When coaches go too far

Last March, Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice was fired for physically and mentally abusing his players during practice. He yelled obscenities, kicked players, threw basketballs and constantly belittled his team. After getting caught on tape abusing his team and using homophobic slurs, Rice was only suspended for three games. Immediately after the suspension, Rice was eventually fired and sued by former players.This incident with Rice and his players abused the trust that is imperative in coach-player relationship. Coaches are there not only for playing tips and techniques, but also for guidance. When trust is broken between coach and player, there is animosity and anger felt within the players. This occurs more commonly than we would like to think.A coach can be one of the most important figures in a student’s life. Coaching is a lot like being a parent; you have to know when to push and when to lay off. Coaches dictate a player’s playing time and sometimes his or her emotions while on the court or field as well. Meanwhile, athletes must constantly fight to obtain their coach’s respect. Coaches can be unfair and biased, but that doesn’t necessarily give athletes the excuse to quit.Due to this imbalance of power, athletes are left at the whim of their coach’s bias. This leads to insults and harsh punishment.Nothing quite compares to the relationship between coach and player. Coaches have a very strong hold on a player’s mentality and emotions. They have the power and capability to praise players or diminish them. Most athletes hold the mentality of “I don’t care what I have to do, I will win.” It’s up to the coach to use that energy to win games. Almost every athlete has a special ability that they contribute to their team, whether it’s a great outside shot, great speed or even something as simple as keeping the team focused.The way in which a coach teaches his or her players a lesson separates the great coaches from the abusive ones. And the way a coach manages anger or frustration is very important to the relationship.Coaches use a very wide range of tactics in order to help their players reach their full potential. Renowned Indiana basketball coach, Bobby Knight, was known for his brutal coaching style. He is infamous for throwing chairs and screaming across the court. But what separates Bobby Knight from Mike Rice? It’s simple, Bobby Knight won games and Rice didn’t. Knight led his team in 1975-76 to an undefeated season along with a NCAA Championship. Players often give a coach much more slack when their record reflects a good team. In the end the players think, “If I put up with this a little longer, we’ll be the best.”Coaches often manipulate players by tearing down their style of play or the way they carry themselves on the court so that they play angry and enhance their game. But this doesn’t work for everyone. Some coaches cross the line to the point where the player begins to shut down and second-guess, which often harms his or her ability to play. As the players transition from high school to collegiate-level sports, coaching circumstances intensify. High school basketball and college basketball are two different beasts and often times star high school players can’t handle the style of coaching certain colleges offer.However, even if a team is winning every game, there are some qualities a coach should never possess. Everyone has their limits and it’s a coach’s responsibility to realize those boundaries. I’m not saying coaches can’t be tough on their kids because good coaches have disciplined teams. What I want people to understand from this is that tough and abusive are not the same thing. Some coaches beloved by their players are known to be very tough and difficult to play for. Abusive coaches are the people that take advantage of their players and unfairly use them to merely win a game.The Player Coach: These coaches are often more concerned with a player’s mindset than their discipline. They tend to take it easier on their players and focus more on having fun. They want to be friends with their players, but this is not always the best tactic. These coaches are more laid back and want to make sure every player is happy playing the game.The Fight-Until-You-Die Coach: These coaches preach hustle and expect players to dive for every loose ball and sprint for every play on the court or field. A common line you might hear this coach say is, “if your shirt isn’t covered in dirt or sweat, you’re not going hard enough.” This coach is more of a disciplinarian but is never unfair. At the end of the day, if the players go their hardest, he won’t have a problem with them.The Disciplinarian: These coaches’ practices consist of sprints, push ups and free throws. If one player acts up, the entire team runs a mile as a consequence. Oftentimes these coaches will lose their minds on the sidelines because of a bad call. Every one of these coachs can be abusive, but this type of coaching is where abusive coaches are found.The Genius: These coaches often rely more on their ability to control the game with X’s and O’s. They believe that at the end of the day, the team who wins is the team that has the best game plan. Every coach gets mad, but the way they deal with anger is what matters. This coach is probably more worried about next week’s film session than yelling at the players for a bad game.srietta@thesamohi.com