mwisnews
10-19-2003, 08:53 PM
Coaches weigh merits of conditioning as discipline
How to punish players a dilemma faced by all in high school football
04:32 AM CDT on Sunday, October 19, 2003
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
Everman football star Craig Boatwright heaved his helmet in frustration following a late September loss to District 8-3A rival Kennedale.
It was an action deemed unacceptable by the Everman coaching staff, which takes pride in its players representing the school district in a positive manner.
"If he would have had a rope tied to that helmet, he would have pulled it back before it hit the ground," Everman assistant coach Dale Matlock said. "He knew he made a mistake and there were going to be consequences."
Boatwright, a senior tight end and defensive end who helped Everman win consecutive state titles, was suspended for three games. He accepted the option of trading the final two games of the suspension for 12 early-morning conditioning sessions with an assistant coach.
Craig Boatwright
Boatwright, 17, died Thursday morning after collapsing on the school track during his final disciplinary conditioning session. A congenital heart condition was the cause of death, according to preliminary findings released by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office after an autopsy.
"It really hits home," Bryan Adams coach Mike Smiddy said. "It could be any one of our players tomorrow or the next day."
It is a common practice for coaches to use conditioning as a means of disciplining players. That usually means some form of running.
The 6-4, 215-pound Boatwright, who had orally committed to play for TCU, was in the process of running two miles Thursday morning with assistant coach Erik McGuffin. The two sprinted the track's straightaways and walked the turns, an activity Matlock said was less strenuous than the team's conditioning session the previous afternoon. The real punishment, Matlock said, was making Boatwright arrive at school at 7 a.m.
Laps, sprints and gassers – running across the field and back – are the simplest and most popular forms of discipline among area coaches. Most coaches determine distance and repetition based on the reason for the punishment and the offending athlete's history.
"Nowadays, there aren't too many discipline forms you can use, and one of the things the kids understand is running," Lewisville coach Ronnie Gage said. "Coaches should know their kids, and they should know what buttons to push and not to push. I really do think most coaches use common sense. I would think every coach in the state of Texas uses running as some form of discipline."
Up-downs – running until the coach's whistle, hitting the ground chest-first and quickly getting up – are another traditional disciplinary tactic. So are sit-ups, push-ups and bear crawls. Coaches who have their home stadiums available often have players run up and down the bleachers.
Some coaches get more creative. For example, Butch Ford of Celina and Mark Copeland of Carrollton Newman Smith have players flip a tractor tire end over end for 50 or 100 yards. Other coaches have players roll the length of the field.
Every head coach of the approximately 60 polled said coaches closely monitor disciplinary conditioning sessions. Most occur immediately after practice, when trainers are available.
Suspending players is another disciplinary option, although many coaches prefer to take away playing time only in extreme instances.
Waxahachie coach David Ream still occasionally dishes out corporal punishment, which has been banned in many school districts. Several coaches longed for the days when players feared the paddle.
"If a kid gets in trouble, 10 years ago you'd pull out a board and bust him," Garland coach Jeff Jordan said. "But we don't do that anymore. Now, really, your biggest disciplinary procedure is taking the kid out and running him."
Coaches cited numerous actions that merit disciplinary measures. Most punish players for drawing personal fouls during games and misbehaving in class. Failing to turn in homework assignments, poor academic performance and being tardy to class or practice are also common infractions. Many coaches simply tell their players that they are required to represent the program in a positive manner at all times and subject to punishment if they fail to live up to that standard.
"You have to hold kids accountable," Plano West coach Mike Hughes said. "If they don't have discipline and accountability, they won't learn anything."
Added Garland Naaman Forest coach Bill Patterson: "One of the last bastions of discipline is athletics. We're teaching them not just about football, but about life."
Euless Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver said he did not think the Everman coaches were at fault for Boatwright's death, but he is considering whether to continue to use running to discipline players.
Other coaches said they would continue to use conditioning in disciplinary matters but would be more cautious as a result of the tragedy at Everman.
"If a kid does something that's deserving of him running, we might stretch the running over two days now, so that he'll run half on one day and half on the next day," Madison coach Ronald Johnson said. "These situations give us a red flag. We have to be careful."
Most coaches, however, said Boatwright's death would not have an impact on the way they discipline players. They see it as an isolated incident. Several noted that Boatwright died because of a heart defect, not because of the Everman coaching staff's disciplinary actions.
"He could have been running a [pass] route last night and collapsed," Allen coach Joe Martin said. "I know those coaches, and they wouldn't have done anything to put that kid in harm's way. It's just a sad situation."
Staff Writers Todd Boyd, Brandon George, David Hinojosa, Meyla Hooker, Randy Jennings, Todd Jorgenson, Kevin Lonnquist, Kyle Nagel, Damon L. Sayles, Ben Shpigel and Monique Walker and Special Contributors Mark Button, Erin Lee Gallegos, Luke Gilliam, Milenko Martinovich, Robby Nisenfeld, Melinda Weaver, Paul J. Weber and Chase Wofford contributed to this report.
