Using profanity in coaching

[warningtrackpower]

Last week I received an email at the website (SVCsportszone.com) from a parent asking about coaches using profanity. I talked about it on this week’s show (SVC Sports Talk). The discussion is in the first segment of the show. Below is the link – would love the thoughts of people from throughout the SE district – THANKS

http://www.dbkmediaservices.com/wordpre ... talk121415

[Tri-StateYouthSports]

Below is a link to a podcast (Hardwood Hustle) on the same topic.

http://hardwoodhustle.com/2014/11/06/hu ... l-podcast/

[spartans_fan]

It is always interesting how this topic comes up in basketball more than it does in football. With the fans, parents and grandparents so close to the bench the topic is more recognized.

I do not think employees of a local school district should ever be allowed to curse at a student. This is not a work area of adults or a battle field, it is a place to learn and become a better person/teammate. I am sure these kids hear it at home and around their friends, but if you can't swear at a child in math class you should not do it on the football field or basketball courts.

JMHO

[Davis]

I can vividly remember broken clipboards, kicked chairs and trashcans, weight plates flying at walls,
and the language used wasn't exactly PC. We were never scared but we were made aware of when we weren't
playing up to par. I think there are better ways to coach kids but there was something magical about the
generation of coaches that were all business. It's a very soft world now created by the parents that experienced
very vocal/expressive coaches.

[PVCGuru]

What's worse?

I coach that curses calmly in the huddle to get his point across, or a raving lunatic that screams and embarrasses everyone by his actions?

Give me the guy that swears all day.

[Quad_D]

Neither shouting or swearing are effective or appropriate. As John Wooden used to say "you coach them during the week, then you let them play on the weekend." Shouting and swearing in my book indicates that someone is not a very good coach to begin with!

[Davis]

Somewhere the ball was dropped. The current feel goodery coaching methods are producing some of the ugliest basketball ive ever seen. The D3 and D4 product in the southeast has fallen off a cliff

[coop]

Everyone is soft now.

[toast]

The most effective and successful coaches I've ever seen don't/didn't use profanity. The whole idea that to be a tough coach and good disciplinarian one needs to curse and swear is rather silly. The best and most respected coaches can get their players to play with energy and passion without ranting and cursing. Those are the coaches that are more progressive and have figured it out! Those are the coaches that kids want to play for and will give it their all.

[Orange and Brown]

From age 10 to 12 my little League coach must have thought my name was dumbass, because that's all he ever called.
When I was 12 my coach would always make me run to his truck and grab his smokes if he forgot them lol.........

I coach little league and youth soccer and I have never cursed around let alone at the kids, but when I do coach fall ball sometimes a few curse words slip out.

I think times have changed, and so have attitudes toward it. I would say I'm with the folks who say their isn't any room for it in youth/high school sports.

[coop]

Times have for sure changed, and I will agree that it shouldn't be used from youth through Jr high. I think High School and up all bets are off, within reason of course.

[king kong]

I think the difference in todays world is that the majority of kids look at teachers and coaches as their peers and not authority figures. I played in the late 80's and my dad who was a teacher was also my coach in several varsity sports, and the head varsity basketball coach my senior year. He very rarely cursed, but when it came to me, Katy bar the door I was free game! lol It was yes sir, no sir, yes coach, no coach and we knew the fine line between who our friends were and our teachers/coaches.

Players and kids today see teachers/coaches as more of friends/acquaintances IMO. They use first names for teachers/coaches and talk to them like peers. Now they know not to use the same language as they do with their friends, and its not a disrespect thing. When you do have to come down on them in practice or a game some look like you have broke their heart yelling at them! lol These kids dont have that fear factor towards teachers/coaches that we had years ago. That goes hand in hand with how society has changed from being very strict, hands on discipline, to a more touchy feely society. Its not a bad thing as I dont use curse words around players or students, but with certain groups of my friends I can make a sailor blush.

[reds4life]

The coach should be the role model. You can make your point without cursing. Just because old school guys cursed for years doesn't make it acceptable. They were just wrong for longer.

[toast]

The coach should be the role model. You can make your point without cursing. Just because old school guys cursed for years doesn't make it acceptable. They were just wrong for longer.

Excellent points. I'm always amazed how some people defend past practices regardless as to how wrong or unseemly they were. Progress is being made on many fronts. Coaches using profanity is no longer acceptable and never should have been.

[80sballer]

I believe there is a big difference between being profane and using a curse word occasionally. My mother wasnt a profane lady but when she used a curse word I knew she meant business. Same with my coaches.

[EagleNut14]

This is why this country is so stinking soft! I don't think a coach should ever directly cuss at a player but if he's trying to motivate or get a point across I see nothing wrong with it! When I played which wasn't all that long ago we got fingers poked in our chest with the coach nose to nose with us did we complain about no nor did our parents.

[Bones13]

JMHO in 7 years coaching round ball. I have used the words "dammit" and "hell" to motivate or by accident. Example: "Dammit the hell if we don't start playing a tighter defense and helping on the dribble let me know now and I will just forfeit the game." Never used anything worse than that, never had to and even then it was rare. Now, I always told my kids each year, first day of practice "I love you like my own son/daughter. If I yell at you it is not you as a person BUT what you are doing as a basketball player on the court. Just remember if you can yell at a kid to get them motivated you better also be the first one to praise them and put them on a pedestal when they do something correct. Lastly, I am a loud coach so that they hear me. When I played the game I couldn't hear a whole lot because I was focused on the game and the sounds on the floor i.e. teammates, other team an occasional official.

[warningtrackpower]

Great feedback - appreciate it all leading into this week's show. I have had some feedback to the website email that goes on both sides like we are reading here, but one email that is really different is the one I thought I would ask to continue the talk. The email asked:

Do you think there is a difference in expectation when using this language when coaching guys compared to girls? Do we fairly (or unfairly) hold female athletes to a different expectation when it comes to their actions/language as athletes and/or students?

[Firebreather]

I had an old coach tell us "Profanity is a weak attempt by a feeble mind to expressive itself profoundly!" I sat confused for days but eventually understood it!

[FannyPack]

Expand your vernacular