highschool baseball and discipline

[Getpaddled]

As a coach how do you handle discipline?

I am glad I didn?t take over the team this year because of a HUGH discipline problem.. Every time a player strikes out looking, they have to glare at the ump.. then when the coach yells at the player to get in the dugout the player glares at the coach.. These 4-5 players attitudes SUCK.. and I hate to use that word. I have never in my life since being brought up have watched a team with this poor of attitude. It?s not just striking out of course. (This was just an example) There is much much more. These kids are good ball players.. There potential is very high, but with there attitudes they embarrass the game of baseball. You can only kick so many players off a team. I do half blame this on the coach this year because his commitment is suspect. He took a 2 week vacation while the team traveled to another state for a weekend tourney. If I was a coach I would HOPE to never be in this position (because I wont put up with this crap) but what is the correct discipline, do you forfeit games to set the players straight? Do you bench your star pitcher because he?s pouting over the last 4 (should have been strikes) ?? Is part of the reason of bad attitudes due to poor commitment of coaches? ( 2 assistant coaches quit, because they didn?t want to deal with a hostel team).. Its like a game of chess and there is not right move because with in the next few moves you will be in checkmate. Where do you start and what do you do?

[PKBadger]

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I am glad I didn?t take over the team this year because of a HUGH discipline problem.

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This one's simple....kick Hugh off the team. Problem solved. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Seriously though, that's kind of tough. I've never been a coach so I don't have a frame of reference, but I would keep pushing their buttons until they break. Make it a point that they need you (for playing time, instruction, etc.) a lot more than you need them. Make them run sprints if they show up an umpire during a game. Pinch-hit for them in key situations or platoon them. And if the parents ask questions, tell them EXACTLY why you're doing it. Don't kick anyone off the team, but if they want to quit, so be it. No need to tolerate a clubhouse cancer.

 

Just my two cents, not being a coach before, but that kind of behavior bothers me as much as it sounds like it bothers you.

[Samurai Bucky]

I think Keg's suggestions are very good. As a coach, especially at that level, you are also teaching about life. Kicking these kids off the team for these types of things would be the easy way out, but I don't think it would be the best way to teach them what is going on. In essence, you are giving the kids a choice of whether or not to continue with this behavior. If they continue, there will be consequences (riding the pines, etc.).

 

I coached JV ball years ago and had one kid who had a foul mouth, didn't practice hard, and was giving his teammates on the team a hard time. I explained to him why he wasn't playing much. His father came up to me (or called me... I don't remember which) to find out what was going on. Needless to say, I understood where the kid's attitude was coming from.

 

Now I coach 4th grade girls softball, so fortunately discipline isn't much of a problem...

 

... yet http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[BillScottCanRake]

Here are some things I'd do, understanding that no matter what you do someone somewhere will be upset about it.

 

First, I'd clearly spell out what is appropriate and what isn't, and what is expected of the kids. They should know, but I never assume they do.

 

Second, I'd let them know there are consequences for their behavior, and what that will include (reduced playing time, running, etc).

 

Third, stick to the rules! If a guy is supposed to run poles when they argue balls and strikes, make them, even if he hit a game winning home run. If the rules say you argue and next time you are pinch hit for, pinch hit for them, even if they are your teams best hitter and it's a key situation. Any exceptions make the whole thing worthless.

 

Finally, if the first three don't seem to work, make sure you talk to the umps and let them know they don't need to take any crap from your players, and they should feel free to throw them out of the game if they need to. I don't know how often that happens today, but it is possible getting thrown out of a few games will do more to adjust their attitude than making them run or pinch hitting for them.

 

I think I'd rather deal with a team of .200 hitters than a team that doesn't listen.

[TheCrew07]

It's a little too late for this in your case, I run into the same problems with some of my Varsity football kids.

 

1. The first day of practice I lay down my expectations for the kids and themselves. We go over expectations of behavior towards each other, the coaching staff, the refs, and the opposing team. These expectations are reinforced at the lock-in and then through team discipline during the season. If any one player causes trouble in a class, doesn't turn in homework, screws around in the parking lot whipping cheerios, etc... then entire team has to run a 200 yard sprint which we call a hot lap. Tuesday is discipline day, if you skip practice, you won't play.

 

2. I'll have conversations with players anytime I think they need it. For example if a kid is down, or acting like a baby, or performing poorly on the field or in school, I just take them aside during or after practice and find out what's going on. There's an old saying, "Kid's don't care what you say until they know you care.", and I try to handle my boys that way.

 

3. Sometimes talking to the parents works, however I find it's quickly becoming an option I don't consider. More and more these discussions go from, "What does my son need to do to get on the field?" to "My son is better than player A, he should be starting!" which isn't a productive discussion. Instead of trying to explain why, we've gotten into the habit of inviting parents to attend practice. Usually when they attend practice it becomes pretty obvious and we don't hear about it again.

