We had been married about a year. My wife was on her way to take the CPA exam and unfortunately had an accident just outside the entrance to the examination facility. I rushed to the scene to find Christi uninjured. Our car was not so lucky. Besides the CPA exam she had studied so diligently for it seemed her greatest concern was how I was going to react to the car being totaled.
I gave Christi a hug, inquired if anyone else was injured and asked if she felt up to taking the CPA exam. I did not yell or scream at her for having been in an accident and this seemed to surprise her. My reasoning for not doing so was very simple, no amount of yelling or screaming was going to change the outcome of the accident.
I have seen coaches berate officials and their own players for mistakes made be the mistake real or perceived. To what end? Players generally know when they make a mistake. Referee's very seldom change a call because of being yelled at. I'm just not sure what purpose yelling at someone after a mistake has occurred serves.
I could have yelled at Christi that morning of the accident before the CPA exam, but had I done so I am fairly certain she would have done poorly on the tests. As it was, Christi regrouped and proceeded to pass several sections of the CPA exam that day.
Athletes rebound from mistakes in much the same way. Chances are pretty good the athlete will recognize his own mistake without a coach drawing attention to it by scolding him in a booming voice heard by everyone in attendance. What constructive purpose is served by such actions?
I wrote awhile back about the best coaching tool on game day being a chair. I believe the chair should be accompanied by ... silence ... from the coaching sideline. Okay, not complete silence. A coach should be encouraging and supportive in his communication with athletes on game day. If an athlete is not performing to the coach's expectations whose fault is that? The coach's for not having properly prepared the athlete in training is the likely answer.
I believe the proper response to game day mistakes by athletes is for the athlete himself to find a different solution to the problem that forced the error. Now, if the same athlete commits the same mistake repeatedly, then perhaps a substitution and sideline discussion exploring other possible solutions would be appropriate. Encouragement to more fully explore the game in search of better solutions to the problems being presented. Empower the athlete instead of berating and degrading him in a loud voice in front of his peers and everyone else present.
The same advice holds true for dealing with officials. Is your yelling at an official really going to generate a positive response? It is important to remember the referee will have had an entirely different view of the action than the one you had. In all likelihood the referee will have been closer to the action than you were. If you must interact with a referee it might be best to inquire as to what he saw and do so in a calm manner.
What we are talking about in this article is relationships.
My relationship with my wife is a loving one and my concern was for her safety and that of others involved in the accident not a hunk of metal, plastic and rubber. The coach / player relationship must be built on honesty and trust. Yelling at someone about an obvious mistake is hardly the way to go about establishing trust, is it? And every coach needs to establish a working relationship with officials. You are far more likely to receive the benefit of the doubt on close calls if your relationship is congenial as opposed to the coach whose relationship with referees is confrontational, right?
Welcome to the web home of Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer. We specialize in conducting high school team camps. This website began as a means to promote our camps and keep campers informed of upcoming opportunities. There are now over 650 articles archived here. Use the search function in the right hand column below to find ones on topic for you. You may contact us at coachtjbrown@gmail.com or 567-204-6083 Thanks for visiting!
Showing posts with label referees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label referees. Show all posts
Sunday
Wednesday
A few coaching pointers.
I have undoubtedly written on this subject before (Coaching Tips) , but it occurs to me I am not the same coach I was when I did. So, I have decided to provide an updated list of coaching pointers. As with many of the articles I write the content for this one was suggested to me by a fellow coach. This particular coach volunteered to lead a youth team without full appreciation of what would be involved. He admittedly felt he was floundering and asked for help in organizing his approach to coaching.
1) Preparation: The coach needs to properly prepare for both practices and games. For a typical training session I will devote an hour plus to planning for it. Each position group requires work specific to their responsibilities. This does not necessarily mean each group should train separate of the others. For example, I believe strongly in cross training individual field players for all positions. Therefore how each group interacts and links with the other groups is a constant focus and it can take some time to formulate a proper plan for addressing this within the theme of a days practice session.
On game day, having a line up prepared before hand with scheduled rotations in mind frees the coach for other pre-game duties. Warming up the goalkeeper, talking with the opposing coach and referees to establish a relationship for the game. And in some cases, prepping the field for play.
1 A) Have your practice plan or game line up and rotations written down on a note card for quick and easy reference. While I pride myself on being adaptable and flexible during training sessions I never wish to stray far from my preparations. On match day, I might alter rotations to take advantage of a specific on-field matchup by I do not want to stray far from the training we did to prepare for the match or the game plan prepared for the match.
2) Be First to Arrive: I typically arrive at least 30 minutes before each training session, up to an hour early for a match. Be properly dressed and prepared to take the field in your role of coach. My expectation is before the designated start time the players will be properly dressed, properly equipped and ready to train. I must meet the same standard.
2 A) Walk the field to make sure it is safe to practice on. Remove any debris that could pose a hazard to players. Make sure the goals are properly secured to the ground and in good repair. Check for holes, standing water, mud and remedy the situation or mark these areas as off limits for training.
2 B) Set up for practice before the players begin to arrive. Place cones and other training equipment where and how you will use them. This might include coaching sticks, practice bibs, portable goals, et al. This helps both with organization and pace of practice. As you become more experienced you might use the teams players to help set up especially in-practice. I do this when a break from physical activity or mental strain from an activity is required. It is an exception to the rule.
3) Welcome every player and coach with a smile and a handshake. Inquire about their day, their family, any injury they might have sustained and how rehab is progressing. This is perhaps the most important thing you will do. Think of how impersonal our lives have become with the advent of video games and social media. You want players who are comfortable interacting with others. You want players who are able to communicate with one another. I insist the players shake hands with one another as well. They will thank you after the begin interviewing for jobs and are able to meet and greet with prospective employers.
4) Promptness: I begin every session on time. If a player is still gearing up, he's late and I do not wait. I stand so the sun is in my eyes and demand the players give me their eyes. I want eye contact when anyone addresses the team. I will provide a brief outline of the sessions theme and the activities we will use. It is both a business-like and relaxed approach.
5) Coaching Methodology: Each session should focus on the Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological aspects of playing soccer. Warning: Talking too much is counter-productive in coaching. Most of my words in training come when addressing techniques. Almost always this is a gentle reminder involving proper preparation to execute the technique the player has chosen to utilize. I encourage mistakes in the context of exploring the game to its fullest and finding the best solution to problems the game presents. Coachable moments occur when the same decision results in the same mistake repeatedly - we then discuss how to correct (prevent) that mistake from occurring yet again. The hope is for the player solving the problem without stopping play, but this isn't always the case.
Use the Oreo or PIP method whenever possible. Acknowledge something done well. Provide information or critique. Then finish on a positive. Positive. Informative. Positive. And keep it short and sweet. An economy and efficiency in communication is valued. Belabor your points and the athlete will tune you out.
