I told him that I think he should leave. This is the second time this kid has displayed this "attitude". The first time, it cost him sitting out the first game. The kid is obviously a cancer to the rest of the team and while my preference would be to just can him, I don't want to jeopardize the season for the rest of the kids. We've already had to forfeit the first 3 games due to injuries, but we were at least able to take the first two games into the second half before injuries forced us to concede. He is a good athlete, but we also played extremely well in our first game without him. We were actually ahead in the game before I had to call the game in the 4th quarter. Thoughts?
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Post by 19delta on Sept 16, 2019 18:48:26 GMT -6
Why did the whole team have to run gassers for what one kid did?
Have you tried talking with his parents? What's the deal there?
My suggestion is that you just don't play him. If you have 10 kids on the team, play the 9 kids who aren't dickbags. It doesn't sound like you guys are winning much anyway even with this kid. If that's the case, then play the good kids.
In my experience, the only thing that affects change on kids like this is taking away playing time.
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Post by carookie on Sept 16, 2019 19:42:31 GMT -6
Not to hijack the thread, but this is one of the problems I have come across in coaching a small team that is teetering on the brink of having to shut it down. You have to put up with nonsense that you normally wouldn't just to keep the team afloat.
I think it will be hard to answer this question without first asking, are you willing to go into a game with 9? Do you need to keep this kid around so that the other 9 hard working kids actually get to play football? I went through a similar issue, except I had to put up with a parent who constantly wanted to complain about things, I put up with his daily phone call because having his kid on the roster meant we could field a team and the other 9 kids got to play football.
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Post by coachthurmond87 on Sept 16, 2019 21:21:33 GMT -6
This is a very good question and an unfortunate situation. A lesson needs to be learned not even for football but for life. As suggested have you attempted to reach out to his family and see what his home life is like as well as if there are personal issues going on with the kid? Not at all attempting to excuse the behavior but there may be underlying things that the kid needs to find a breakthrough. With a 10 man team in 8 man football this can be problematic but to not punish the other kids you suit him up to play but he gets NO SNAPS in-game because of his attitude and behavior and until it improves he will not see the field during official time. Please keep us updated on what happens. I coach in South San Diego and there are a few problematic kids in our program and we have to find a plethora of ways to get an actual breakthrough with the kids but giving up is not an option because we want to prepare them to be young men and better citizens when they graduate from school.
Good luck brother. I also am all for the entire team gassers because peer pressure and teammate accountability go a long way in correcting behavior as well as long as its not to the point of bullying.
- Coach Thurm
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Post by vince148 on Sept 17, 2019 4:56:52 GMT -6
Good luck brother. I also am all for the entire team gassers because peer pressure and teammate accountability go a long way in correcting behavior as well as long as its not to the point of bullying. - Coach Thurm That's what I was hoping for. One of my players came up to me during one of the breaks and we talked about his frustration of some of the players not working hard. I told him that maybe him and our senior captain should hold a team meeting to express their feelings.
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Post by CS on Sept 17, 2019 5:49:14 GMT -6
If he isn't making other kids act like turds then I would keep him around and make him an all-time scout teamer until he shapes up.
He would only play if I absolutely needed him but otherwise, he would just sit on the sideline. I believe you should suck it up for the sake of the good 9. It sucks for you but it's for the greater good.
If he decides he doesn't want to do that then make it clear that you consider that quitting and have him turn his stuff in
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Post by coachmonkey on Sept 17, 2019 7:12:05 GMT -6
Good luck brother. I also am all for the entire team gassers because peer pressure and teammate accountability go a long way in correcting behavior as well as long as its not to the point of bullying. - Coach Thurm That's what I was hoping for. One of my players came up to me during one of the breaks and we talked about his frustration of some of the players not working hard. I told him that maybe him and our senior captain should hold a team meeting to express their feelings. This is considered hazing. You may want to look into that. It can lead to a very bad situation.
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Post by huddlehut on Sept 17, 2019 7:57:51 GMT -6
That's what I was hoping for. One of my players came up to me during one of the breaks and we talked about his frustration of some of the players not working hard. I told him that maybe him and our senior captain should hold a team meeting to express their feelings. This is considered hazing. You may want to look into that. It can lead to a very bad situation. Hazing? Seriously? What if, at the team meeting, you provide milk and cookies...and coloring books?
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Post by vince148 on Sept 17, 2019 14:56:19 GMT -6
I suspended him for the remainder of the season.
It could cause us to forfeit the remainder of the season, but I guess I'm old school. I am the coach. You need to do what I tell you to do. To me, letting one kid get away with no consequences only sets precedent for others to do the same. Sooner or later, you lose authority and control and then the inmates are running the asylum.
Yeah, maybe I'll regret it down the road. But it just seems like too many people want to treat their players with kid gloves and coddle them. The football field is not the place to throw your little temper tantrum and then think you're going to get away with it.
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Post by blb on Sept 17, 2019 15:02:27 GMT -6
You must be willing to lose in order to have a disciplined team.
And you will most certainly lose if you don't.
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Post by coachcb on Sept 17, 2019 15:10:44 GMT -6
I was in the same boat in my first HC job; 8 man team, low numbers and more than a few cancerous kids. The solution was simple; ship the cancer to the sideline and bench him for the game. Communicate that you have done so with the administration and his parents (in written form) to CYA and you'll be good.
I strongly suggest you avoid punishing the whole team for one kid's bad attitude. It's not fair to them, it's not productive and it'll just result in a bad environment with kids quitting. Get rid of the bad apple and call it a day.
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Post by CS on Sept 17, 2019 17:51:23 GMT -6
This is considered hazing. You may want to look into that. It can lead to a very bad situation. Hazing? Seriously? What if, at the team meeting, you provide milk and cookies...and coloring books? I don’t know why you’re attacking him. I’m pretty sure someone has posted an article on this forum about a coach being sued or fired because the parents said it was hazing. If you find the right parents you could get in trouble for hazing. I got called into the office yesterday cause I removed a kid from my class who was disruptive and gave him the business in the hall. I didn’t cuss him or anything but I made it clear what the expectations were sternly and let him sit out there the rest of the period. Didn’t think anything of it until I have a principal telling me just to mind my P’s & Q’s with this kid because he wrote an email to him saying he shouldn’t be spoken to that way blah blah. Anyway, different world out there these days
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