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Taking Frustrations Out on Athletes: When in doubt Yell!
"Yell! That's what I say..... Yell until they quit or
toughen up. Call 'em names... swear if ya have to.... We need mentally
tough competitors. I am tired of pansy-&%# kids that can't take
it. I'm also tired of wimpy parents who want us to baby-sit their
kids. This aint recreation! This is the real deal. This is what's
made America strong. Sports and tough coaches!"
(Spirited JHS Coach)
So what is the effect of yelling and screaming? Is
yelling all that bad. Coaches have been doing it for years. Could
Bear Bryant or Coach Lombardi have been wrong? ...or is their something
effective about yelling and screaming at athletes.
Lets begin with why coaches yell. First, coaches yell because they
have to be heard over a large area..... football fields, basketball
courts, soccer fields...et al. Second, they yell because they were
yelled at and tradition dies hard. Third, it seems to be effective:
athletes seem to listen better; athletes seem to try harder after
being yelled at; and its effective in releasing tension for the
coach;. ...But, there are some athletes who don't respond well to
the yelling. What's with them?
Yelling and screaming is punishment.
We usually don't yell and scream at people unless we are upset or
want to "hurt". OK! so when the championship is
won we yell and scream, but that is the exception....
"HI GAIL, YOU DUMMY!! CAN'T YOU WALK
RIGHT!?! BACK UP AND WALK THE HALL LIKE A REAL PE TEACHER"...
Somehow, that doesn't seem like the kind of greeting that anyone
would really enjoy. Would it make us want to back up and try walking
differently? NO!
Yelling and screaming is indeed perceived in most cases as punishment
(a noxious stimulus). "Ok Doc," say many of you, "so
its not a pleasant thing to get yelled at, but sometimes our players
need to get yelled at"
Lets discuss the effects of punishment in general. Punishment tends
to inhibit initiative and behavior. Some of you may be thinking,
"...but that's exactly what we want...we want them to stop
doing certain things". Yes, but punishment is general in its
inhibitory effects. That is, it tends to inhibit ALL behavior. Let
me say it differently: if you yell at kids they will eventually
stop trying....
HEY, YOU..... YA YOU....... ARE YOU LISTENING?
I SAID IF YOU YELL AT KIDS THEY WILL EVENTUALLY STOP TRYING..
"Why does yelling seem to work though?"
There is a principle of behavioral psychology that states that when
a noxious stimulus is removed, the behavior immediate preceding the
removal of the noxious stimulus will be more quickly evoked give the
same stimulus preceding the removal of the noxious stimulus. In simple
terms, if a coach is yelling and screaming and then stops because
the athlete is performing correctly then the correct performance will
more likely occur in the same situation. The effects are magnified
when verbal praise (positive reinforcement) is added following the
cessation of the yelling and screaming. "So yelling and screaming
does have the potential to promote better performance (behavior)".
YES! ...and negative reinforcement seems to be one of the most powerful
and sustaining behavior shaping techniques.
But wait! There are some ethical and moral issues that need to be
part of the discussion. Given that punishment tends to inhibit behavior,
if a coach doesn't "shape" behavior... that is, assures
that the ratio of success to failure is high enough, then athletes
will tend to want to quit or drop out of sports and their self-esteem/confidence
will suffer. They will be going through the motions, but their heart
won't be in it....(sound familiar?).
If coaches punish, physically "hit", an athlete the consequences
are severe. Why is it that coaches can punish, verbally abuse, athletes
and not suffer similar consequences? One is battery the other is
assault. Both are against our moral code of conduct... It is because
athletes are held in such high esteem amongst their peers, that
less-than-gifted JHS and HS student-athletes endure continuously
assault by strong "traditional" coaches so they can reap
the social benefits of being on the team? ..and administrators and
parents allow it. Why?
Robert Mcgowen
Coaching & Sports Section Editor
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Playing Sports II - Genetics
Why is it that parents who are not particularly gifted in human
movement, tend to push their kids the hardest in sport. Every coach
knows the insurance broker, or loan officer who insists that their
child is the next Olympic gold medallist in gymnastics, soccer,
or basketball. Genetically speaking, it is amazing that ordinary
humans with no particular physical gifts expect that they will have
off-spring that possess remarkable physical abilities that will
take their children to the highest level of sport be it in JHS or
HS or College or.... Is it possible? Yes. Likely? No!
What is it about sports in our modern society that makes parents
push and demand excellence from their children in highly competitive
sports when in all likelihood the child does not have the ability.
Should the nature of sport be changed in the JHS and HS to accommodate
all individuals regardless of ability? Should JHS and HS sport programs
be required to play all individuals who "try"?
The issues are complex; however, by definition, competitive sports
are competitive...the "best" "win" the prize.
The less-than-best suffer the indignity of "losing". The
less-than-best play less than the best.
"Its just not fair..... my Danny should not have to be disgraced
by being labeled "less-than-the-best" and playing less
than the best."
Why do we push? Because star athletes (girls and boys) are highly
valued by their piers and adults (PE Teachers). ...and we do not
want our Jeff or Suzie being labeled as or feeling "less-than-the-best".
When will parents and we as professional fully recognize that the
"less-than-the-best" label only applies to the narrow
dimensions of a particular sport and not to the individuals value
as human beings or as a members of society. Don't we value all contributing
members of our society? The issue of getting "cut" or
playing time should not be an issue in our society.
There should be sport for everyone, but maybe at different levels....and
that should be "OK"..... Typical of "old
school" thinking is a piece from an athletic administrator
in a large, urban setting. Note that the process is top-down. The
administration and school board set the expectations and coaches
are rated based on subjective assessments.
A
more contemporary approach focuses on meeting well defined expectations
in a more humanistic way. (This may have to do with a difference
in the goals of the organization. This example is from the Positive
Coaching Alliance and is based on work done with youth sports organizations.)
A related approach, but with a different emphasis, is available
at the Little
League site. Here the emphasis is on parents making an evaluation
of a coach, but the principles are similar to the previous example.
An example of an evaluation that involves the athletes
can be found at the Ringette
Nova Scotia site. The idea of players and parents both being
considered is not new but certainly not broadly accepted.
Finally, to give you something to really sink your
teeth into--and probably download to read at your leisure--consider
the CBET
program from the Coaching Association of Canada.
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| Punishment
and Sports: Research and Sites |
- Intrinsic motivation: Relationships with collegiate athletes'
gender, scholarship status, and perceptions of their coaches'
behavior.
-perceived coaching behaviors were related to athletes' intrinsic
motivation
-athletes with higher levels of intrinsic motivation perceived that
their coaches had low frequencies of punishment-oriented
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology Vol 22(1), Mar
2000, 63-84
- A developmental and psychoeducational approach to reducing
conflict and abuse in little league and youth sports: The sport
psychiatrist's role.
It is advocated that coaches sign a Codes of Conduct to which they
would adhere, and agree to year-end evaluations by the children
they coach and their parents
Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America
Special Issue: Sports Psychiatry Vol 7(4), Oct 1998, 891-918.
- Behavioral assessment in youth sports: Coaching behaviors
and children's attitudes.
-Punishment was negatively related to liking for the coach
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Vol 15(3),
1983, 208-214
- