Jesuit Assistant Coach Dismissed for Striking Player

[Perspective]

https://www.fox13news.com/news/video-jesuit-high-school-assistant-football-coach-fired-after-being-caught-on-camera-punching-player

 

Yahoo picked up this story and it's interesting to read the comments.   Half of them are like, "dang, my coach used to do a lot worse than that . . . we're too soft now."  The other half are like "A high school coach can't ever punch/strike a player.  Period."  Very little middle ground.  

[nolebull813]

I’m on the side of tough love. The context is everything 

[gatorman-uf]

Honestly, I had read the headline/story the other day, but there was no video with it. In my mind, I pictured kids jogging off to a timeout huddle and a coach being upset/angry and slapping/punching the kid in the face/helmet. And yes, I would fall into the camp of you don't put your hands on a kid. Heck, I hate when coaches cuss the players and I hear excuses of "it's ok because he gets results" or "Sports/Football/cultural issues make it ok," which I hate. If a teacher cusses a student they are on the news that night (whether the kid needed to be cussed at our not), teacher loses job/suspended. Coach does same thing, few bat an eye. 

Watching the video, I barely notice it. It looks like he hits him more the shoulder pad than anything else. Probably the same hit if the kid made a great tackle. If I am going to criticize the coach, I am going to say, you do nothing in anger. He isn't coaching that player, he is berating him. Coaches/teachers held to a higher standard blah blah But honestly, I am probably not firing him.

[Jullian]

Yeah don’t touch these little darlings today….or cuss at em…..or even look wrong at em……..

When the Bulls were dumbfounded by Apopka in the state final centuries ago, at halftime a Bulls coach grabbed a players facemask & bout broke his neck. Didn’t hear anything bout that….

most every incident today is gonna b funneled thru some shade of entitlement…..jus my opinion. 

[nolebull813]

33 minutes ago, Jullian said:

Yeah don’t touch these little darlings today….or cuss at em…..or even look wrong at em……..

When the Bulls were dumbfounded by Apopka in the state final centuries ago, at halftime a Bulls coach grabbed a players facemask & bout broke his neck. Didn’t hear anything bout that….

most every incident today is gonna b funneled thru some shade of entitlement…..jus my opinion. 

Coach Rolle at MNW had one of the best halftime speeches ever. It was so good, It would get you banned from this message board for repeating it 

[Perspective]

Ironically, if that same coach used that same hand to strike the same player in the same head/shoulder area during pre-game warm-ups, it would likely be celebrated on social media as a passionate coach getting his player psyched up before kick-off.   The problem for this [now former] coach is that he clearly struck the kid (wherever he may have struck him) out of anger and frustration.  On the one hand, you can argue that the firing prevented a future situation that could have been much worse.   On the other hand, and assuming there was no other past actions that warranted scrutiny or discipline, I'd be inclined to suspend the coach a game or two and make it clear if he ever struck another kid, he'd be fired on the spot. 

Last point from me:  I've said on a couple of occasions that I don't understand players who try to punch an opponent who is wearing a helmet and shoulder pads.   I guess I don't understand coaches who do it either. 

[DarterBlue2]

53 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

Coach Rolle at MNW had one of the best halftime speeches ever. It was so good, It would get you banned from this message board for repeating it 

It was not Rolle, it was Roland Smith. Rolle left the year before that, before later returning after Smith's firing several years later. 

ICE Harris was the offensive coordinator. I don't remember who the DC was. 

[PinellasFB]

I have a minority perspective on this subject apparently since the majority of us seem to be in the "kids are too soft today" category.  My thoughts are a coach should never have a reason to strike a player.  Grabbing a facemask or jersey to get their attention is not striking but it's a grey area I can tolerate.  Striking players though shows a coach is out of control.  A coach should always have a level head as there are many times during a game your players will drive you crazy.  The biggest problem with coaches striking players is it rarely stops there.  A coach who's willing to strike a player is going to bully and dominate them and make their lives a living hell.  If you think it's just tough love you aren't looking at the person doing the striking.  Who is so out of control that they would do that?  You don't want that guy as the example your kids look up to how to handle adverse situations in this world.  The coach should always lead by example.

Anyway, I know I'm in the minority here so it's cool if you disagree.  Most of us all had this type of tough love when we played and we turned out okay, at least I think we did lol.  It was also cool to get our brains scrambled with concussions back then.  Today's era is different and we have to evolve with the times.  

[Dan in Daytona]

13 minutes ago, PinellasFB said:

I have a minority perspective on this subject apparently since the majority of us seem to be in the "kids are too soft today" category.  My thoughts are a coach should never have a reason to strike a player.  Grabbing a facemask or jersey to get their attention is not striking but it's a grey area I can tolerate.  Striking players though shows a coach is out of control.  A coach should always have a level head as there are many times during a game your players will drive you crazy.  The biggest problem with coaches striking players is it rarely stops there.  A coach who's willing to strike a player is going to bully and dominate them and make their lives a living hell.  If you think it's just tough love you aren't looking at the person doing the striking.  Who is so out of control that they would do that?  You don't want that guy as the example your kids look up to how to handle adverse situations in this world.  The coach should always lead by example.

Anyway, I know I'm in the minority here so it's cool if you disagree.  Most of us all had this type of tough love when we played and we turned out okay, at least I think we did lol.  It was also cool to get our brains scrambled with concussions back then.  Today's era is different and we have to evolve with the times.  