 

Your post made me think of something that happened yesterday. I was playing Gears of War online with some friends from work and we were playing a team that had 3 kids that just glitched around and caused trouble. These kids couldn't have been older than 13-14 and were seriously the biggest ******* I've dealt with in a while. The one was swearing at me for killing him 4 rounds in a row when his mother overheard him and said something to him which I couldn't make out. The kid replied and I quote, "That's ***** BS, leave me alone mom." Apparently she left the room because he was laughing about it with his buddies. I was honestly shocked and appalled that someone would speak that way to their parents, especially at that age. I probably wouldn't be alive had I spoke like that to my parents. The point of the story is that it's very difficult to overcome the atmosphere that the parents create for thier children. Sometimes you can make a dent, but more often than not you're just damage control. In the case above all you can do is file a complaint and move on.

[RightFieldCoder]

That attitude is exactally why I quit being a teacher. If the kids haven't been taught to respect their parents, how will they respect teachers, coaches, umpires, and their classmates?

 

Lay down the rules on day one, and do not let them bend. The kids will try your patience and see how far the can get away with bad behavior. They will keep pushing the envelope unless you establish right away that the envelope does not move.

[1992casey]

TheCrew07, your message is so good that I hate to have to point out that circumventing the cuss filter with "***** BS" violates site guidelines, no matter how pertinent it might be to your post.

[BrewCityUnit]

That attitude is exactally why I quit being a teacher

 

Hopefully all teachers don't give up and quit. I know it is tough dealing with kids these days but is giving up really the answer? Not to call you out specifically as I'm sure there were many reasons for your decision, which are none of my business, but teachers and coaches have a great opportunity to make a difference in some of these children's lives.

[TheCrew07]

Everyone in my family teaches except for me. My dad, mom, sister, and brother all teach, my dad and mom since 1972, my sister and brother since they graduated college.

 

My father who has been a science/math teacher and the head football coach for over 30 years talks all the time how it used to be the parents and teachers working on the same side. Now more often than not the parents seem to side with kid, no matter the circumstances, and want to know why their child was singled out. They aren't as upset about what the child did, as why they are the only parents that have to meet with the teacher.

 

It easy to say teachers and coaches have the opportunity to make difference, but I've been coaching for 10 years and it gets a little more difficult each year. Ipods and cell phones distract kids in the classroom and we had to outlaw them at practice as well. You have a couple of great hard working kids, but the majority haven't had to earn anything on their own, and don't really have much self respect or confidence. They'd rather play the video game, than go learn how to play for real.

 

People keep telling me the pendulum will swing back the other way, but I honestly don't see it. I hope for it, but I don't see the fundamental culture changing here in the US unless something drastic happens. I'm 32, what has my generation accomplished, what have we been through? What about the kids behind us? Everyone wants their kids to have a better life, but it should be about quality of life in my opinion, and not so based on material things.

[TooLiveBrew]

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Everyone wants their kids to have a better life, but it should be about quality of life in my opinion, and not so based on material things.

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*standing ovation*

 

Just to chip in my two cents on this one (bc I want to, not that it'll be earth-shattering)....Lay out rules. Clear-cut, no-one-is-exempt rules. Implement them mid-season if you have to. This has gotten to the point where, talented they may be, they're hurting their team and themselves.

 

People freak out about 'What'll we do without Joey & Mikey!?', so these kids coast by their whole time in sports, acting as they see fit, with little regard for others. If they aren't willing to be a part of a team, there's nothing preventing them from leaving. The true concept of a team (IMO, 'I've got your back, and I know you've got mine') is SO much more valuable than an individual or group of individuals. These kids have no respect for that, so kick them off the team if they aren't willing to stop their arrogant, selfish, and crybaby ways.

[RightFieldCoder]

Now more often than not the parents seem to side with kid, no matter the circumstances, and want to know why their child was singled out. They aren't as upset about what the child did, as why they are the only parents that have to meet with the teacher.

 

This was a major factor. Add that the administrators also sided against the teacher to keep the parents from yelling at them. Then people would complain that I was overpaid. I was able to get a full time gig at my part time job that required no education (the person that was above me graduated high school with a D+), had less responsibilities, and paid more.

[Point Beer Is Best]

I graduated from High School in 1999, and I feel very fortunate to not have been teams with these types of problems. We had the same coach for varsity football and baseball. We were a very good football team, but not a very good baseball team. It was pretty easy to keep everyone disciplined during football season because everyone wanted to be a part of the team's success. During baseball season however, we were a bit more laid back. But you still didn't want to get on the coach's bad side, since it was understood that if you were a problem during the baseball season you wouldn't see much of the football field in the fall.

 

I guess the bottom line is if the kids really love the game and want to play, they will follow the rules. It's up to the coaches to enforce them. If you have to kick a problem player off the team, at least it will show the other trouble makers that you mean business.