Disrespectful Youth Athletes

[Hay Man]

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I have seen so many videos of late, mostly baseball, with athletes of college, high school and even younger ages that are getting out of control. They strike someone out and they act as if they won the World Series, slamming their glove down or yelling at the opponent. I'm in my 50's and that sort of thing didn't take place 30 plus years ago. Talking shit took place, maybe a little, but you see these antics all over the place. When I used to coach both young girls and boys in basketball, I wouldn't think of allowing that kind of behavior from one of my players. Who is most to blame here? Is it the coaches allowing it to happen, the parents not having a talk with their kids or is it mostly on the kids?

 

[HawkPowerlifter]

I think it's all the above. Throw in social media creates an environment where this stuff gets "likes" or attention. Athletes play to the camera too. I think coaches fear retaliation by parents or social pressure. Parents are also responsible. It's a totality of these variables.

Coaching is tough these days. Caught between teaching and instructing and managing behaviors and personalities. Sadly, young athletes emulate their idols or professional athletes. We see it on television so it becomes accepted behavior.

I'm also sure coaches fear even lawsuits or etc. The Iowa football program dealt with bias, racism, and not allowing players to express themselves. And as we know, KF is definitely cut from the old school cloth. Now with the NIL gone wild, entitled young athletes, and the transfer portal, coaches walk on egg shells.

Some of us are old enough to remember coaches that not only taught the game but taught life principles. They would get in your face, and in some cases "tune" you up in their own way. All that has gone away.

 

[kicker22]

I think it's all the above. Throw in social media creates an environment where this stuff gets "likes" or attention. Athletes play to the camera too. I think coaches fear retaliation by parents or social pressure. Parents are also responsible. It's a totality of these variables.

Coaching is tough these days. Caught between teaching and instructing and managing behaviors and personalities. Sadly, young athletes emulate their idols or professional athletes. We see it on television so it becomes accepted behavior.

I'm also sure coaches fear even lawsuits or etc. The Iowa football program dealt with bias, racism, and not allowing players to express themselves. And as we know, KF is definitely cut from the old school cloth. Now with the NIL gone wild, entitled young athletes, and the transfer portal, coaches walk on egg shells.

Some of us are old enough to remember coaches that not only taught the game but taught life principles. They would get in your face, and in some cases "tune" you up in their own way. All that has gone away.

As a coach myself of multiple age groups I've realized that while it is our job to be role models and try to mold them into young adults and "good people" the amount of time we have with them fails in comparison to the time they are away from us and if their parents, or the crowd they run with, don't care then they won't either. Not saying we give up, but we have to accept the fact that there's much more influencing them then simply the coaches.
That said, we can have rules and expectations that players need to see the field, but at times you may have to find that happy medium and be patient because any change isn't going to happen over night. There's also a very fine line between the kids doing it to have fun and unknowingly being disrespectful. Kids have changed, but so has everything else, it's still our job to try to guide them, but ultimately we can be the best role models possible and fall short.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I think it's all the above. Throw in social media creates an environment where this stuff gets "likes" or attention. Athletes play to the camera too. I think coaches fear retaliation by parents or social pressure. Parents are also responsible. It's a totality of these variables.

Coaching is tough these days. Caught between teaching and instructing and managing behaviors and personalities. Sadly, young athletes emulate their idols or professional athletes. We see it on television so it becomes accepted behavior.

I'm also sure coaches fear even lawsuits or etc. The Iowa football program dealt with bias, racism, and not allowing players to express themselves. And as we know, KF is definitely cut from the old school cloth. Now with the NIL gone wild, entitled young athletes, and the transfer portal, coaches walk on egg shells.

Some of us are old enough to remember coaches that not only taught the game but taught life principles. They would get in your face, and in some cases "tune" you up in their own way. All that has gone away.

I agree it's a combination of it all. Starts at home and branches out from there. Coaches have a tough job these days. Largely because similarly to good teachers they get contradicted by the parents with what they try to teach. A lot of it isn't going to stick.

Lord bless todays teachers/coaches because I just don't have the stomach/patience for it.

 

[Grady]

These type of discussions always remind me of being back in the wrestling room at West Waterloo High back in the mid-'70s with Bob Siddens -- one of the best h.s. coaches in Iowa's history. The 1960s and '70s were a time of great cultural change, yet he remained very 'old school' -- but not in the way you might think. He didn't put up with shenanigans, but always referred to everyone in the room as "gentlemen" or "lads". He was a teacher, not a bully. He knew anybody could hit the weight room and get strong, but elevated wrestling resulted from executing technique -- and he taught that at an exceptionally high level. 70+ consecutive dual wins vs the largest schools in the state. One of the greats. I see a lot of him in Cael Sanderson.