6) Involve everyone! No lines. No standing around waiting. Don't waste time having athletes run laps as punishment. Keep everyone actively involved. Provide adequate breaks both in terms of number and length to allow athletes to refresh both body and mind.
While it is good to have team captains do not exclude any player from providing input during training or games. This is especially true during half times and post match analysis. Everyone has something to contribute and must not only be allowed, but encouraged to do so.
Give your assistant coaches specific roles. Allow them to lead parts of the training sessions. Give them in-game duties. It is good when the parts of training they lead mesh with their in-game duties. Consistency is a good thing!
While we must designate head coach and assistant coaches I try to always refer to assistant coaches as "Coach" and treat them as equals in training and at matches. Sometimes you need to coach the assistant coaches. Never do this in the midst of training or a game. This is done before or after training or a game. You must convey your expectations for your assistants clearly and concisely to them. The selection process for assistant coaches is extremely important. You must be able to trust them. Buy-in begins with the assistants.
Always allow player and assistant coach input. It is the players team and they need to feel ownership if they are to play to potential. Their perspective of the game on the pitch will be different than yours from the sidelines. Value their input and opinions. The same goes for your assistant coaches. While you do not want insubordination from assistant coaches, you do want differing opinions. Listen to them. Value their input.
7) Dismissal: Bring the team together at the end of training and matches. Briefly summarize the main points of the training session. Make announcements about the next team function. End the training session on a positive note. Share a quick laugh about the days training. Praise effort if not results.
For dismissal after a match keep it short and sweet no matter the result. If a defeat, acknowledge the result then move immediately to positives to take away and end with a word of encouragement conveying progress you saw in their collective game. As victors, a word of praise and expressed excitement about the next gathering. Remind the athletes to rehydrate and eat properly until next you gather again.
8) Last to Leave: I am always the last to leave the field. I check for any equipment or clothing left behind. I police the area for any debris left behind by us. I make sure every player has a ride.
While I will have set equipment up for the training session and perhaps have set out corner flags, game balls and the like for matches, I ask the players to gather all these things and put them in storage or take them to my vehicle after training or games. When items are left at training or games there will be consequences decided by the team captains or leadership group. Peer pressure tends to be far more effective than a coach demanding laps or some other form of punishment must done.
9) Coaching Journal: I carry a pad of paper and pencil everywhere. I am always making notes. My team, your team, or just some team I stopped to watch for awhile. I take notes. This are then gathered into my coaching journal. Each training session is in the journal in great detail. Notes on individual players are in the coaching journal. Notes of assistant coaches, referees, opposing teams and coaches are all in my coaching journal. I note what went right, where we struggled and what we need to do going forward.
From these coaching journals I compile seasonal plans for individual players, the team, assistants and myself. I evaluate where we are and what needs to be done to get to where I think we need to be. I document every goal of every match - how we scored and when applicable how they scored against us.
The coaching journal is the single most important thing I do to improve myself and the team.
10) FUN: Always keep things in perspective. Winning or losing - its not life or death. Success is found in improvement. Are you better when you step off the pitch than you were when you stepped onto the pitch? That's the single most important question for individuals or team. As long as we continue to improve we are successful. I find it's difficult not to enjoy yourself when you are improving, progressing, being successful.
1) Preparation: The coach needs to properly prepare for both practices and games. For a typical training session I will devote an hour plus to planning for it. Each position group requires work specific to their responsibilities. This does not necessarily mean each group should train separate of the others. For example, I believe strongly in cross training individual field players for all positions. Therefore how each group interacts and links with the other groups is a constant focus and it can take some time to formulate a proper plan for addressing this within the theme of a days practice session.
On game day, having a line up prepared before hand with scheduled rotations in mind frees the coach for other pre-game duties. Warming up the goalkeeper, talking with the opposing coach and referees to establish a relationship for the game. And in some cases, prepping the field for play.
1 A) Have your practice plan or game line up and rotations written down on a note card for quick and easy reference. While I pride myself on being adaptable and flexible during training sessions I never wish to stray far from my preparations. On match day, I might alter rotations to take advantage of a specific on-field matchup by I do not want to stray far from the training we did to prepare for the match or the game plan prepared for the match.
2) Be First to Arrive: I typically arrive at least 30 minutes before each training session, up to an hour early for a match. Be properly dressed and prepared to take the field in your role of coach. My expectation is before the designated start time the players will be properly dressed, properly equipped and ready to train. I must meet the same standard.
2 A) Walk the field to make sure it is safe to practice on. Remove any debris that could pose a hazard to players. Make sure the goals are properly secured to the ground and in good repair. Check for holes, standing water, mud and remedy the situation or mark these areas as off limits for training.
2 B) Set up for practice before the players begin to arrive. Place cones and other training equipment where and how you will use them. This might include coaching sticks, practice bibs, portable goals, et al. This helps both with organization and pace of practice. As you become more experienced you might use the teams players to help set up especially in-practice. I do this when a break from physical activity or mental strain from an activity is required. It is an exception to the rule.
3) Welcome every player and coach with a smile and a handshake. Inquire about their day, their family, any injury they might have sustained and how rehab is progressing. This is perhaps the most important thing you will do. Think of how impersonal our lives have become with the advent of video games and social media. You want players who are comfortable interacting with others. You want players who are able to communicate with one another. I insist the players shake hands with one another as well. They will thank you after the begin interviewing for jobs and are able to meet and greet with prospective employers.
4) Promptness: I begin every session on time. If a player is still gearing up, he's late and I do not wait. I stand so the sun is in my eyes and demand the players give me their eyes. I want eye contact when anyone addresses the team. I will provide a brief outline of the sessions theme and the activities we will use. It is both a business-like and relaxed approach.
5) Coaching Methodology: Each session should focus on the Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological aspects of playing soccer. Warning: Talking too much is counter-productive in coaching. Most of my words in training come when addressing techniques. Almost always this is a gentle reminder involving proper preparation to execute the technique the player has chosen to utilize. I encourage mistakes in the context of exploring the game to its fullest and finding the best solution to problems the game presents. Coachable moments occur when the same decision results in the same mistake repeatedly - we then discuss how to correct (prevent) that mistake from occurring yet again. The hope is for the player solving the problem without stopping play, but this isn't always the case.
Use the Oreo or PIP method whenever possible. Acknowledge something done well. Provide information or critique. Then finish on a positive. Positive. Informative. Positive. And keep it short and sweet. An economy and efficiency in communication is valued. Belabor your points and the athlete will tune you out.
6) Involve everyone! No lines. No standing around waiting. Don't waste time having athletes run laps as punishment. Keep everyone actively involved. Provide adequate breaks both in terms of number and length to allow athletes to refresh both body and mind.
While it is good to have team captains do not exclude any player from providing input during training or games. This is especially true during half times and post match analysis. Everyone has something to contribute and must not only be allowed, but encouraged to do so.
Give your assistant coaches specific roles. Allow them to lead parts of the training sessions. Give them in-game duties. It is good when the parts of training they lead mesh with their in-game duties. Consistency is a good thing!
While we must designate head coach and assistant coaches I try to always refer to assistant coaches as "Coach" and treat them as equals in training and at matches. Sometimes you need to coach the assistant coaches. Never do this in the midst of training or a game. This is done before or after training or a game. You must convey your expectations for your assistants clearly and concisely to them. The selection process for assistant coaches is extremely important. You must be able to trust them. Buy-in begins with the assistants.
Always allow player and assistant coach input. It is the players team and they need to feel ownership if they are to play to potential. Their perspective of the game on the pitch will be different than yours from the sidelines. Value their input and opinions. The same goes for your assistant coaches. While you do not want insubordination from assistant coaches, you do want differing opinions. Listen to them. Value their input.
7) Dismissal: Bring the team together at the end of training and matches. Briefly summarize the main points of the training session. Make announcements about the next team function. End the training session on a positive note. Share a quick laugh about the days training. Praise effort if not results.
For dismissal after a match keep it short and sweet no matter the result. If a defeat, acknowledge the result then move immediately to positives to take away and end with a word of encouragement conveying progress you saw in their collective game. As victors, a word of praise and expressed excitement about the next gathering. Remind the athletes to rehydrate and eat properly until next you gather again.
8) Last to Leave: I am always the last to leave the field. I check for any equipment or clothing left behind. I police the area for any debris left behind by us. I make sure every player has a ride.
While I will have set equipment up for the training session and perhaps have set out corner flags, game balls and the like for matches, I ask the players to gather all these things and put them in storage or take them to my vehicle after training or games. When items are left at training or games there will be consequences decided by the team captains or leadership group. Peer pressure tends to be far more effective than a coach demanding laps or some other form of punishment must done.
9) Coaching Journal: I carry a pad of paper and pencil everywhere. I am always making notes. My team, your team, or just some team I stopped to watch for awhile. I take notes. This are then gathered into my coaching journal. Each training session is in the journal in great detail. Notes on individual players are in the coaching journal. Notes of assistant coaches, referees, opposing teams and coaches are all in my coaching journal. I note what went right, where we struggled and what we need to do going forward.
From these coaching journals I compile seasonal plans for individual players, the team, assistants and myself. I evaluate where we are and what needs to be done to get to where I think we need to be. I document every goal of every match - how we scored and when applicable how they scored against us.
The coaching journal is the single most important thing I do to improve myself and the team.
10) FUN: Always keep things in perspective. Winning or losing - its not life or death. Success is found in improvement. Are you better when you step off the pitch than you were when you stepped onto the pitch? That's the single most important question for individuals or team. As long as we continue to improve we are successful. I find it's difficult not to enjoy yourself when you are improving, progressing, being successful.
Monday
Yellow Cards
Here's a little secret for all you players: the referee fraternity is a tight knit group. They talk and share information with one another. If you are argumentative on the pitch, if you give a lot of fouls, if you are awarded a yellow card caution or a red card send off, word gets around.
You need to work on your player / referee relationships gracefully and with tact or you will see yourself accumulating cards based on your reputation in the referee community.
Honor and respect the game.
Honor and respect your team.
Honor and respect the officials.
Honor and respect yourself.
You need to work on your player / referee relationships gracefully and with tact or you will see yourself accumulating cards based on your reputation in the referee community.
Honor and respect the game.
Honor and respect your team.
Honor and respect the officials.
Honor and respect yourself.
Thursday
Meddling
Many ideas for articles come from you, the readers of this blog. I have had quite a spate of conversations in recent days about people meddling in athletic programs. I have always found it curious how one particular topic seems to come to the fore during a specific time frame. I have no sound idea for why meddling is the prominent topic these last couple of weeks. Nevertheless, it is and so I will share a few general thoughts on the subject.
Just this morning, I read a rather lengthy article about the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Yes, I am a Brown's fan. Sigh. Lack of continuity has plagued the Browns for years now. Constant turnover in the front office, the personnel department, coaching staff and on the roster has sabotaged any effort to put a respectable product on the field since the franchise returned to the NFL. It starts at the top with owners meddling, or micro-managing every aspect of the franchise. In Cleveland's case, owner Jimmy Haslam is responsible for keeping Josh Gordon in Cleveland and bringing Johnny Manziel to Cleveland over the objections of the people he hired to run the personnel department. Front office meddles in personnel and personnel meddles in coaching in what can be described as a trickle down deluge of disastrous proportions.
Click here for the article on the Browns mess
High school soccer is plagued by teacher unions demanding their members receive preference for coaching positions regardless of merit. As it was explained to me years ago by a sympathetic athletic director, "there is no so such thing as more qualified" when weighing potential coaching candidates. Greater weight is attached to a teacher seeking coaching employment than to a non-teacher seeking the same position. "If Bill Belichick applied for the head football coach position I would still have to give the job to a teacher, if the teacher had any qualifications at all." I myself recently ran afoul of such a scenario. I was told I was the best candidate for the job, but the position went to someone who just graduated from college and is a permanent substitute for the district and would probably be hired into a full time position for next fall when the season would begin. I understand. I knew going in to the interview process that I would not be getting that coaching position. As soon as the athletic director mentioned "union" I knew it was over. Such is the meddling nature of teacher unions in athletics. I went through the process anyway for the experience and practice. I have my eye on another position I "think" may come open.
A coaching colleague had to withstand an attempt to overthrow him in mid-season last fall. I kid you not, the school posted the head coach soccer position after the season started. He withstood that challenge and went on to complete the season, but one of the persons seeking his job turned out to be an assistant coach. Talk about awkward. I have recently learned the position will be re-posted as a teacher employed by the school district has expressed interest in being the head coach,
I listened to another person vent about the "team mom" who flirted with and all but seduced a male coach to ensure her son would be captain of the team and win the desired post season awards so he could include mention of these on his college applications. A scene right out of a Hollywood movie, you say? I might have agreed had I not witnessed similar situations from both a coaching and a parental perspective.
Referees are not immune to meddling either. I saw a high school basketball referee years ago whose attitude was that the game was all about him and everyone was there to see him. He announced before the game that he was one his way to officiating college basketball and then it was on to the NBA. Each and every call he made (and there were many) was done with attitude and flair! Demonstrative doesn't begin to describe his approach. He was going for charismatic, but as anyone who has officiated will tell you the two don't mix at all.
One of the my more memorable predicaments occurred when I was hired by an athletic director to clean up a program beset by meddlesome parents. Everything went well, until the athletic director himself was run off by meddlesome parents and the new athletic director turned out to be one of those meddlesome parents. It got to the point where I was instructed who to play by the new athletic director despite the athletic director admittedly having next to no knowledge about soccer.
