Coach won't tolerate players getting technicals
 

A local coach is sitting players down when they get a technical foul. His stand isn't popular with the parents. Who would have guessed, right? Anyway, thought I'd share the article, written by a friend of mine, the local prep sports editor.

Applauding Poole’s stance on conduct

I coached HS ball for 15 years. That seems a bit harsh to me. Certainly sends a message though. I always wanted my teams to play with emotion - add to that the fact that these are kids - they are going to make emotional mistakes. While I agree that they need to learn there are consequences for their actions - I think the damage it does to the team in that game is enough. There are specific rules set up inside the game to handle the situation. I always removed a player immediately after a "T" to settle them down and would always talk to them before they went back in the game. While this is certainly within the coach's ability to do, I personally think this is pretty extreme.

I applaud it. He's teaching his players self-discipline. It will make them better players in the long run because they will learn to keep their focus. I spent a few years in a difficult urban environment, and the first thing that the kids had to learn was to have respect for themselves and rise above difficult circumstances. I imagine he's dealing with similar issues.

I agree that it may be harsh to sit someone a whole extra game because of a T, but it appears that this is a habitual problem with some of these kids.
It also would seem that it is more than the occasional emotional reaction.
Some of what these kids see on TV in the NBA, makes them believe some of their reactions and attitudes which generate a T, are acceptable.
I think the coach is doing what he needs to do to control his players. More power to him.
If we as officials wouldn't tolerate even the little comments from some of these players, it would be hypocritical of us to question the disciplinary methods of this coach.

More power to him!! I always applaud situations like this where someone sets high standards for the youth of our country...he has pretty much the same code that ALL of the coaches in the league I played in way back when used (of course, this was back in the late 70's)...all 9 schools in the league had the same policy - get an unsporting T and you sit the rest of the game. Get it in the 4th qtr. or OT and you sat the first half of your next game. The AD's and coaches enforced it, too - trust me, I know!!:o I hope other coaches in your area pick it up, Tony!

From the article....

“If they want to go to the next level, coaches see that. Coaches don’t want to have to put up with that. How you act, how you carry yourself, will dictate a lot of things as far as your future goes.’’

I had a scout who works for a college scouting service tell me that if he sees a kid get a technical foul the kid automatically goes off their list because college coaches have told them that they don't even want to hear about them or deal with them. This service gets a lot of calls from smaller colleges as well as bigger schools. So it sounds like there is some truth in this statement. It will be interesting to watch to see if in fact the number of T's drop this year and the coming years,

They aren't talking about kids playing with emotion. They're talking about kids acting in an unsporting manner. They are two completely different things. Completely different.

No, not at all. When emotions get out of hand - that's what causes the unsporting manner. Not an excuse, but certainly how it happens. I think a kid getting pi$$ed at himself for a stupid mistake - slams the ball and tries to catch and misses the ball - get's whacked. Does that deserve sitting that game plus one more? No way. Yes, that's an unsporting act - but emotions out of control. Sorry, I disagree - not completely different.

Just a note- this coach's teams have won their conference title or finish second in each of the past 10 seasons. During that stretch, his teams have been to the state finals twice and to the semi's on two other occasions. Rarely a year goes by that he doesn't have 2 or 3 kids sign with D-1 or D-2 schools. That includes ACC and SEC schools. He's also sent a number of kids to Winthrop, a team that everybody hates to see in their NCAA bracket.

In short, I don't think he's a fly by night act. He's obviously been successful with his philosophies.

Fifth Grade Technical Foul
 

I often officiate for a local Catholic school league. Weeknight games are called "varsity" games and involve players up to eighth grade. Weekend games are called "junior varsity" games and involve much younger players. The assigner for these "junior varsity" games wants them to be officiated in an "educational manner". In one particular play, my partner called a fifth grade player for a travelling violation, after which the player responded "No way", and tossed the ball away from both me and my partner. I went over to the player and attempted to speak to him about tossing the ball to the nearest official in such a situation, however, he kept ignoring me, and kept walking away from me. I had no plans on giving him a technical foul, nor was I going to ask him to go get the ball for my partner, which I have done in the past. Since he ignored me and kept walking away from me, I blew my whistle, and called a technical foul for his unsportmanlike "No way" and for him not tossing the ball to the nearest official, thus delaying the game. It was just a regular technical foul, not flagrant, but it happened to be his fifth, so he was disqualified from the game. Later, when I was near the player's coach, the coach thanked me for giving his player a technical, and that maybe this would straighten out his bad attitude. Also, later, while I was near a sideline, an adult, who identified herself as the player's mother, also thanked me for giving her son a technical foul, because he could be real stubborn at times, even at home. This was the first technical foul that I called this season, in any level game, high school varsity, Catholic school "varsity", and Catholic school "junior varsity", to either a player or a coach. I've heard Forum members say to call a technical foul if it's going to make the game better. In this case it certainly did.

I guess I need to go back and read the story. I don't recall that it said he sat kids for such a reason.

That's great for him. I don't think I said he was WRONG - but I said that I personally felt it was extreme - I wouldn't do it but he's the coach of the team.

I don't remember writing that you said he was wrong. Further, I'm not sure how you can say you wouldn't do something when you aren't in his shoes. You don't know what the situation is so how do you know what you would do?

It may appear extreme from an outsider looking in. But from having worked this team, both during the season and in a local summer league, I can assure you they're not being penalized for "emotional mistakes." In two games in the summer league this year, I recall 3 T's that I called and an ejection in another game. THe kids were out of control.

This is a case of a coach putting his foot down when it needed to be put down.

Regardless of whether the kid deserves it or not if he plays for this coach he'll think twice next time about slamming the ball down, won't he?

I don't know about you, but to me that's a good thing. Part of being a responsible, productive adult is knowing when to keep your emotions in check and your mouth shut.

I nailed a 5th grader once in a YMCA game for yelling "These guys suck!" after he didn't agree with something. Coach pulled him for a while, and after the game, his Dad made him apologize to me.
Much better than the parents of the kid my partner hit with a flagrant personal this year; who called the home school's AD and complained that he (the AD) was taking away her son's "right" to play. :(