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Whipping Boy Philosophy

From an anonymous parent about high school football:

My athlete experienced a very troubling coaching philosophy I call the whipping boy approach. He was put out on a limb alone purposely by the coach to keep the others players in line. He was alienated by the coach due to jealousy and a vindictive attitude toward the high school program because the local staff did not want him around coaching at the high school level. Having said this, he is a winning coach and I think the administration has kept him around because of his winning success. We have left the school that has this coach and attend a private school that has made our athletic experience fun again. 

Please comment on the whipping boy philosophy. 

Answer: Unfortunately, the things you describe happen all too frequently in youth sports these days. Personally I am upset and offended by this approach and by the individuals who use such tactics. As you may have guessed, I am committed to eliminating this stigma from youth sports and am campaigning vigorously to eliminate this despicable element.

I believe the bulk of these problems are macho adults with over-inflated egos trying to achieve a transference of glory through manipulation of their own or other children. Much of this behavior is a result of the copy-cat
mentality of coaches trying to mimic the professional or "high-revenue" sports coach they see on television.

The whipping boy approach is one of the elements that is used to achieve the bad coach's objectives. Coaches who use tactics like the ones you describe often justify their actions as a means of instilling discipline and building character. I completely reject that argument as "hog-wash." Fear is a common tactic used by so many people in authority, not just youth coaches. It is too often a "way of life" in the business world and in the sports world.

Certainly discipline is essential to play any sport. We should be  teaching children that there are rules in sports, as there are in life, and there are consequences if rules are not followed. However, arbitrary and capricious actions by coaches in application of rules, consequences and expectations undermine the learning process and confuse the children.

Youth sports provide a wonderful opportunity to teach positive and valuable life lessons to youngsters eager to learn them. Coaches who use fear tactics are not only sending the wrong message to the kids, they are helping to preserve the "control-by-fear" style of management as an acceptable way of life. There is no place in youth sports for this style of coaching.

The most encouraging thing in your e-mail was that after transferring, your athlete had a positive experience. That goes to show that there are good coaches out there. We just need more of them.