There was also the time for no apparent reason a superintendent fought tooth and nail against fielding a junior varsity squad. Every objection presented by the superintendent was successfully dealt with. In the end, all that was left was the cost of providing numerals to the athletes depicting graduating year that could be applied to their letterman jackets. About $15.00 total. I offered to pay for the numerals. Now, finances were not the actual reason for the reluctance to field a JV team. The superintendent backed herself into a corner by meddling in a growing and successful program. In the end there was a need to save face and no way to do so gracefully.
A coaching mentor once related to me a similar situation he found himself in many years ago. The then athletic director instructed him not to play a black athlete at quarterback. He had to play a white athlete at quarterback. The black athlete was clearly superior in every regard, but that did not matter. As in my case, if the coach wished to continue coaching he had to abide by his bosses (the athletic director) orders. The white kid played quarterback. The coach left after the season
I have seen club teams quite literally torn apart by such meddling. A power hungry assistant coach attempts to overthrow the current coach. When that fails the assistant recruits everyone who will go with him to a new team. Or a parent unhappy with the team her son is assigned to within a club attempts to overthrow the decision makers and start a new club / team that will accommodate her son.
I once had an administrator refuse to pay me over a dispute he had with a players family. I had absolutely no leverage with either party in the situation. It finally brewed over the next season when in mid-season the administrator stated the player could no longer play. The administrator went so far as stating to me that he would be coming to the next match and confiscating the players card to prevent him from taking the field. And this was the goalkeeper he was going to ban from playing!
I am also reminded of certain players through the years who were disruptive when they did not get to play the position they wanted to or did not receive the playing time they wanted. One player, frustrated with what he perceived as a lack of playing time stripped his uniform off behind the bench and put his street clothes on with over 20 minutes remaining on the clock of a high school match. A second example saw a player badger the coaching staff non-stop in pursuit of his own agenda. Or in the case of Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon of the aforementioned Cleveland Browns players will drink or do drugs, be late to practices and games and in other ways be generally irresponsible and indifferent to their responsibility to themselves, their teammates and coaches
Another common occurrence involves the parent on the sidelines who thinks (s)he knows more than the coach and isn't afraid to share his knowledge with anyone within earshot. I have first hand experience with this as a parent / assistant coach and as a head coach. Mary was an absolute nightmare in berating any player she viewed as a threat to her sons position on the team. Ed was worse as he struggled to deal with his daughters injury ruining her senior season and whatever dreams he had of her going on to play in college.
I find it extremely difficult to sit in the stands at a soccer match as a parent / fan with people who know me. I get asked questions about interpreting the Laws of the Game, coaching decisions, tactics and strategies, how an athlete can improve his chances for playing time and any number of other game related topics. Some people (Mary and Ed as examples) gleefully embrace the attention and are oblivious to finding themselves sitting alone as everyone moves away from them. As for me, I prefer not to sit in the stands. My wife enjoys my company and seeks my commentary not realizing the awkward position she sometimes puts me in. I much prefer to sit or stand by myself as many have witnessed for I want no part of being seen as meddlesome. Even so, I was accused of being meddlesome this past season. My transgression was cheering positive reinforcement to players. I am quite serious. The coach took offense to my voice being heard cheering on the efforts of players other than my son. So, I modified my behavior to cheer only for my son... which did not go unnoticed by other parents. I acquiesced to the coach's wishes in an effort to protect my son from the coach seeking retribution or revenge. It didn't work. I knew it would not. My cheering positive plays the team made or directing those cheers to my son solely could not address the coach's insecurity and frustrations in the first place. The coach felt threatened by my presence although I had recommended him for the position, vouched for him as a coach and campaigned to the athletic director on his behalf. In the end there was a coach meddling with a parent cheering positively for the team?
Where's the motivation in that?
And that's where all this is leading.
I grew up on "The team. The Team. THE TEAM!"
My actions whether as a player, a coach, an assistant coach or parent have always been guided by the philosophy shared by Bo Schembechler in the above video. It's all about what is best for THE TEAM. In all the instances of real or perceived meddling related above, the team became of secondary importance. Selfishness and individuality were the motivation of owners, front office, personnel departments, teacher unions, athletic directors, administrators, coaches, assistant coaches, referees, parents and yes, players too. And in every case when the focus shifted from the team to the individual the quality of the experience went down for not only the meddler and his or her target, but everyone around them.
It's all about the team, bout the team.
No meddlers.
Just this morning, I read a rather lengthy article about the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Yes, I am a Brown's fan. Sigh. Lack of continuity has plagued the Browns for years now. Constant turnover in the front office, the personnel department, coaching staff and on the roster has sabotaged any effort to put a respectable product on the field since the franchise returned to the NFL. It starts at the top with owners meddling, or micro-managing every aspect of the franchise. In Cleveland's case, owner Jimmy Haslam is responsible for keeping Josh Gordon in Cleveland and bringing Johnny Manziel to Cleveland over the objections of the people he hired to run the personnel department. Front office meddles in personnel and personnel meddles in coaching in what can be described as a trickle down deluge of disastrous proportions.
Click here for the article on the Browns mess
High school soccer is plagued by teacher unions demanding their members receive preference for coaching positions regardless of merit. As it was explained to me years ago by a sympathetic athletic director, "there is no so such thing as more qualified" when weighing potential coaching candidates. Greater weight is attached to a teacher seeking coaching employment than to a non-teacher seeking the same position. "If Bill Belichick applied for the head football coach position I would still have to give the job to a teacher, if the teacher had any qualifications at all." I myself recently ran afoul of such a scenario. I was told I was the best candidate for the job, but the position went to someone who just graduated from college and is a permanent substitute for the district and would probably be hired into a full time position for next fall when the season would begin. I understand. I knew going in to the interview process that I would not be getting that coaching position. As soon as the athletic director mentioned "union" I knew it was over. Such is the meddling nature of teacher unions in athletics. I went through the process anyway for the experience and practice. I have my eye on another position I "think" may come open.
A coaching colleague had to withstand an attempt to overthrow him in mid-season last fall. I kid you not, the school posted the head coach soccer position after the season started. He withstood that challenge and went on to complete the season, but one of the persons seeking his job turned out to be an assistant coach. Talk about awkward. I have recently learned the position will be re-posted as a teacher employed by the school district has expressed interest in being the head coach,
I listened to another person vent about the "team mom" who flirted with and all but seduced a male coach to ensure her son would be captain of the team and win the desired post season awards so he could include mention of these on his college applications. A scene right out of a Hollywood movie, you say? I might have agreed had I not witnessed similar situations from both a coaching and a parental perspective.