How to punish players a dilemma faced by all in high school football
04:32 AM CDT on Sunday, October 19, 2003
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
Everman football star Craig Boatwright heaved his helmet in frustration following a late September loss to District 8-3A rival Kennedale.
It was an action deemed unacceptable by the Everman coaching staff, which takes pride in its players representing the school district in a positive manner.
"If he would have had a rope tied to that helmet, he would have pulled it back before it hit the ground," Everman assistant coach Dale Matlock said. "He knew he made a mistake and there were going to be consequences."
Boatwright, a senior tight end and defensive end who helped Everman win consecutive state titles, was suspended for three games. He accepted the option of trading the final two games of the suspension for 12 early-morning conditioning sessions with an assistant coach.
Craig Boatwright
Boatwright, 17, died Thursday morning after collapsing on the school track during his final disciplinary conditioning session. A congenital heart condition was the cause of death, according to preliminary findings released by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office after an autopsy.
"It really hits home," Bryan Adams coach Mike Smiddy said. "It could be any one of our players tomorrow or the next day."
It is a common practice for coaches to use conditioning as a means of disciplining players. That usually means some form of running.
The 6-4, 215-pound Boatwright, who had orally committed to play for TCU, was in the process of running two miles Thursday morning with assistant coach Erik McGuffin. The two sprinted the track's straightaways and walked the turns, an activity Matlock said was less strenuous than the team's conditioning session the previous afternoon. The real punishment, Matlock said, was making Boatwright arrive at school at 7 a.m.
Laps, sprints and gassers – running across the field and back – are the simplest and most popular forms of discipline among area coaches. Most coaches determine distance and repetition based on the reason for the punishment and the offending athlete's history.
"Nowadays, there aren't too many discipline forms you can use, and one of the things the kids understand is running," Lewisville coach Ronnie Gage said. "Coaches should know their kids, and they should know what buttons to push and not to push. I really do think most coaches use common sense. I would think every coach in the state of Texas uses running as some form of discipline."
Up-downs – running until the coach's whistle, hitting the ground chest-first and quickly getting up – are another traditional disciplinary tactic. So are sit-ups, push-ups and bear crawls. Coaches who have their home stadiums available often have players run up and down the bleachers.
Some coaches get more creative. For example, Butch Ford of Celina and Mark Copeland of Carrollton Newman Smith have players flip a tractor tire end over end for 50 or 100 yards. Other coaches have players roll the length of the field.
Every head coach of the approximately 60 polled said coaches closely monitor disciplinary conditioning sessions. Most occur immediately after practice, when trainers are available.
Suspending players is another disciplinary option, although many coaches prefer to take away playing time only in extreme instances.
Waxahachie coach David Ream still occasionally dishes out corporal punishment, which has been banned in many school districts. Several coaches longed for the days when players feared the paddle.
"If a kid gets in trouble, 10 years ago you'd pull out a board and bust him," Garland coach Jeff Jordan said. "But we don't do that anymore. Now, really, your biggest disciplinary procedure is taking the kid out and running him."
Coaches cited numerous actions that merit disciplinary measures. Most punish players for drawing personal fouls during games and misbehaving in class. Failing to turn in homework assignments, poor academic performance and being tardy to class or practice are also common infractions. Many coaches simply tell their players that they are required to represent the program in a positive manner at all times and subject to punishment if they fail to live up to that standard.
"You have to hold kids accountable," Plano West coach Mike Hughes said. "If they don't have discipline and accountability, they won't learn anything."
Added Garland Naaman Forest coach Bill Patterson: "One of the last bastions of discipline is athletics. We're teaching them not just about football, but about life."
Euless Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver said he did not think the Everman coaches were at fault for Boatwright's death, but he is considering whether to continue to use running to discipline players.
Other coaches said they would continue to use conditioning in disciplinary matters but would be more cautious as a result of the tragedy at Everman.
"If a kid does something that's deserving of him running, we might stretch the running over two days now, so that he'll run half on one day and half on the next day," Madison coach Ronald Johnson said. "These situations give us a red flag. We have to be careful."
Most coaches, however, said Boatwright's death would not have an impact on the way they discipline players. They see it as an isolated incident. Several noted that Boatwright died because of a heart defect, not because of the Everman coaching staff's disciplinary actions.
"He could have been running a [pass] route last night and collapsed," Allen coach Joe Martin said. "I know those coaches, and they wouldn't have done anything to put that kid in harm's way. It's just a sad situation."
Staff Writers Todd Boyd, Brandon George, David Hinojosa, Meyla Hooker, Randy Jennings, Todd Jorgenson, Kevin Lonnquist, Kyle Nagel, Damon L. Sayles, Ben Shpigel and Monique Walker and Special Contributors Mark Button, Erin Lee Gallegos, Luke Gilliam, Milenko Martinovich, Robby Nisenfeld, Melinda Weaver, Paul J. Weber and Chase Wofford contributed to this report.