Coach Berating Players

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by griblets

When working a summer tournament about 20 years, a coach was berating his 13-14 year old players terribly. It wasn't in an effort to help them. He was simply crushing their spirit. It was absolutely atrocious the way he belittled his players. I've always carried regret for not giving him an unsporting T for his behavior. I think the team's parents would have applauded.

Fast forward 20 years, and I had a similar situation last night with a BJV coach. It was obvious that the kids were not learning anything because the coach couldn't say anything positive. They were visibly upset with the treatment they were getting. It was sickening how he was treating them. He's going to drive many of those kids away from playing next year. I almost got an opportunity to rectify my regret from 20 years ago, but couldn't find the right situation to give him an unsporting T.

I wonder if anyone else has or would T a coach for the way that he treats and/or speaks to his team?

In my 46 years officiating I can honestly say that I have had this problem only twice and neither of them were at the H.S. or college level. They both happened the same Summer about 20 years ago in games that used NFHS Basketball Rules: The first during the YBOA Girls' Nationals 13U Pool Play game and the second during the AAU Boys' 13U Nationals Pool Play game, and in both games I had the same partner (Daryl H. Long, who was a long time poster here until he a stroke the past August) who was the R and I was the U in both games.


YBOA Game: The HC of the designated Home Team started verbally abusing his players from the time the Ball left Daryl's hand for the Jump Ball to start the game, and this abuse was non-stop for the enter 1st QT. It was our opinion then, and it is still our opinion now, that the HC's actions bordered on child abuse.

When the 1st QT was over the HC's verbal tirade continued in the huddle. As I checked the Scorebook during the break between quarters I very discretely told the mother who was keeping Home Team's book at the Table that in my home state of Ohio, what her HC was doing would be considered felony child abuse. The mother looked at me with a very stunned look on her face. I then turned away and walked to take my position at the appropriate place on the court for the 2nd QT AP Throw-in. Before Daryl administered the throw-in I noticed the mother talking with the HC while they both looked at me. For the next three quarters the HC hardly said a word to his players and they played much better basketball for the remainder of the game.


AAU Game: Mid-way through the 2nd QT the HC of the designated Home Team sent in H-6 into the game. H-6 was the son of one of the H-ACs. This particular AC was a police officer of a suburb of a major city in the South. The first time H-6 touched the Ball he made a pass that went straight out-of-bounds. H-HC immediately sent in H-7 to replace H-6. As H-6 went to the bench his father stepped onto the court, grabbed his son by his shoulders and flung him into a chair (the benches consisted of folding chairs).

Daryl and I stopped everything. We knew that we could not, by rule, charge him with a TF, but we could invoke NFHS R3-S3 (it is also the same rule and section in the NCAA Men's/Women's Rules Books) to remove him from the premises. We went to H-HC and told him we could not charge his AC with a TF but that we could require his AC had to leave the premises. The H-HC did not want to make his AC leave nor did his AC want to leave. At that point we got the Site Manager involved (the Principal for the school where the game was being played). We explained the situation to the Site Manager and he took the bull by the tale and faced the situation. The Site Manager told the AC that he either remove himself to the parking lot and not to come back into the building after the game was over or that he would call the police, have him arrested, and that he would have to explain to his police chief back home as to why he had been arrested. The AC left without saying another word.

MTD, Sr.