Referees are not immune to meddling either. I saw a high school basketball referee years ago whose attitude was that the game was all about him and everyone was there to see him. He announced before the game that he was one his way to officiating college basketball and then it was on to the NBA. Each and every call he made (and there were many) was done with attitude and flair! Demonstrative doesn't begin to describe his approach. He was going for charismatic, but as anyone who has officiated will tell you the two don't mix at all.
One of the my more memorable predicaments occurred when I was hired by an athletic director to clean up a program beset by meddlesome parents. Everything went well, until the athletic director himself was run off by meddlesome parents and the new athletic director turned out to be one of those meddlesome parents. It got to the point where I was instructed who to play by the new athletic director despite the athletic director admittedly having next to no knowledge about soccer.
There was also the time for no apparent reason a superintendent fought tooth and nail against fielding a junior varsity squad. Every objection presented by the superintendent was successfully dealt with. In the end, all that was left was the cost of providing numerals to the athletes depicting graduating year that could be applied to their letterman jackets. About $15.00 total. I offered to pay for the numerals. Now, finances were not the actual reason for the reluctance to field a JV team. The superintendent backed herself into a corner by meddling in a growing and successful program. In the end there was a need to save face and no way to do so gracefully.
A coaching mentor once related to me a similar situation he found himself in many years ago. The then athletic director instructed him not to play a black athlete at quarterback. He had to play a white athlete at quarterback. The black athlete was clearly superior in every regard, but that did not matter. As in my case, if the coach wished to continue coaching he had to abide by his bosses (the athletic director) orders. The white kid played quarterback. The coach left after the season
I have seen club teams quite literally torn apart by such meddling. A power hungry assistant coach attempts to overthrow the current coach. When that fails the assistant recruits everyone who will go with him to a new team. Or a parent unhappy with the team her son is assigned to within a club attempts to overthrow the decision makers and start a new club / team that will accommodate her son.
I once had an administrator refuse to pay me over a dispute he had with a players family. I had absolutely no leverage with either party in the situation. It finally brewed over the next season when in mid-season the administrator stated the player could no longer play. The administrator went so far as stating to me that he would be coming to the next match and confiscating the players card to prevent him from taking the field. And this was the goalkeeper he was going to ban from playing!
I am also reminded of certain players through the years who were disruptive when they did not get to play the position they wanted to or did not receive the playing time they wanted. One player, frustrated with what he perceived as a lack of playing time stripped his uniform off behind the bench and put his street clothes on with over 20 minutes remaining on the clock of a high school match. A second example saw a player badger the coaching staff non-stop in pursuit of his own agenda. Or in the case of Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon of the aforementioned Cleveland Browns players will drink or do drugs, be late to practices and games and in other ways be generally irresponsible and indifferent to their responsibility to themselves, their teammates and coaches
Another common occurrence involves the parent on the sidelines who thinks (s)he knows more than the coach and isn't afraid to share his knowledge with anyone within earshot. I have first hand experience with this as a parent / assistant coach and as a head coach. Mary was an absolute nightmare in berating any player she viewed as a threat to her sons position on the team. Ed was worse as he struggled to deal with his daughters injury ruining her senior season and whatever dreams he had of her going on to play in college.
I find it extremely difficult to sit in the stands at a soccer match as a parent / fan with people who know me. I get asked questions about interpreting the Laws of the Game, coaching decisions, tactics and strategies, how an athlete can improve his chances for playing time and any number of other game related topics. Some people (Mary and Ed as examples) gleefully embrace the attention and are oblivious to finding themselves sitting alone as everyone moves away from them. As for me, I prefer not to sit in the stands. My wife enjoys my company and seeks my commentary not realizing the awkward position she sometimes puts me in. I much prefer to sit or stand by myself as many have witnessed for I want no part of being seen as meddlesome. Even so, I was accused of being meddlesome this past season. My transgression was cheering positive reinforcement to players. I am quite serious. The coach took offense to my voice being heard cheering on the efforts of players other than my son. So, I modified my behavior to cheer only for my son... which did not go unnoticed by other parents. I acquiesced to the coach's wishes in an effort to protect my son from the coach seeking retribution or revenge. It didn't work. I knew it would not. My cheering positive plays the team made or directing those cheers to my son solely could not address the coach's insecurity and frustrations in the first place. The coach felt threatened by my presence although I had recommended him for the position, vouched for him as a coach and campaigned to the athletic director on his behalf. In the end there was a coach meddling with a parent cheering positively for the team?
Where's the motivation in that?
And that's where all this is leading.
I grew up on "The team. The Team. THE TEAM!"
My actions whether as a player, a coach, an assistant coach or parent have always been guided by the philosophy shared by Bo Schembechler in the above video. It's all about what is best for THE TEAM. In all the instances of real or perceived meddling related above, the team became of secondary importance. Selfishness and individuality were the motivation of owners, front office, personnel departments, teacher unions, athletic directors, administrators, coaches, assistant coaches, referees, parents and yes, players too. And in every case when the focus shifted from the team to the individual the quality of the experience went down for not only the meddler and his or her target, but everyone around them.
It's all about the team, bout the team.
No meddlers.
Labels:
administrators,
assistant coach,
athletic director,
Bo Schembechler,
CBA Soccer,
coaches,
Conceive Believe Achieve,
individual,
meddling,
parents,
quality,
referees,
selfishness,
superintendent,
the team
Saturday
Burn Off
I was awoken this morning by a deafening explosion. An isocracker at the local refinery exploded and shook our entire house. There were no injuries or fatalities associated with the explosion and fire. They have everything contained and are allowing the remaining crude oil to burn off.
This mornings events got me to thinking of players, coaches, parents and even referees who can be volatile during matches. Sometimes people allow their emotions to explode and when this happens it is often prudent to allow whatever is fueling the outburst to burn off before confronting the individual or attempting to address the issue. Sometimes a yellow card caution or a red card send off is unfortunately necessary to allow the cooling off period to ensue.
Some memorable incidents I have witnessed fall into two basic categories - uncontrolled and controlled. The uncontrolled might include a parent being "thrown out" or sent to the parking lot for abusive language or behavior toward an official. Or perhaps a player sent off for violent conduct. I have seen coaches, more so in basketball, intentionally gain a referee's attention with a controlled or intentional outburst designed to do so.
In each case it seems to me the person "going off" feels a need to be heard. Once they have had their say, the incident often ends then and there. The impact such outbursts have can be wide ranging. Sometimes a coach needs to "fight" for his or her players. Giving a referee a good ear full perhaps sends a message to the players the coach has their backs. When done intentionally, this could fall under the heading of gamesmanship. A controlled explosion for a designed purpose, if you will. Limited collateral damage.
Uncontrolled explosions, or when emotions run amok, are far more dangerous. Left unchecked these explosions can lead to violence, injury and as we are sometimes reminded of, death. When this occurs the intrinsic value of athletics is lost. When winning or losing becomes more important than the spirit of the game emotions get the better of people - almost always with negative consequences.
