John from Riverside Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 The real problem that I see is that there is not a rule against it. As long as there is not a rule against it, the refs can't call it illegal, and there will always be people/coaches who will try to get any advantage within the rules - even it it flies in the face of teaching, sportsmanship and yes even safety. That is just a fact. The success of any league is so dependent on the leadership and the people who run it. They probably 'dropped the ball' by not having the foresight to make this illegal. Based on the response you received from the commissioner - he feels it should be banned. Based on that - there is absolutely no reason why it can't be ruled illegal tomorrow. All it takes is a decision to be made and an email to all the coaches and officials saying it will no longer be allowed - *very* simple. You've made your request to the comissioner - and received his response about deferring it until next year. I would follow up and request that it be done away with immediately, based on the safety concerns which are pretty obvious and your first-hand experience with injuries during the game. Again - good leadership which will promptly address the situation would solve everything. If you don't get an acceptable response, I would send a note to all the coaches urging them to come to a consensus to ban it - make sure you are not pointing fingers at a particular coach/team and make a level-headed argument against. The proper behaviour during the game is an entirely different issue. - In my experience it is never a good idea to openly confront another coach during a game - and never ever yell or scream at another coach or staff. My experience also is that if a guy is an a-hole during a game - he's probaly going to be an a-hole before and after too - because he's probably just an a-hole - and isn't worth any of my time. - Personally I would never take my team off the field - to me all you would be doing is demoralizing your team - and letting the other team win (likely in a most satisfactory way to them BTW) - I know it is easier said than done - but if the horse collars were happening w/ regularity, maybe you could have found a way to neutralize them - running straight ahead instead of out wide etc. Just try to pound it right at them straight ahead and run over them not away from them. - There are times when questionable/dirty play etc. by the other team can actually be a rallying point for your team. Get your kids together and tell them "We are not going to let them bother us - we are going to play clean - and we are just going to be tougher than they are". I've found that youth sports can really mirror life in that many kids who are the biggest a-holes/bullies turn out to be the biggest pussies when other kids give it back to them and don't back down. Quick story - last year I was coaching in a 9-10 basketball league - full of ultra-competitive win at all cost "coaches". I had a very skilled team - and we played a team where it was obvious the other coach had told told his kids to *hard* foul my best kids any chance they got - sending scrubs running after my kids to hit them hard - in many cases sending them to the floor. It got pretty heated - so I called a time out and just told my kids we were a better team, and the other team knew that and thought the only way they could play with us was to do the ridiculous things they were doing - the refs weren't going to stop it or throw anyone out - so there was nothing we could do but go out and play clean but just be tougher than they were - and the kids were psyched about it - and we were tougher - and we kicked their ass. <One of my most satisfying moments in coaching youth sports happened that game. They had this ridiculous big burly kid (with a ridiculous big bush of bright red hair I will never forget) who was just running around hitting kids and literally in some cases putting them on the ground - barreling into kids and completely totallly out of control. Thought he was so tough - he was a joke. At one point I called the ref over and said that kid is not only a danger to other kids - he's a danger to himself. He was one of the biggest kids on the court, so my biggest kids were guarding him and getting abused - finally I called my son over and said to him "Shut him down". My son is not a big kid - but one of the toughest little SOBs I know. He is always my defensive specialist to shut down the other teams best players. In this case I knew my son would not back down (even though he was at least a foot shorter and probably 50lbs lighter) to the kid's crap and it would drive the kid crazy. So exactly that happened - and him and my son were kind of going back and forth for a while but my son wouldn't give him an inch. At one point the kid gets the ball and almost like it was a football tucks it and puts his shoulder down and tries to barrel into my son (with intent to injure). My son gracefully steps sideways and lets the kid careen completely out of control and slam to the ground in loud crash of moronic obnoxious uncoordinated flabby flesh. The gym falls silent - and the kid is down (he was a danger to himself afterall!) and then - wait for it - in the silence can be heard the beautiful sound of this little bastards cries and sobs because he got a boo boo! So he's laying there on the ground crying - it's all I could do to not explode in joy. As he gets up , tears streaming down his face, starting to slowly walk off the court, completely embarrassed and deflated and defeated - I was the first one to clap for him - I walked part way onto the court and got his eye and started to clap - a very loud, sarcastic, sloooww clap. Fat dirty cheap little bastard - Little tough guy! - Ha - makes me smile to this day> \ You are a sadistic man steve....
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 Speaking about horse-collaring. We were riding home from dinner and in our town there was car stopped on a side street... This chick (driver) runs out and lays a terrible horse-collar on this dude that was getting out of the passenger seat... Right in the road... Right when the Sox blew the game against the Rays! "Suicide watch" on both parts of town!
Recommended Posts