Coaching Behavior

Sports

By Curtis Isaacson
Husky Herald Reporter

  Competition often gets the best of people. Players and Coaches alike let their emotion overtake their common sense. This leads to consequences for both, from a minor point deduction, to an outright ejection from the game.

  This year alone, the Port Huron Northern Boys Varsity Soccer team witnessed 2 ejections of coaches, both due to disrespect of the referees.  

  “Its very inappropriate and sad,” says Varsity Team player Colton Fockler (‘16) who was sidelined with a severe knee injury.

  For soccer, if there is a coach that is ejected, and there is nobody to fill the spot, the team is forced to forfeit. That leads to players, not to mention parents, leaving a game disappointed and discouraged for the rest of the season. In addition, it tarnishes the school's record, hurts the referees feelings, and just creates more work for everyone.

  This is in great contrast to other fall sports. “Tennis is very self regulated,” says Junior Varsity Tennis Coach Mrs. Houle, “because of the fact that players themselves judge whether or not the ball went out, there is an honor code between competitors. If a player believes that the other person is judging the line unfairly, then they will just do the same.”

  In the perspective of coaching, it's very hands off . Tennis is not a contact sport, which leads the referees primarily deciding faults and lines, not whether a play is dangerous or not. “Coaches do bend rules. They do small things like give advice when the match is going, instead of waiting until the breaks” says Coach Houle

  There is a noticeable difference between the penalties of contact sports and non contact sports. Generally, in tennis, players just have points deducted, and that solves the problem if the referee’ were to catch a player cheating. However, in contact sports like soccer, people can get seriously injured so referees must take  action in order to keep play safe and friendly.

  Hopefully, in seasons to come, both soccer as well as tennis have uneventful and successful seasons.