The character Chick Hicks in Disney's movie "Cars" is used to drive this point home. I use this example because it is one this generation of young players is familiar with. Chick is focused solely on winning the Piston Cup much as the movies protagonist Lightning McQueen is at the start of the story. The tale is of Lightning McQueen's growing to appreciate the intrinsic value of the overall experience. That it can never be and never is about the individual.
A soccer match is a team effort. It takes two teams, two coaching staffs, a referee crew, ground crew, spectators, ball boys, scoreboard operator, box office personnel, concessions workers and more to have a quality experience. Everyone has a role to fill. No one person's role being more significant than another persons role. We are all dependent on one another.
The refinery fire this morning will have a similar impact on its operation. My understanding is the isocracker that exploded is one of the first steps in the refining process. It heats the crude oil so separation can begin to take place before different parts are refined into a various products. That explosion will set things back for quite some time. An uncontrolled explosion on the pitch can have much the same effect.
This mornings events got me to thinking of players, coaches, parents and even referees who can be volatile during matches. Sometimes people allow their emotions to explode and when this happens it is often prudent to allow whatever is fueling the outburst to burn off before confronting the individual or attempting to address the issue. Sometimes a yellow card caution or a red card send off is unfortunately necessary to allow the cooling off period to ensue.
Some memorable incidents I have witnessed fall into two basic categories - uncontrolled and controlled. The uncontrolled might include a parent being "thrown out" or sent to the parking lot for abusive language or behavior toward an official. Or perhaps a player sent off for violent conduct. I have seen coaches, more so in basketball, intentionally gain a referee's attention with a controlled or intentional outburst designed to do so.
In each case it seems to me the person "going off" feels a need to be heard. Once they have had their say, the incident often ends then and there. The impact such outbursts have can be wide ranging. Sometimes a coach needs to "fight" for his or her players. Giving a referee a good ear full perhaps sends a message to the players the coach has their backs. When done intentionally, this could fall under the heading of gamesmanship. A controlled explosion for a designed purpose, if you will. Limited collateral damage.
Uncontrolled explosions, or when emotions run amok, are far more dangerous. Left unchecked these explosions can lead to violence, injury and as we are sometimes reminded of, death. When this occurs the intrinsic value of athletics is lost. When winning or losing becomes more important than the spirit of the game emotions get the better of people - almost always with negative consequences.
The character Chick Hicks in Disney's movie "Cars" is used to drive this point home. I use this example because it is one this generation of young players is familiar with. Chick is focused solely on winning the Piston Cup much as the movies protagonist Lightning McQueen is at the start of the story. The tale is of Lightning McQueen's growing to appreciate the intrinsic value of the overall experience. That it can never be and never is about the individual.
A soccer match is a team effort. It takes two teams, two coaching staffs, a referee crew, ground crew, spectators, ball boys, scoreboard operator, box office personnel, concessions workers and more to have a quality experience. Everyone has a role to fill. No one person's role being more significant than another persons role. We are all dependent on one another.
The refinery fire this morning will have a similar impact on its operation. My understanding is the isocracker that exploded is one of the first steps in the refining process. It heats the crude oil so separation can begin to take place before different parts are refined into a various products. That explosion will set things back for quite some time. An uncontrolled explosion on the pitch can have much the same effect.
Tuesday
Bellefontaine 3 New Knoxville 3
On a beautiful mid-summer afternoon Bellefontaine traveled to New Knoxville to take on the Rangers. The opening match of a season is usually filled with an anxious anticipation and today would be no exception. The young Rangers were a little nervous upon taking the field and it took some time before they found their legs.
Bellefontaine dominated the first half of action. Nick Gingerich from his midfielder position and especially Aaron Wisner from his forward position kept the New Knoxville defenders and goalkeeper Jace Kuck under constant pressure. The Rangers held firm, but one got the sense it was only a matter of time before the Chieftains would break through. At the 25:32 mark Wisner almost achieved that breakthrough banging a hard driven shot off the near post.
It wasn't until 20 minutes later that the Chieftains were finally able to penetrate the Rangers goal. At the 4:52 mark of the first half Bellefontaine forward Ross Angelo found the back of the net to give his team a 1 - 0 lead.
Up to this point most of the match had been played in the Rangers half of the field. The pace of play had started out extremely slow as both teams tried to find and establish a rhythm to play in. Both teams played a physical style that contributed to the choppy play. It was good to see two veteran officials on this match - Greg Reynolds and Roger Scott. Reynolds in particular does an outstanding job and I have always appreciated how he communicates with the players in-game. He doesn't have to blow his whistle a lot because of this. It is a pleasure to watch him referee a match.
Just under two minutes of Angelo's goal Bellefontaine would strike again. This time it was Gingerich who struck post with teammate Xavier Brown pouncing on and blasting the rebound past Kuck and into the net. This followed a sequence of shots by the Chieftains that New Knoxville struggled to clear out of their penalty area. The Rangers were back on their heels and it looked like the rout might be on.
Halftime arrived just in the nick of time for New Knoxville. Seeing his team down 0-2 Rangers coach Marc Dyrness needed a timeout to refocus his team and remind them of how they wanted to play. With no timeouts in soccer the 10 minutes allotted for halftime can be critical. The team that utilizes them best often wins the second half of the match.
The Rangers came out with an urgency in their play that had been missing for most of the first half. After being forced to defend for much of the match a complete change of attitude seemed to have taken place during those 10 minutes of rest at halftime. New Knoxville came out attacking and the results were almost immediate as at the 41:35 mark of the match Ethan Kuck beat Chieftain goalkeeper Tyler Jones from the right flank to pull the Rangers with one.
Bellefontaine did not panic and as play ensued the action became more transitional in nature with both teams probing deep into their opponents territory over the next 10 minutes. At the 50:01 mark, in what became a trend, Wisner again banged a shot off the New Knoxville post.. This time the Rangers successfully cleared the ball and began a counter attack that would lead to Ethan Kuck scoring a game-tying goal at the 51:21 mark. This time Kuck struck from the left flank.
With the match now even a little chippiness began to set in. Play became a bit more physical as did the verbal exchanges between players. The referee's also came under verbal assault more frequently. Ah, the intensity of a closely contested high school soccer contest!
At the 59:05 mark of the match the Chieftains won a corner kick and in the ensuing scramble in front of the Ranger net Bellefontaine's Matt Voss was able to head the ball past Jace Kuck to give his team the lead once again.
With time dwindling down the Rangers kept probing the Chieftains defense looking for a tying goal but were turned away time and again. Finally with just 3:44 remaining on the clock New Knoxville won a corner kick and midfielder Josh Yeatts was able to run the ball into the net past Jones to even the score at 3 all.
