Advice on how to handle mouthy players

[zm1283]

While we're on the subject of captain's meetings....

We're in the second week of the season, and there is one thing that I can't stand my partners saying during their captains meeting: "Listen to us and we'll try to talk you out of fouls". For one, a foul is a foul and if you call them for illegal contact they will adjust or be on the bench. Secondly, if a coach hears that and then you call what he perceives to be a ticky tack foul early in the game, he has ammunition. He can say "But you said you were going to talk them out of fouls".

That phrase just bugs me and I never say it during my captain's meeting. I've also had a few partners give rules clinics during the meeting too...that's always fun.

Mine includes telling them that they're all captains and all in charge of their teams (I don't get "speaking captains" like every other person in my group), so keep them in line so we don't have to, and remind them to show good sportsmanship. It lasts 20 seconds tops.