Author Topic: Teaching Moment  (Read 4159 times)

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Offline yarnnelg

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Teaching Moment
« on: March 01, 2016, 04:26:33 PM »
First game of the season. Youth, JV Teams. Coaches on my sideline on our butts immediately and never stopped. Third quarter it started ...the players "The Refs are cheating" The most talented team got their hats handed to them 35-7. One more game and I was sitting on a picnic bench drinking a Gatorade watching and evaluating some young Officials. Head Coach of the first game comes over and sits down.
"Man you guys had a tough day today, little rusty or were they all new?"
"Well, I have 15 years, other wing has 18 years, white hat 23 years and umpire 24 years, all Varsity High School, three of us small NCAA and four of us Semi Pro. No, I think we were good."
"This is my first year as a Head Coach. If you guys were satisfied, is there anything I need to know to get better?"
"Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Absolutely."
"Coach."
"What?"
"You are there to teach and encourage your players. For the entire game all the coaches did was to complain about the officials. Name one call we changed, One call we added because of yelling at us. In the third quarter your players quit. They felt they had no support. The world was against them. They were not ready for game one and their coaches failed them. As Officials, we could care less who wins, it's not our concern, call it right and get them off the field safely in a game of violence. You guys failed and will continue unless you change."
"How do we do that?"
"Why complain, yell and scream about something you have no control over? To be frank, I enjoy games between Bradenton Southeast High School, ranked number one in the nation and Miami Dade High School, ranked number two, Why? Because we do our job and the coaches do theirs, they may question something, but it is business from the moment they walk out on the field. They don't yell and scream about something they have no control over."
The conversation went on and on ....

Last Championship Game we are getting ready to go out, A group of coaches carrying a trophy are coming to the tent. "Ray, we wanted to talk to you." I didn't recognize them at first.
"Remember me? We talked after that first game. I held a meeting on Sunday afternoon with my coaches. I told them what you had said. I told them we were going to change our focus. We left the officials alone. We did not lose another game and we won the Championship today. Thank you for helping us realize."

"You guys did it, not me, I gave you the advice I took a long time ago when I coached baseball. I never argue with Umpires. I coach. You guys should be proud of what you accomplished. There is a greater amount of satisfaction in knowing that you made your boys better men as a result of a game. I have no impact and won't accept any praise in what you accomplished. Well done Coach, you guys should be proud."

Offline goodgrr

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Re: Teaching Moment
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2016, 04:50:11 AM »
Great to hear the guy listened.

Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Teaching Moment
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2016, 10:19:12 PM »
Rare I know.

Offline HLinNC

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Re: Teaching Moment
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2016, 01:38:10 PM »
 :thumbup