Calling Another Coach Out

[JimmyZip]

Tough game today with my girls team. we are winning, and the other coach is getting frustrated with his team. The play brings the ball to the coach's side of the field. His player, that is standing beside him is getting ready to sub-in. As the action ensues, the ball lis kicked by one of my players and is headed out of bounds right toward the player and the coach. Instinctively his player stops the ball just short of the boundary line. Stupid mistake as she was not a player on the field at the time, but kids do dumb things sometimes. No biggie.

Well, my competitions jerks his player back and scolds her rather viciously for the mistake. He puts his hands on someone's kid and with force and vitriol gets in her face for a non-issue stupid mistake that was inconsequential to the game on any level.

Then, seeing this I come unglued, and tell him as I approach him at very-high volume that he need not touch any player on any team in such a way ever again lest we have words and the authorities and officials, not to mention he and I were going to get involved with the issue. I did not cuss or directly threaten. But i directed it at him loudly and informed his assistant that she should be aware of his behavior lest she be held responsible too. My assistants made me sit aside for a bit to cool down.

I was not ejected.

We won.

Afterward he tried to mend fences with me, and I informed him that he should be directing his apologies to the parents of and the player and the player herself rather than me. It was then and there that I said that if someone were to touch my child that way, I would have a hard time deciding wether to sue, or beat that person to a pulp. (This was just he and I in the middle of the field.)

I don't care whose kid it is, even YOURS! I'm not talking about corporal punishment. I have no problems whatsoever with that. But if you manhandle a player around me, I will let everyone around know what you are doing. I will be a big mouth and a pointing finger. These kids are our legacy. they"re the ones that will be teaching our grandchildren to play. And so on, and so forth..

Keep your hands off the kids

JZ.

p.s. Still undefeated! Woo hoo!

[Pat Miles]

Jimmy,

Good for you! I have to wonder if any of the parents of the kids on his team said anything to him. They're kids not highly paid pros.

Pat

[sirveyr]

I got screamed and smacked around by my coaches from the time I was a child all the way through college. I survived and I learned that there were consequences for making stupid decisions. Typically, if my coach was screaming at me, I was going to get it twice as bad when I got home. I believe that we should let coaches run their team how they want to run it. I'm sure the girl will be fine. The entire experience will build her character.

Congratulations on the victory and getting to play hero.

[GrumpyOne]

I would have been ejected......Nice job, Jimmy!

[Fullauto_Shooter]

I got screamed and smacked around by my coaches from the time I was a child all the way through college. I survived and I learned that there were consequences for making stupid decisions. Typically, if my coach was screaming at me, I was going to get it twice as bad when I got home. I believe that we should let coaches run their team how they want to run it. I'm sure the girl will be fine. The entire experience will build her character.

Congratulations on the victory and getting to play hero.

I agree; part of the problem with today's youth is too many "free passes".

[carter300]

I got screamed and smacked around by my coaches from the time I was a child all the way through college. I survived and I learned that there were consequences for making stupid decisions. Typically, if my coach was screaming at me, I was going to get it twice as bad when I got home. I believe that we should let coaches run their team how they want to run it. I'm sure the girl will be fine. The entire experience will build her character.

Congratulations on the victory and getting to play hero.

I agree; part of the problem with today's youth is too many "free passes".

+2

[Paul Santiago]

Good Job!!!

There is a difference between coaching and abuse.

Years ago when I was a ref I was officiating a tournament game with 6 year olds. First quarter, one of the coaches was berating his team loudly. As I walked past I politely asked him to calm down. Second quarter he earned himself a yellow card. Third quarter he just couldn't keep his yap shut and got himself a red card. I told him he had to leave the field. His reply, "I'm not leaving the f.....g field." I said "Okay", blew my whistle and ended the game.

The parents thanked me and said he was doing it all year. I told them they needed to tell the league long before the end of season tournament.

