Reply to "Punishment Running"

Orrrrrrrrrrr it teaches that everyone is accountable for the team.  If one person fails then the whole team can fail.  It teaches leadership in players have talks with the offending player to let them know what they are doing is no longer acceptable.

I've used the run until you puke method (nobody actually puked but they got the message).  I've used the "sit the bench", "kick out of practice" and many other things to punish, shape or change behavior.  Some will agree with what I've done and some will disagree.  End of the day unless you are physically or mentally abusing players there is nothing wrong with it.  The thing that makes it work and makes it beneficial is what you teach with it.  You explain what / why they are being punished, make the connection that this behavior is not acceptable and if they do the right things then good things happen.  If you don't follow up with some type of praise / reward then you're wasting your time.  I'm not saying turn it into snowcones and everyone gets a trophy praise but a simple comment "hey Johnny that's what I'm looking for - great job" in front of the team will go a long way.

Here's how I handle situations and maybe you might get something from it or maybe you think I'm the worst coach in the history of sports.  That's up to you.

Whether it's an individual or a group or the whole team I start out with talking.  I pull the kid off to the side and tell them "I don't like THIS".  By doing it this way there is no miscommunication.  They know I'm not happy about whatever it is.  Now we're classifying behavior.  Then I follow up with "you need to make sure it doesn't happen again".  Now I'm turning it into a choice they are making.  It eliminates the "special situation" and teaches accountability.  If a kid is showing up late then know it's a choice because if they are responsible they will contact me ahead of time.  Now they are excused instead of tardy.  If it's a group or whole team I do the same thing.  Let's say we are doing groundballs working on double plays and balls are flying all over the place.  I stop the drill and pull everyone in.  I ask them "if you were to grade our performance on this drill in terms of giving ourselves a chance to win or lose what would it be".  This forces them to self-reflect and be honest with their performance.  A few will step up and say "we are going to lose coach" and this is now accountability on their part to own their performance.  I tell them they are capable of doing this drill because they are good players.  They are failing because they are not focusing.  Then I tell them to take a few seconds to get their focus and get back to their positions.  We are starting the drill over and we will choose to be focus and be successful. 

I'm a HUGE fan of making everything they do into a choice.  For whatever reason we are turning society into victims.  There are excuses everywhere for everything and it leads to failure.  I use this in the classroom as well.  Teens are human beings and if you talk to them like you want to be talked to they will respond.  But some adults go into rip a new hole mode and they will become defensive when you try to talk to them.  I tell them I'm not yelling at them and just want to talk.  This will calm them down and behavior changes.

So that's the first level of dealing with something.  If the behavior continues then we will go to a second level and it's probably going to be running.  I agree with everyone that running should be a facet of the game and not minimized but end of the day most kids don't like running.  This is why drills have to be up tempo to get conditioning in but realistically you still need to run at end of practice.  It got to the point I didn't have to supervise running.  When practice was wrapping up the seniors would ask - distance, sprints or bases - I would tell them which one and they did it.  

If I have to run them as a punishment it's going to be after practice and it's going to be miserable on purpose.  Before we start I tell them "you did THIS again and we had a discussion that it wasn't acceptable.  You chose to do this again and there are consequences for it.  That's why we are doing this".  Then I run them until they trip over their tongue.  When they are finished I ask if they have learned anything.  Typically they say not to do whatever behavior it is.  Then I ask what can they do to make sure that behavior doesn't happen again.  They tell me then I sum it all up - unacceptable behavior, choice, punishment, unacceptable behavior again, consequences and alternative choices.  Maybe they don't get it because they are mad at me for making them run.  If that's the case then they probably won't ever get it and that's on them.

Same thing if I punish the team or group - behavior, choice, punishment, behavior and alternative choices - but I'm not wasting practice time.  Because if running them takes 10 minutes then we are extending practice 10 minutes.  Another teaching moment because just because you're having a bad day doesn't mean you get out of work.  We're still going to work. 

If that doesn't work then I go with sitting.  I agree with whoever said it above if that kid is the best at that position and we're putting something in then I need that kid there.  So I'm going to let not playing / practicing be a last resort.  It may be set up ahead of time or may be in the middle of a drill.  I'll tell them to go home and not come back until they want to act right - practice good behaviors.  I rarely ever say you're suspended 2 practices.  They want to miss 3 practices that's on them but they won't be starting or playing anytime soon.  That is a consequence of bad behavior which is a choice.  All the responsibility goes back on them and it's about communicating the WHY they are being punished.

If that doesn't work then I kick them off the team.  They got 3 chances to fix their behavior and they made the choice not to.  I like to say I've never kicked a kid off the team and I can make that case but let's face it - I told them they were done.  Vast majority of kids get it the first time when being talked to.  It may not work for everyone but at least you tried.  I still get mad and yell at them but when I'm trying to teach a behavior this is how I do it.