BASHING OF COACHES

[justafan_02]

Over they years that this board has been up i have watched it go from a pretty positive with a lil smack talkin between loyal fans. Today it has gotten to the point where when a team loses or is not having success the bashing of the coaches begins. This is rediculous. My son went into coaching and loves it. He says he has to deal with some of the bashing. It doesnt bother him but it does me when I sit in the stands and here fans talk bad about them. Coaches today are asked to do more then ever before. I never knew how much till my son got involved. They are expected to help maintain discipline not only in their classrooms but other teachers as well. When a teacher has a problem with an athlete they go to the coach. They are expected to fit all their practice time in a short period of time a week. I feel also that our kids have changed over the years. When i grew up, if I messed up it was my fault. My mom or dad never when to school accusing the teachers. Now days, if a child gets in trouble, the parents are up at the school blaming someone. Why not?? Their parents have alwasy got them out of trouble and takin up for them. Are we helping our youth?? Stop blaming coaches if your child doesnt play or if your team loses a game. Sure there are some bad coaches out there im sure. For the most part, the coaches I know(including my son) work hard and do everything they can to put their 16, 17, and 18 year olds in a postion to win. My son summed it up one day for me like this: Coaching is the only profession that lays everything on the line for 16,17, and 18 year olds. Their lives, job, families lives depends on teenagers. Kinda scary huh? SO before you are so quick to bash a coach think about who we are hurting..The coach or the kid?? Truth be known I dont know many coaches that read this. My son knew nothing about it..

[BrahmaMom]

Thanks for the insight. One of my sons may go into coaching. It is a huge responsibility and a life in a glass bowl, esp. in a small town. Hats off to your son for the job he has taken on and hats off to you for raising him well.

[pirate4state]

justafan_02: I totally agree with you!! Today's typical teenagers are running off to mommy & daddy to handle the "abuse" heaped on them at school. Imagine that you are expected to work for your grades!! http://fp.funfiles.plus.com/animated_emoticons/emotes_s/shaking_head_in_dismay.gif It never ceases to amaze me when I hear stories about how kids run to their parents with their side of the story about how coach/teacher has just given them too hard of an assignment before a big game or event. :rolleyes: They just don't understand that school is not just about athletics, but that they are actually there to get an education & that participating in athlectics is an added bonus. Ok, I'm off my soapbox! :D http://fp.funfiles.plus.com/animated_emoticons/emotes_r/ranting_on_your_soapbox.gif

[coiled2strike]

My father was an official. He umpired baseball, refereed basketball, and officiated football. I later did some officiating as I began college and am currently a coach. I have been on both sides; listening to some idiot bash my dad and now some idiot bashing me...it's very tough.
My mom has said that she wants to get a shirt made that says "Coach's Mom" or something like that and sit in the stands...I could see her with some folks in the headlock!!!
I sympathize and commend you and your son...keep up the good work!

[justafan_02]

I mean is teaching/coaching not the most nobel job in the world?? After all arent they teaching our future and we have parents teaching them that if someone does something to hurt them at school, they will be up there yelling and fist fighting.. I mean what are we teaching them as parents? I have seen some post on here and I feel sorry for the kids. Just to name a few: the one about firing the barbara hills coach. WOW. What a post. They have always won a lot of games and now they have lost some u wanna fire em?? Another one is the faifield people. When yall came down here I thought yall were nice and respectful. I dont know now. I know there are only a few people on here posting from there, but u few sure make em look bad. GO out and support your team. Sit in the stands yell when they do good.. Sopport em what ever happens.

[PAINTBALL]

I have noticied on this board that most fans appear to believe if the coaches are smart and the kids have enough heart, they can beat teams that have superior talent. I on the other hand am a realist and realize that although the upsets do happen, they are rare and that is why they are called upsets. My favorite counter to people that badmouth the coaches or the players is simply to respond: "Don't you think the coaches and the kids wanted to win that game as much as you?" We all make mistakes. That includes refs., umpires, coaches,players, and fans.

Tell your son that most parents really appreciate the extra time and attention that the coaches spend with their kids and the lessons they teach them. I know I do. Thank you.

[Chief Woodman]

Food for thought...while coaching/teaching is a noble profession....to think it is THE most noble is just one viewpoint. There are many brave men and women in the military, police departments and fire departments who risk their lives, not just their jobs who might disagree.

