Just when you thought you'd seen all jerky coach behavior...

[Mark Padgett]

.....one coach takes being a jerk to a new level. In fact, I'd classify him as that seven letter word that ends in "hole".

Sixth grade competitive level game. About three minutes into the game, a kid trips, falls down with all his weight on his knee, grabs it and starts screaming (no, I am not exaggerating), crying and writhing on the floor. I immediately blow the whistle, yell and motion for the coach to come out. The jerk just sits there, not moving. I couldn't believe he didn't hear and/or see me, but I go ahead and continue to yell "Coach, come here" and motion with my hand. Everyone else is just standing there looking at the kid. Still the coach doesn't move a muscle. The kid's mom is already on the court. I go over to the coach and ask him why he's not responding. Are you ready for this? He says he knew that if he came over, he'd have to substitute for the kid and it's his best player.

It was all I could do to not punch the jerk right in the pie hole. I told him, "Guess what. If I beckon you, he has to come out whether you come on the floor or not, so your little scheme backfired. Now go out there and help your kid or else you can just leave."

He gave me kind of a smirk, but got up and went over to help the kid. The kid's mom, with some help, took the kid out of the gym. I expect she got him medical help. His knee was swollen to the size of a softball.

The coach just sat on the bench the rest of the game and didn't say squat to me or my partner the rest of the way. I'd like to think it was because he was contrite, but I doubt it.

I noticed at the end of the game, the other coach turned away when the jerk came over to shake hands. Good for him.