[mlmiller1]

Coaches like the one you describe are one of the main reasons I don't care for sports at all. I'm glad kids play & all but coaches sometimes need to get a grip. It is a GAME & kids are PLAYING. It is not life & death, it doesn't pay the bills or furnish a roof over their heads, it is just a game.

On top of that, if a coach lays a hand on a kid of mine, I'm gonna do the same to him except worse.

I've never been good at taking orders from screaming or yelling people. Tell me what we need to do & why & I'll do my best but you yell, scream or smack me around & it is all over.

MLM

[Six]

There's a huge difference between an adult, any adult, who yells at a child to correct a behavior versus an adult who yells at a child out of anger.

[benos]

Good job Jimmy.

At a fairly young age, I umpired local Little League baseball games. And man, the crap that came out of some of the coaches, and some of the parent's mouths was unbelievable. And since I was so young, if I ever made an "uncommon" call, a coach would protest the call immediately. But I never lost a protest - I knew the rules. But eventually I couldn't take the coach's and the parent's BS any more and quit. I really enjoyed doing it but it just wasn't worth the mental anguish.

be

[EEH]

Good for you Jimmy,,I can't stand stuff like that ,,I would have been thrown out of the game,,what you should do---I won't say what I am thinking--congrats.on the WIN--as long as there COACHES like you the gaame will continue

[JeffWard]

I got screamed and smacked around by my coaches from the time I was a child all the way through college. I survived and I learned that there were consequences for making stupid decisions. Typically, if my coach was screaming at me, I was going to get it twice as bad when I got home. I believe that we should let coaches run their team how they want to run it. I'm sure the girl will be fine. The entire experience will build her character.

Congratulations on the victory and getting to play hero.

I agree... AT the high school/college level. Elementary school, pee-wee, little league, AYSO... These are places where kids learn skills, and learn to love the game, not to get abused by their coach. I do think you should keep score. I do think you should crown a champion. I do think you should bench a child for poor play, disrespectful behavior, and poor sportsmanship. But there's a difference between "Positive/Negative Punishment" for young adults, and for children. Punish by removing fun/playing time or adding more vigorous practice, but not by screaming, hitting, or berating a child.

Jeff

[Kevin G.]

I got screamed and smacked around by my coaches from the time I was a child all the way through college. I survived and I learned that there were consequences for making stupid decisions. Typically, if my coach was screaming at me, I was going to get it twice as bad when I got home. I believe that we should let coaches run their team how they want to run it. I'm sure the girl will be fine. The entire experience will build her character.

Congratulations on the victory and getting to play hero.

I agree; part of the problem with today's youth is too many "free passes".

+2

+3

There is a local league here that in the rules, all of the kids play an equal amount. Everyone is a winner, they are basically put on the field to play the game without any real coaching. As a result, there aren't any "good teams" or "easy teams" they all suck. All the kids are being taught here is that competition is bad, and that hard work and commitment are to be shunned for an emotionally sensitive environment. Those kids will not know what to do in the working world other than file formal complaints because someone made them cry.

Tough coaches can be assertive without jerking little girls and boys around or yelling profanities. Some of the best coaches I had while growing up didn't know how to talk in a normal voice to the ball team. It was an assumed persona as a coach. We had good reason to do our best. If we didn't we got embarrassed in front of everybody watching the game. If we did do well we were praised by everyone.

[mildot1]

Some of you guys need to get real.

This incident does not involve a professional player taking money as compensation for time.

It's about KIDS sports.

The situation described involves a simple mistake that according to the information provided had NO bearing on the outcome of the game.

I will guarentee you this.

If you were to grab my child by the shirt, berate them in front of the entire team and crowd you and I would be having a very up close and personal bonding experience right damn quick!

Personally I think that about 50% of parents should be banned from kids sports for thier assinine behavior.

Nothing wrong with a coach pointing out where mistakes were made or where improvements are needed.

Coachs are suppose to be mentors not drill sergeants at that age level.

Mildot