Oh boy - I can hardly wait

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Just got my schedule for our local kids rec league for the weekend following this one. There was a note directed to me that I was selected specifically to work a particular 8th grade boys game because we've been having "problems" with a certain coach. Apparently, in the first two weeks of the season prior to the holiday break, we received a few complaints from parents as to how he is treating the kids on that team. This is his first year coaching with us and the complaints were about how much he screamed at them and got right in their faces. That's not in keeping with our league policies. He also got a T in his second game for arguing with a ref. That same ref (who is a HS English teacher) will be working the game with me. That works for me, since we're old buddies (we're also buddies who are old).

While I'm not going into the game looking for trouble (seriously, I'm not), since I am on the league Board, I have to be especially aware of his behavior. If he mistreats the kids, he's gone, possibly for the rest of the season, depending on how bad he is with them. Anything physical, such as poking a kid with his finger in the chest (we had a coach do that last season) or pushing a kid and he will be banned from this league forever. I was told he also has two younger kids so he might want to coach them in the future.

For about 10 minutes after I got the message, I practiced my "YOU'RE OUTTA HERE" mechanic.

Could you give game time, date, and location? What airport would be best to fly into?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Could you give game time, date, and location? What airport would be best to fly into?

No point. The coach will see Mark working the game and will be a little angel until the next time he feels he can get away with such behavior.

I've learned this in the summer baseball when I've assigned myself as the elephant hunter. Those days the elephants stay in the dugout.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

No point. The coach will see Mark working the game and will be a little angel until the next time he feels he can get away with such behavior.

I've learned this in the summer baseball when I've assigned myself as the elephant hunter. Those days the elephants stay in the dugout.

"This is his first year coaching with us..."

Very possible he doesn't know there's an elephant hunter in the building.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

"This is his first year coaching with us..."

Very possible he doesn't know there's an elephant hunter in the building.

Could be.

I'm convinced that if *all* the officials were like Mark, the coaches would never act like this.

I'm probably a bad person to work rec games like this -- I'd give out Ts like a diabetic handing out Halloween candy with only a few minutes of trick-or-treating left.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'm probably a bad person to work rec games like this -- I'd give out Ts like a diabetic handing out Halloween candy with only a few minutes of trick-or-treating left.

I think I've only T'd up a few rec Coaches in all my yrs of doing it here. Guess our leagues/coaches are pretty tame compared to other parts of the country.....specifically the upper north-west. Ahem.....

[Mark Padgett]

Handling situations like this is part of my "job" as a senior member of our Board. This is my 18th season volunteering on the Board. I have held virtually office we have, including President. One of my current duties is to administer our "scholarship" program which funds the registration fees for kids from low income families. Seeing to it that a kid in that situation still has the opportunity to play sports is the most rewarding part of the job.

There will also be two other Board members at the game and they will be recognizable because they wear polo shirts with our association logo on them. I wear one also when I observe games at which I am not officiating.

In past years, the Board has kicked out two coaches "for life" on my recommendation. Once when a coach slapped a 6th grade boy across the face during a timeout (he thought it would be OK to do so because it was his kid) and once when a coach pushed a HS kid who was working his game as a rookie ref with us. If that had happened recently, the new Oregon law concerning assaulting a sports official would kick in. As it was over 10 years ago, and the kid wasn't injured, the kid's parents decided to let it go.

And yes, most coaches know I'm also a Board member when I work their games mostly since I introduce myself at the pre-season coaches meeting.