Player Punishment

I don't support this type of punishment (embarrassment and team pressure), but I understand why so many coaches might use this approach.

It could have been a great teaching moment by explaining to the team as a group, then asking the player to meet him in his office after practice. At that point he can say what he wants in private.

JMO

When players advance to the college level bad habits are no longer tolerated. And discipline is a requirement. This is the message being sent (early in fall practice). The other players are right to be upset with the teammate that created the issue. Nobody has a right to be upset with the coach. It’s his program to run however he sees fit. Parents don’t get to pick and choose what parts of the program they like and the parts they don’t AFTER the fact. That screening is to be done during the recruiting process. Once a kid enrolls in school he is part of that program and his parents have endorsed that decision (and that program). At that point the HC will deal with “teaching moments” as they arise. They way he wants to. So you either get on board or you leave. There is no middle ground.
 

I think @TPM and @adbono both make valid points.  I, personally, in this day and age of kids with more peer pressure and higher anxiety, this is a stupid coaching move.  BUT I also think kids need to know what kind of coach they are committing to and that coach's style of coaching.  If you don't agree with it, then you shouldn't commit there. 

Francis;

Are there any pre-law majors on the TEAM? What was the temperature? Coaching 101 is gaining respect from your players.

Option: discuss your rules with the team and before the next practice have the "offending" player run "poles" in the outfield. This was the format for the local SRJC coach.

His team now includes 10 former players coaching or playing in the MLB.

Bob

As long as the discipline isn’t abusive a player has to accept what it is. Even if it’s abusive the only options are quit or transfer.

A friend’s son played for a coach everyone on this board knows his name. The guy has led his team to CWS championships. After losing a doubleheader to a mediocre team he made everyone run until the last player puked. That’s abusive.

In recruiting, how do you learn this kind of thing?  Is it just that if people call the coach "old-school" you can assume he might do things like this?  Does the recruit ask existing players about situations like this?

Absolutely, you ask the current and former players. Visit a practice.

The majority of College Coaches have a reputation [good, bad and indifferent].

Ask the question: why did the player not hustle? Is he is asking for attention.

Bob

Coaches can get their points across without punishing the entire team. That's why so many use their older, experienced players to help set the tone and some even enforce team rules.  Son was at Clemson under Jack Leggett. Jack was old school,  he got his point across without raising his voice and used many experienced players to give the advice, "you don't do that man".  IMO, the best coaches use their players to help enforce his rules.  Embarrassment is old school. These days you don't need to do that.  Coaches need to be real careful what they say or do. Even the ones who think its ok. You can have one AD one year and another the next.

Many coaches are young guys and want to keep their job.

I recently heard and was shocked about a HC of a pretty well known program, sounds familiar to the coach in RJMs story. Without going into detail, I understand why so many players went into the portal.

This is why  overnights on OV visits are helpful, mine was lucky one of his BF was already in the program. He was good with advice, because he was always getting in trouble! The coach also uses these visit to see if the player would fit in.

@TPM posted:

Coaches can get their points across without punishing the entire team.

If said player makes the same error in a game and because of that the team loses isn't the entire team punished? You are part of a team, and your action has consequences that effect that team, practice or game.

@TPM posted:

IMO, the best coaches use their players to help enforce his rules.

Presumably that is what the Charleston coach was doing, as discussed last month (although that was after a game):

https://community.hsbaseballwe...y-laced-team-meeting

Baseball dad

explain the error, was it  throwing, fielding, wet field, dry field, runners on, is his pitcher throwing sinkers, wind blowing in or out, home field?

These questions are answered in daily practice and from the player’s experience. “Teach the players to read the bat”.
Bob

@SomeBaseballDad posted:

If said player makes the same error in a game and because of that the team loses isn't the entire team punished? You are part of a team, and your action has consequences that effect that team, practice or game.

Players make errors all the time and that can lead to a  team's loss. Many times the errors are mental  mistakes. I have never seen a Coach punish a player or an entire team because of that but I have seen a coach use other methods to get the team's focus back on track.

Fall practice is for learning and correcting mistakes. Francis asked us what we felt was the best way to handle the situation, I gave my opinion, the entire team didn't have to be punished unless they all kind of stunk it up that day. It just creates animosity and dislike.

Is it stupid? Probably.

If the leaders on the team made it clear that type of effort isn't tolerated the coach wouldn't feel it necessary to have to do this. That doesn't happen enough anymore.

What should have happened? Probably a verbal beatdown followed by benching or running with the second string until he earned his way back.

I think running as a form of punishment is stupid. If he wanted to make somebody run while getting his point across he should have made his captains run while letting the rest of the team know why they're running.

@anotherparent posted:

Presumably that is what the Charleston coach was doing, as discussed last month (although that was after a game):

https://community.hsbaseballwe...y-laced-team-meeting

Not understanding how his profanity laced rant involved players enforcing the rules???

In the article, it says that the complaint about the coach alleged that he was encouraging team members to physically beat up players who didn't conform.

@PABaseball posted:

I think running as a form of punishment is stupid.

I agree.

What I don't get, how can a player make it on a college roster and not realize when you hit a fly ball, you need to run it out!

@anotherparent posted:

In the article, it says that the complaint about the coach alleged that he was encouraging team members to physically beat up players who didn't conform.

Oh ok. That was down right bad, promoting violence. Is that what you think Francis7's coach was trying to do? 

The point would be that, as you suggest, players (and especially captains) should be keeping each other up to standards, but there could be a slippery slope about how that is done.  Making only the captains run doesn't seem like a good idea, though.  I don't know what Francis7's coach was thinking.

I’m not a fan of punishment for mental or physical errors. These should be teaching moments. Laziness is something that shouldn’t be tolerated. I personally feel situations where a player fails to hustle should result in reduced playing time or reps in practice. Either they figure it out or don’t play.