For the match I, unofficially, had Bellefontaine with 16 shots on goal. New Knoxville's Jace Kuck came up big with 11 saves and teammates Jonah Logeman and Ryan Allen with one save a piece. The Rangers had 5 shots on goal with Chieftain goalkeeper Tyler Jones being credited with 2 saves.
This was highly entertaining high school soccer match. Well contested by both teams. Physical, but clean. A little chippiness for added spice. Well done by both sides and the referee crew as well. I'm sure the Rangers would have liked to give new head coach Marc Dyrness a win in his return to the high school sidelines, but this is a solid result that establishes a foundation they can build upon.
Bellefontaine dominated the first half of action. Nick Gingerich from his midfielder position and especially Aaron Wisner from his forward position kept the New Knoxville defenders and goalkeeper Jace Kuck under constant pressure. The Rangers held firm, but one got the sense it was only a matter of time before the Chieftains would break through. At the 25:32 mark Wisner almost achieved that breakthrough banging a hard driven shot off the near post.
It wasn't until 20 minutes later that the Chieftains were finally able to penetrate the Rangers goal. At the 4:52 mark of the first half Bellefontaine forward Ross Angelo found the back of the net to give his team a 1 - 0 lead.
Up to this point most of the match had been played in the Rangers half of the field. The pace of play had started out extremely slow as both teams tried to find and establish a rhythm to play in. Both teams played a physical style that contributed to the choppy play. It was good to see two veteran officials on this match - Greg Reynolds and Roger Scott. Reynolds in particular does an outstanding job and I have always appreciated how he communicates with the players in-game. He doesn't have to blow his whistle a lot because of this. It is a pleasure to watch him referee a match.
Just under two minutes of Angelo's goal Bellefontaine would strike again. This time it was Gingerich who struck post with teammate Xavier Brown pouncing on and blasting the rebound past Kuck and into the net. This followed a sequence of shots by the Chieftains that New Knoxville struggled to clear out of their penalty area. The Rangers were back on their heels and it looked like the rout might be on.
Halftime arrived just in the nick of time for New Knoxville. Seeing his team down 0-2 Rangers coach Marc Dyrness needed a timeout to refocus his team and remind them of how they wanted to play. With no timeouts in soccer the 10 minutes allotted for halftime can be critical. The team that utilizes them best often wins the second half of the match.
The Rangers came out with an urgency in their play that had been missing for most of the first half. After being forced to defend for much of the match a complete change of attitude seemed to have taken place during those 10 minutes of rest at halftime. New Knoxville came out attacking and the results were almost immediate as at the 41:35 mark of the match Ethan Kuck beat Chieftain goalkeeper Tyler Jones from the right flank to pull the Rangers with one.
Bellefontaine did not panic and as play ensued the action became more transitional in nature with both teams probing deep into their opponents territory over the next 10 minutes. At the 50:01 mark, in what became a trend, Wisner again banged a shot off the New Knoxville post.. This time the Rangers successfully cleared the ball and began a counter attack that would lead to Ethan Kuck scoring a game-tying goal at the 51:21 mark. This time Kuck struck from the left flank.
With the match now even a little chippiness began to set in. Play became a bit more physical as did the verbal exchanges between players. The referee's also came under verbal assault more frequently. Ah, the intensity of a closely contested high school soccer contest!
At the 59:05 mark of the match the Chieftains won a corner kick and in the ensuing scramble in front of the Ranger net Bellefontaine's Matt Voss was able to head the ball past Jace Kuck to give his team the lead once again.
With time dwindling down the Rangers kept probing the Chieftains defense looking for a tying goal but were turned away time and again. Finally with just 3:44 remaining on the clock New Knoxville won a corner kick and midfielder Josh Yeatts was able to run the ball into the net past Jones to even the score at 3 all.
For the match I, unofficially, had Bellefontaine with 16 shots on goal. New Knoxville's Jace Kuck came up big with 11 saves and teammates Jonah Logeman and Ryan Allen with one save a piece. The Rangers had 5 shots on goal with Chieftain goalkeeper Tyler Jones being credited with 2 saves.
This was highly entertaining high school soccer match. Well contested by both teams. Physical, but clean. A little chippiness for added spice. Well done by both sides and the referee crew as well. I'm sure the Rangers would have liked to give new head coach Marc Dyrness a win in his return to the high school sidelines, but this is a solid result that establishes a foundation they can build upon.
Saturday
You represent yourself, your team, your school, your community, your sport.
I recently posted a video of a referee punching and kicking players in an attempt to defend himself. Inappropriate actions on the part of a referee although given referees have been killed in some parts of the world over calls made or missed on the pitch they were also somewhat understandable. It is unclear what happened earlier in the match to eventually spawn the sequence of events that led to the referee's actions, but I have to believe these were a culmination of a series of events occurring throughout the contest.
There is a lesson to be learned here.
I attended the Fremont Ross at Lima Senior men's soccer match at Lima Stadium recently. I was born in Fremont's Memorial Hospital and raised in part in neighboring Oak Harbor, Ohio. I still have family in the area. I left the match ashamed to admit this Fremont Ross Little Giant soccer team represented my birth place.
With a highly respected and veteran referee crew on this match the scene was set for a fun filled evening of high school soccer. Thank goodness there was a veteran officiating crew on hand because things could have gotten out of hand. In fact, the situation could have turned ugly in a heart beat,
For the record, Mr. Dave Webb and Mr. Kevin Fischer, the officials on this match have years of experience. I have had the honor of having them officiate both high school and club games of teams I coach. In Mr. Webb's case I have also had the pleasure of taken pat in referee licensure and recertification courses he has instructed. I know Mr. Webb also conducts assessments for referees looking to upgrade. These gentlemen are among the very best officials in the state of Ohio.
Several Fremont Ross players received yellow card cautions in last evenings match. One received a red card send off. It is important to understand this - veteran officials Fischer and Webb do an outstanding job of talking with players on the pitch as a means to keep the game under control and flowing smoothly along. Typically they use their whistles sparingly and yellow cards issued are a rarity. When they have to stop play and issue cards at the rate they did in this game, something is seriously amiss.
It must be pointed out the yellow cards issued were mostly silly unnecessary "after the play" fouls. The red card offence was an attempted football style tackle of a Lima Senior player and dissent concerning a foul being called for doing so. In fairness to the referees, they could well have issued two additional straight red cards for instances involving reckless and dangerous play on fouls occurring to prevent obvious goal scoring opportunities. The referees demonstrated great restraint in attempting to manage this match in the spirit of the game. Unfortunately they received little cooperation from the Ross players, coaches and fans. The types of fouls being committed by Little Giant players were not in the spirit of the game of soccer or the spirit of high school athletics in general.
Fremont Ross, head coach, identified on the OHSAA website as Thomas Ackerman, had no control of his team. In fact, he himself was issued a yellow card for arguing the red card send off of the player attempting to football tackle a Lima Senior player. A one point in time he disengaged himself from his team and the bench area in general standing some 15 yards to the north end of the stadium from the teams technical area.
