COLUMN: Culture needs a change, not just coaches
A week ago, a disturbing basketball practice video of Rutgers University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Rice was released by ESPN’s “Outside The Lines.” The video showed Rice blatantly grabbing, hitting, kicking and verbally abusing his players during practice.
The video sparked national debate about coaching practices in athletics today. It is a debate worthy of discussion between school leaders, coaches, parents and athletes everywhere.
The culture of athletics and coaching at the high school and collegiate level is a culture often overlooked because of the nature of the business. It is a business fueled by pride, money and high emotions. Because of this business notion, coaches with short tempers and rough actions towards players in both games and practices is routinely allowed.
Now, by no means am I saying all coaches curse and yell at players because plenty do not. I have had coaches who yell and I have also had coaches who were calm, it’s all up to the coaches personality. Some of the Rutgers players even said they have had worst coaching experiences and that Rice’s behavior wasn’t anything the weren’t familiar with.
That’s a problem. The fact remains that the stigma of playing and coaching in these high-profile sports comes with intense emotions, which, in return, allows for aggressive behavior to be tolerated and even praised.
Other high profile college basketball coaches weighed in sharing their disgust on Rice’s actions but also were quick to say it was a one-time problem. They also were quick to try and move the national spotlight off the true cultural problem of looking the other way when someone is being treated in such a harsh manner.
I am a competitive person. I don’t like losing in any sport I play, and emotions sometimes get the best of people, but it still doesn’t make abusing players, physically or verbally, tolerable.
It shouldn’t take another public video displaying poor behavior to make changes in how we perceive coaching in sports.
While the excitement and money in sports grabs our attention, it should not change our views on how people treat each other.