100% . A coach should NEVER strike a child in anger. The Bobby Knight type were and still are A-holes...RIP

[DarterBlue2]

17 minutes ago, PinellasFB said:

I have a minority perspective on this subject apparently since the majority of us seem to be in the "kids are too soft today" category.  My thoughts are a coach should never have a reason to strike a player.  Grabbing a facemask or jersey to get their attention is not striking but it's a grey area I can tolerate.  Striking players though shows a coach is out of control.  A coach should always have a level head as there are many times during a game your players will drive you crazy.  The biggest problem with coaches striking players is it rarely stops there.  A coach who's willing to strike a player is going to bully and dominate them and make their lives a living hell.  If you think it's just tough love you aren't looking at the person doing the striking.  Who is so out of control that they would do that?  You don't want that guy as the example your kids look up to how to handle adverse situations in this world.  The coach should always lead by example.

Anyway, I know I'm in the minority here so it's cool if you disagree.  Most of us all had this type of tough love when we played and we turned out okay, at least I think we did lol.  It was also cool to get our brains scrambled with concussions back then.  Today's era is different and we have to evolve with the times.  

I mostly agree with you. Even under provocation, a coach should try and remain level headed. There are several other ways a kid can be disciplined. By the same token, I am not sure that what the Jesuit coach did warranted instant dismissal. Suspension and a talking to with the threat that repeat offenses of that nature would lead to termination may have been more appropriate. 

[PinellasFB]

20 minutes ago, DarterBlue2 said:

I mostly agree with you. Even under provocation, a coach should try and remain level headed. There are several other ways a kid can be disciplined. By the same token, I am not sure that what the Jesuit coach did warranted instant dismissal. Suspension and a talking to with the threat that repeat offenses of that nature would lead to termination may have been more appropriate. 

I probably agree that the video wasn't worthy of dismissal since it was more of a push than a hard strike.  However, Jesuit has both liability and zero tolerance policy in place so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it.  Nip it in the bud before you get a lawsuit on your hands.

[nolebull813]

So you can’t smack someone across the head in frustration, but you can teach him for months and years to take his body and crash it into his opponents body like a heat seeking missile with reckless abandon trying to destroy him?

ok 

 

[PinellasFB]

1 hour ago, nolebull813 said:

So you can’t smack someone across the head in frustration, but you can teach him for months and years to take his body and crash it into his opponents body like a heat seeking missile with reckless abandon trying to destroy him?

ok 

 

These two concepts aren't related.  Just because you coach a physical game doesn't mean the coach has any right to get physical with their players. 

[nolebull813]

3 minutes ago, PinellasFB said:

These two concepts aren't related.  Just because you coach a physical game doesn't mean the coach has any right to get physical with their players. 

I just think it’s funny coaches spend 100’s of hours of teaching especially on defense to put a hurting on someone. Clean of course, but still the point of the lesson is to lay them them F out!!!! That’s why everyone celebrates brutally violent hits. Obviously not dirty hits. 
 

But if a coach has emotions booked over and he hits a kid on the pads or helmet I don’t see what the big deal is. I seen the hit. I didn’t think it was a fireable offense. I would have at least spoke to the kid and his parents first before making a decision. Not sure if they did that or not.
 

You don’t ever want it to come to that but in this case someone punching a player wearing a helmet is not ideal but also not the end of the world  

[nolebull813]

Watch this one. This is way different 

 

[Perspective]

21 minutes ago, nolebull813 said:

Watch this one. This is way different 

 

I'm so confused.   Did the person on the sideline (in the second part of the clip) have anything to do with why the coach gut-punched his player?    Did the coach get arrested in the middle of the game?  The only thing that makes sense in this clip is that the coach had the good sense to hit the player in the stomach/solar plexes instead of his helmet. 

Of course, I kid about the coach hitting the player.  Absolutely no excuse for that.  None.  

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

10 hours ago, Jullian said:

Yeah don’t touch these little darlings today….or cuss at em…..or even look wrong at em……..

When the Bulls were dumbfounded by Apopka in the state final centuries ago, at halftime a Bulls coach grabbed a players facemask & bout broke his neck. Didn’t hear anything bout that….

most every incident today is gonna b funneled thru some shade of entitlement…..jus my opinion. 

Ahhh "Year of the Bull" documentary. I know someone who posts on here that had a cameo in that doc..lol

[PinellasFB]

16 hours ago, nolebull813 said:

You don’t ever want it to come to that but in this case someone punching a player wearing a helmet is not ideal but also not the end of the world  

I agree with the thought that that it's an overreaction to fire the guy based upon what happened on the video.  It didn't look like a strike intended to cause pain or domination but more of something done in the heat of battle to tell the kid he needs to pay attention to the snap count.  However, Jesuit had a zero tolerance policy in place so zero tolerance means you get zero second chances.  Coaches need to control their emotions better, bottom line.

[181pl]

On a second, third, and fourth look, I'm not sure he contacted his head or neck? Was this just a slap to the shoulder pads? If so this is a big overreaction. If he struck his head, maybe not. But I can't tell in real time.

[badbird]

after zooming in and slowing it down it looks like a closed fist punch to the ear hole.  Definitely deserved to be let go.

[Perspective]

1 hour ago, 181pl said:

On a second, third, and fourth look, I'm not sure he contacted his head or neck? Was this just a slap to the shoulder pads? If so this is a big overreaction. If he struck his head, maybe not. But I can't tell in real time.

I'm not sure it really matters where a coach hits a player if it is done out of anger or frustration.  

[PinellasFB]

4 hours ago, Perspective said:

I'm not sure it really matters where a coach hits a player if it is done out of anger or frustration.  

100% my feelings