[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I find nothing wrong with charging a coach with a technical foul for conduct against his/her players that are not appropriate, but I think that the age of the players involved is what determines how an official handles the situation.

If the players are adults, then the players can handle themselves. But if the players on minors then that is a whole new ball game; that means jr. H.S. and H.S., AAU and YBOA, CYO, and any other youth age players. My guideline is if the coaches conduct would be considered felony child abuse then I think that the officials have to take care of business.

I have had two situations in 31 years where I had a coach act in an inappropriate manner. The first situation was in the YBOA Girls' Nat'l. in a 13 & under game. During the first quarter the coach never used profanity but was just the most abusive person you could imagine to a group of young girls. During the break between the first and second quarter I discretely told the team's scorekeeper on the bench (a mother of one of the players, that her coach's conduct with his players would be considered felony child abuse in most states). Just before we started the second quarter I saw her say something to the coach; he was on his best behavior the rest of the game. The second situation happened the same summer with the same partner in an AAU Boys' N.I.C. (again 13 & under). One of the assistant coaches was the father of one of the players, he was also a police officer. His son made a turnover was was taken out of the game. The father practically picked his son up and throw him onto the bench. My partner who is a minister saw it and stopped the game and told the assistand coach he had to leave the gymnasium. We did not "T" him and he told us he was not going if we did not "T". But we convinced the head coach to make him leave. Within two minutes he was back in the gym with the site manager. He had not told the site manager why he had been told to leave. When the site manager found out, the manager was ready to physically throw the guy out of the building.

Officials are put in a difficult position when these situations arise in youth age games but we have to put the welfare of the players first.