Coach

benzocaine · Post by **benzocaine** » Wed May 05, 2004 10:52 am

I'd be ticked off if I was this kids dad.

Crybaby Award

Wed, May 5, 2004

Crybaby award may have cost coach job

By AP

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. -- A middle school basketball team coach who embarrassed a 13-year-old player by presenting him with a Crybaby Award trophy at a sports banquet may have lost his job over it. The Pleasantville Board of Education voted last night to fire coach James Guillen but the board's own lawyer questioned whether the vote was legal.

Just prior to the April 24 banquet at the Pleasantville Recreation Center, Guillen, 24, called the boy to tell him to attend the event to pick up a special trophy, said the child's father, Terrence Philo.

The boy was then called up to receive his award and the crowd was told he was being honoured because "he begged to get in the game and all he did was whine."

The trophy consisted of a silver figure of a baby atop a pedestal engraved with the boy's name.

That's like a thirteen year olds worst nightmare come true. What an A-Hole that coach is.

Ted Dinwiddie · Post by **Ted Dinwiddie** » Wed May 05, 2004 1:05 pm

I agree. The coach in this story is an a**hole, but I train new employees (many college students and recent grads) and I HATE whiners. Some of these kids have been raised in a Nerf-world. Somewhere in one's life there needs to be a wake-up call to maturity. This coach was in the right church, but the wrong pew. Embarrassing a pubescent in front of a crowd is about as heinous as it gets; teaching him to ****** it up and quit whining would do him a lifetime of good, however.

JDeLuca · Post by **JDeLuca** » Wed May 05, 2004 3:51 pm

There's no rationalization that could excuse this coach for what he did. An what he did was to set out in a planned manner the embarassment of a boy.

1. He thought of the idea for the award
2. He special ordered, bought and paid for the award
3. He encouraged the boy to attend the awards ceremony to recieve this award
4. He gave out the award with malice

Sports at that level should be confidence boosters. This boy was probably already fairly low on self esteem if he was riding pine. No amount of whining justifies an adult treating a child in this manner.

Ted

He's not even close to being in the right church

benzocaine · Post by **benzocaine** » Wed May 05, 2004 4:19 pm

Jim,

Amen!

Ted Dinwiddie · Post by **Ted Dinwiddie** » Thu May 06, 2004 1:27 pm

I agree with the dismissal of the coach. He was WAY overboard. As I said before:

Embarrassing a pubescent in front of a crowd is about as heinous as it gets

This coach illustrates the exact reason I have always eschewed competitive sports. It's full of d1ckh&@ds.

But I still say that kids need to learn to ****** it up and deal with the situations before them. So the kid is not playing... why might that be? Maybe he is not very good. Where was this kid's dad when it came time to help his son develop better skills? (Both at the game and at Life). How extreme a whiner was this kid? Why was it allowed at all?

Based on the article, for all we know the whole rest of the team pitched in for the award.

There are multiple arenas for children's athletic expression, some of them are competetive and oriented towards winning, not every team member gets to play. There are also leagues that are there for the benefits of participation and everybody gets to play. Many of these do not even have a score board.

I rode the bench my entire senior (and only) season of lacrosse in High School. I was fat and slow (still am). I practiced hard, I lost weight, I made friends, I gained self respect. I didn't get to dress out for the first two games (stood on the sidelines in street clothes). I never played in a league game. I played in one varsity blowout and two "scrub scrimmages" for about a quarter each. Good experience overall, glad I did it. The coach lettered the entire senior class that year (never had before). The team captains told me it was because of me. Attitude.

Attitude is VERY important. My father hammered this into me (and some of it out of me) for my whole adolescence and it took me another decade to get it.

If this coach had known his job, it never would have come to what it did. Maybe he will gain from it with the right attitude. Maybe the boy will too.

JDeLuca · Post by **JDeLuca** » Thu May 06, 2004 5:15 pm

Lets face it sports by nature are competitive events in which the primary purpose of the contest is to WIN. It might not be the noblest purpose but it is the primary.

As a teacher/coach for many years I have seen this primary goal modified at lower levels of competition. Many little leagues and pop warner programs have a minimun play clause that assures that all athletes will get into games. This hurts the chances of winning but consessions are made that make the primary goal at that level the development of the student/athlete.

It is my personal opinion that all middle school, and sub-varsity high school sports should have this must play policy. By the time that the athlete reaches that varsity program he should be mature enough to understand why he might not be playing. If he does understand he should make the mature choice, not participate in the sport or participate and support the team in practice and the sideline. This acceptance of role is something we all have to learn at some time

Of course not all parents/athletes agree with the coaches decision of who plays and for how long. They might not even agree with you as to the primary goal of that particular contest. I have had countless parents and students speak to me about their son's playing time at the varsity level. It is never easy giving them your answer but it must be given with respect and consideration for the feelings of the athlete.

Ted Dinwiddie · Post by **Ted Dinwiddie** » Thu May 06, 2004 7:03 pm

Mr. DeLuca,

I agree with your last post completely.