[Back In The Saddle]

Junker,

Obviously none of us were there. And most of us are not intimately familiar with the sportsmanship climate in Iowa. But I think that everybody here agrees with you that you had to handle the situation.

You make a valid point about players developing skills to deal with winning and losing with class. Sports are an extension of the classroom exactly because of these kinds of life lessons they teach. We are an integral part of the teaching process--we are teachers.

A good teacher knows how to choose the right teaching tool based on both the student and the situation. If a student is having a positive experience and is behaving arrogantly and/or is generally unwilling to take instruction or abide by the rules of the classroom, then a big hammer (like a T) might be the right tool. It can get the student's attention and compel him/her to be humble and teachable. But, by itself, it doesn't teach much. If a student is having a frustrating, negative experience, has been compelled to be humble and teachable by the situation, and is starting to act out of frustration, then some coaching is probably the better tool.

You can still use big hammer later, if coaching doesn't solve the problem.