[grunewar]

Interesting question - While you're looking at 8th graders and what a coach should do/know about what an immature child/young adult or a troubled youth/teen will do, ask the question, what should Dennis Rodman's coaches have done? Ya knew he was gonna do something right?

I have coached troubled youths and there is a very fine line between trying to give them something to be good at, grow, mature, build confidence, as you try to coach and mentor them, etc. and oh my goodness I can't believe he did that!

One of the first U10 Rec games I ever reffed in a fairly nice suburb involved a young man who had "issues" that were noticeable to me minutes into the game. Eventually, he intentionally kicked a boy while on the ground and I had the coach sit him down the rest of the game. He had a great coach who was trying to help him. After the game and handshakes as they were leaving the gym, this 10 yr old "jumped another boy" and had to be restrained. Sad. League took care of it.

As a ref and coach, you can only do so much.