<small>[ October 29, 2003, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Chief Woodman ]</small>

[BulldogGrl64]

I totally agree with what you are saying. Coaching/Teaching is a hard job and there are people out there that just don't understand how hard it is. Although it may seem like coaching is an easy job, it really isn't. What people don't understand is that a Coach can not work miracles. They have to take the talent and the players that they have along with their knowledge of the sport and mold it all together to make a team that is connected and focused, which is easier said than done. You can't teach a player to have talent, but you can help him/her learn their talent and then show them how to improve it. When I hear parents/fans talk about firing a coach just because the team is not doing good, it makes me wonder why they are in the sport to begin with. Shouldn't you be a supporter/player for the love of the game and not the love of winning? Sure winning is great and we would all love to win all the time, but reality is...we can't! Whether or not a Coach is a "good" coach should not depend on how many games the team has won or how many titles or trophies hang on the wall, but it should depend on how they have influenced the lives of the players in that sport. A good coach shows their love of the sport in any and every way and then passes it down through their players. A good coach motivates his/her team and makes them believe in themselves and shows them that although the road may be bumpy at times, to hold their heads up high and give it their all.

[Old No. 7]

Every circumstance is different.Most coaches coach because they like it not becuase they are good at it. Some coaches are good coaches and good people. Some coaches are good coaches but are not Moral people.Some are good people but cannot coach. Most people will agree it is easy to coach in the stands. As humans we get a little testy when others do not think like we do but by monday morning we're usually over it. Just my two cents worth. My hat's off to all good men oops People that coach.

[CatsDen]

What some fans don't realize is the attention to details a coach must have. Some fans may not see that the strongside LB has a tendency to go with flow, or the Safety is slow to react to motion, or the DT is exposed when running a stunt, etc. The coach calls plays in several situations because he recognizes these details. You might not be able to see some of this from the stands and you do not get the immediate input from the players. I hear a lot of "fans" that do not agree with the play-calling. I also hear a lot of "fans" that think they understand the strategies unfolding during the game. How can you know everything from the stands?
I wish some parents would have the courage to approach a coach and ask him about his play calling during a game. Just remember, if you ask for an honest answer, it may not be the answer you wanted to hear-but you asked for it.
I coach Pee Wee football and I hear parents complain that their son doesn't get any balls thrown to him or he doesn't get enough carries in the game...but I see that same kid screwing around during practice, or dropping open passes 8 out of 10 times, or he's just too slow to hit the hole, or he constantly misses key lead blocks. He might make that catch every time in the backyard with his Dad, but with a DB closing in quick...he drops that ball every time. Just something to think about

[Tiger Turtle]

Most of us casual fans don't really understand just how technical coaching is. I am constantly amazed by how our coaches pick things out on film that I have to watch three times in slo-mo to see. Of course, some of this is aptitude, some is practice (they get a lot of practice at our school), but I think most of it is good old-fashioned work. Luckily, our coaches usually take the time to educate us when you have the guts to ask why something was done a particular way. Better educated fans lead to less second-guessing. Also, watching things on film will help cut down on a lot of ref-bashing, because sometime what you think you saw...

[BrahmaMom]

Chief, you are right, 100%, no discussion. I have too many in my circle who are "too close to the fire" not to agree. Coiled, I believe you have solved the dilemma of what to get your mom for Christmas! If my son goes into coaching, I will have a similar shirt made, just to warn folks! Hats off to the coaches who work for pennies an hour, take the abuse from the parents, begrudging compliance from the kids, bureaucracy from the administration, drive the bus, go home to a family who hasn't seen them all season and do the "honey do's" piled up!

[ProudMama]

Sometimes a team HAS a rebuilding season but the "fans" don't seem to understand that you can't be good all the time. To bash the coach when their family is sitting there hearing all the nasty remarks is dispicable. Also, bashing the kids who happen to mess up, while their parents are sitting there listening is disgusting. Give theem a break!!!!!! It is just a game and they are HUMAN!!!!!

[LH Panther Mom]

This topic hits me too close to home. My dad was a coach for about 25 years. I grew up thinking it was natural to move every 2-3 years and that you didn't eat supper before 8 or 9. Doesn't everybody? I didn't have many dates in high school, or even many guy friends. Most of the guys that weren't thugs (that's what we called 'em in the 70's) played athletics. No one could/would get over the fact that he made them run 2 miles or 20 sets of bleachers for screwing around in practice.

