What high school coaches want

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Freddy

What I wonder is this . . .
After a game that, say, our crew didn't do its best, given what we had to work with or because we didn't have our "A" game that night, or after a game on which I felt I wasn't as good as I could have been, a sense of both feeling bad about it (yes, you can call it guilt, I guess) and of personal resolve to do better--to really nail it--on the next assignment results. Honest self-assessment leads properly to self-improvement.
On the other hand, does the occasional butt-head coach after his typical rant and rave and act just plain stupid game ever say to himself, "Ya know, I was a real A&$ tonight. I could have been more sportsmanlike. I feel bad about that and I'm gonna give it my all to be better on the sideline the next game. I've just got to improve myself."
Since the coaches who usually appear at our camps aren't the butt-heads, I guess I'll never know unless I ask one of the number I encounter occasionally during the season.
But I don't think so.

I had such an experience. I had a close block/charge call with under 3 minutes remaining in a game which went against the team behind by 7. The coach complained as I went to report and followed me up the sideline. I told him to walk away. Well, after reporting I found him standing next to me near the jump circle! (I had purposely moved way out there to report to give him some distance.) At this time I calmly told him that I had to T him now and "look where you are."
He went back to his bench, I went to the other end of the court to administer FTs, and my partner informed him of the seat belt ruling and let him vent for a few seconds.
Anyway, this team lost by about a dozen and around a week later my partner and me received an email from this coach apologizing for his behavior and praising the manner in which we dealt with it. It was certainly sincere and I will be pleased to see this guy on the sideline in the future.
So, yes, there are coaches out there who reflect upon what they do and take responsibility.