Even more appalling was the celebration of the cards being issued to the players that included high fives, cheers from the stands and even a back flip by a player during the stop in play for the issuance of the red card send off and accompanying yellow cards. A woman in the stands even shouted congratulatory remarks and encouragement to Coach Ackerman after he received a yellow card for dissent.
However, the real instigator of the negativity witnessed last night was a man sitting in the stands. He was apparently a parent of one of the players? He began the night by mocking Lima Senior students cheering their team on. He vociferously objected to every single call the referees made against the Little Giants. He openly encouraged Ross players to foul Lima Senior players and cheered when they did so. He became confrontational with adult fans of the Spartans to the point I feared a fight would break out in the stands.
There was a small group of Fremont Ross supporters and they all began the match sitting in close proximity to one another. One by one each of them moved away from this individual until by the end of the game he was sitting by himself. With the amount of anger and vitriol this person expressed himself with it is of little wonder they isolated him from themselves.
For the record, I have no children in the Lima City Schools system and never have had any attend Lima City Schools. I am not an employee of Lima City Schools. I do not even live in Lima proper. I have written as a concerned citizen, veteran high school and club coach, a licensed referee and general fan of the game of soccer. And as I stated at the beginning of this letter, as someone born in Fremont and raised in part in neighboring Oak Harbor.
We all have a responsibility to the game and each of its participants.
Players should play and do so within the spirit of friendly competition.
Coaches should coach and fulfill their duty as role models to their players.
Referees officiating and manage the game environment assuring safety of the participants to the degree reasonably possibly to do so.
Spectators should spectate in a responsible manner. Cheer their team and even the opponents when an outstanding play is made. There is no reason to turn an event into a mean spirited contest. There is no reason to bait referee's present on behalf of the players - they are not perfect, but they do put in a lot of time in obtaining their license, continuing education to maintain the license and perfecting their craft to the best of their abilities.
I do not know any of the people from Fremont Ross involved in the incidents during this game, but I suspect that upon reflection most will not be proud of their words or deeds on this occasion. I am positive they did not accurately portray or represent the vast majority of people from the city of Fremont or Ross High School... and yet most unfortunately they and their actions have been attached to the city and its school.
Fremont, Ross High School and the sport of soccer all deserve much better.
There is a lesson to be learned here.
I attended the Fremont Ross at Lima Senior men's soccer match at Lima Stadium recently. I was born in Fremont's Memorial Hospital and raised in part in neighboring Oak Harbor, Ohio. I still have family in the area. I left the match ashamed to admit this Fremont Ross Little Giant soccer team represented my birth place.
With a highly respected and veteran referee crew on this match the scene was set for a fun filled evening of high school soccer. Thank goodness there was a veteran officiating crew on hand because things could have gotten out of hand. In fact, the situation could have turned ugly in a heart beat,
For the record, Mr. Dave Webb and Mr. Kevin Fischer, the officials on this match have years of experience. I have had the honor of having them officiate both high school and club games of teams I coach. In Mr. Webb's case I have also had the pleasure of taken pat in referee licensure and recertification courses he has instructed. I know Mr. Webb also conducts assessments for referees looking to upgrade. These gentlemen are among the very best officials in the state of Ohio.
Several Fremont Ross players received yellow card cautions in last evenings match. One received a red card send off. It is important to understand this - veteran officials Fischer and Webb do an outstanding job of talking with players on the pitch as a means to keep the game under control and flowing smoothly along. Typically they use their whistles sparingly and yellow cards issued are a rarity. When they have to stop play and issue cards at the rate they did in this game, something is seriously amiss.
It must be pointed out the yellow cards issued were mostly silly unnecessary "after the play" fouls. The red card offence was an attempted football style tackle of a Lima Senior player and dissent concerning a foul being called for doing so. In fairness to the referees, they could well have issued two additional straight red cards for instances involving reckless and dangerous play on fouls occurring to prevent obvious goal scoring opportunities. The referees demonstrated great restraint in attempting to manage this match in the spirit of the game. Unfortunately they received little cooperation from the Ross players, coaches and fans. The types of fouls being committed by Little Giant players were not in the spirit of the game of soccer or the spirit of high school athletics in general.
Fremont Ross, head coach, identified on the OHSAA website as Thomas Ackerman, had no control of his team. In fact, he himself was issued a yellow card for arguing the red card send off of the player attempting to football tackle a Lima Senior player. A one point in time he disengaged himself from his team and the bench area in general standing some 15 yards to the north end of the stadium from the teams technical area.
Even more appalling was the celebration of the cards being issued to the players that included high fives, cheers from the stands and even a back flip by a player during the stop in play for the issuance of the red card send off and accompanying yellow cards. A woman in the stands even shouted congratulatory remarks and encouragement to Coach Ackerman after he received a yellow card for dissent.
However, the real instigator of the negativity witnessed last night was a man sitting in the stands. He was apparently a parent of one of the players? He began the night by mocking Lima Senior students cheering their team on. He vociferously objected to every single call the referees made against the Little Giants. He openly encouraged Ross players to foul Lima Senior players and cheered when they did so. He became confrontational with adult fans of the Spartans to the point I feared a fight would break out in the stands.
There was a small group of Fremont Ross supporters and they all began the match sitting in close proximity to one another. One by one each of them moved away from this individual until by the end of the game he was sitting by himself. With the amount of anger and vitriol this person expressed himself with it is of little wonder they isolated him from themselves.
For the record, I have no children in the Lima City Schools system and never have had any attend Lima City Schools. I am not an employee of Lima City Schools. I do not even live in Lima proper. I have written as a concerned citizen, veteran high school and club coach, a licensed referee and general fan of the game of soccer. And as I stated at the beginning of this letter, as someone born in Fremont and raised in part in neighboring Oak Harbor.
We all have a responsibility to the game and each of its participants.
Players should play and do so within the spirit of friendly competition.
Coaches should coach and fulfill their duty as role models to their players.
Referees officiating and manage the game environment assuring safety of the participants to the degree reasonably possibly to do so.
Spectators should spectate in a responsible manner. Cheer their team and even the opponents when an outstanding play is made. There is no reason to turn an event into a mean spirited contest. There is no reason to bait referee's present on behalf of the players - they are not perfect, but they do put in a lot of time in obtaining their license, continuing education to maintain the license and perfecting their craft to the best of their abilities.
I do not know any of the people from Fremont Ross involved in the incidents during this game, but I suspect that upon reflection most will not be proud of their words or deeds on this occasion. I am positive they did not accurately portray or represent the vast majority of people from the city of Fremont or Ross High School... and yet most unfortunately they and their actions have been attached to the city and its school.
Fremont, Ross High School and the sport of soccer all deserve much better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)