Coaches are not infallible - they are only human. A good coach is interested in not only teaching his players to do their best, but how to do their best. He will teach them to believe in themselves. He can recognize abilities in each player that may have been overlooked. I honestly feel that my son's success the last two years were largely due to the coaches helping him believe in himself & showing him how to play to HIS full potential.

Parents, if you feel like you need to bash your coaching staff, try coaching sometime. I know there are Little Dribblers, Little League, Pop Warner, etc teams that need your expertise. Maybe then, you will know what it feels like when parents are bashing you. And if you feel an overwhelming urge to talk down the players, wait until you get home. I have a right to talk about my child when he misses a block. YOU do not have the right to sit behind me two rows and say the same about him....unless you are in a discussion with me about it.

[bulldogvet85]

I totally agree and understand coaching isnt the easiest job in the world. Games most of the time arent lost by the coaches its by the player. i know thats not true in all cases, but all the coach can do is prepare you as much as they can. But once those lights come on and that ball is snapped its all up to you to put what you learned that week and what you know about that team in to action. Alot of times the decisions that are made in the game are a matter of trial and error. The game of football is alot like chess. There are times when no matter how good your team is and how well you have been coached the other team is simply going to out play you and there is nothing you can really do about it. Teams go through years were they have to rebuild sometimes and re-establish somethings. I think that a coach cant go and coach a kid that already has talent a real coach goes out there and makes a star or a player out of the kid with little talent or no talent at all. If a coach can do that then he has suceeded in his job. Being a coach isnt all about winning its about teaching discipline and making athletes believe in there ability to achieve things. a Coach has to work with what he has and make them as good as they can possibly be. I had a coach once, that if it werent for him I prolly would have given up on football. But he was a friend just as much a coach. he believed in my ability and made me push myself to the limit. He made me realize that there are alot more responibilities to being a coach than to just coaching and trying to win. You dont really understand what its like till you coach. I learned that too coaching a little league team. It's hard work and takes up many many hours of your time. My thought is if you think you can handle coaching and especially coaching a high school team you try little league first, and then you tell me if you still think it will be easy and that you could do better than those high school,college, or pro coaches.

[Kennedale Wildcats]

I agree, coaches should not be bashed in the stands by people who don't know what they are talking about. However...... some people do know what they are talking about. Sometimes a coaches scheme does not fit with their players. Some towns want to see a certain offense run no matter what type of players they have to work with. A good coach offensively will run what he knows best. If it doesn't fit in with the players or the fans don't like it, then he needs to move on.

We are very fortunate at Kennedale to have the coach we have. He has done a 180 on this program. We are having the best year in school history and I still hear fans in the stands complaining.

Glad I'm not a coach, but I wish I was..

[CatsDen]

Coach Barrett has done a fantastic job! Not only does he have the team rolling towards the playoffs, but he has involved all of the players (Bryan, Chris, Rex, Weldon, Giorgio are all having a solid season statistically).
I can't remember Kennedale sending very many kids off to play at the next level (college)-until Barrett took over. We are lucky to have him here!

[dwhite_eaglesfan]

I believe this topic stems from another post justafan was a part of. Now, justafan I am not bashing David Armstrong at Fairfield. David and I have been friends for 16 years. He has done a great job even as an assistant under Randy Angel(whom I supported when some people wanted to run out of town,because of the offense he ran).I am not just another loud mouth in the stands(as a matter of fact I say very little during the game because I am looking at what is going on everywhere).I don't have to agree with everything we do,they don't have to agree with everything I do.Just for the record I have been around this program from the start, I even had the powerlifting team for a couple of years. Thank You

[dwhite_eaglesfan]

I also think the coach at Kennedale has done an outstanding job. I lived there for a couple of years(and still have friends there) and they were not the quality program it is now.

[cunbed10]

Refer to My post Marlin's Coach Malone makes a difference.

[SETexFB]

The story of coaches could go on forever. The truth of the matter is that like in most jobs, you have some good workers and some not so good ones. But, in all situations you must take self pride in what ever you do. If I waited around for someone to constantly pat me on the back for the things I do at my job, I would be waiting a long time. Take pride in every thing you do and then it will not matter what others say about you. But, you have to know this, not all coaches are good at what they do. The difference in the good, the bad, & the ugly lies somewhere between a coaches ego to know when he just don't have it, when to carry on, and when to step down graciously. That could apply to all professions.

Take time to thank God for all you have and do. wink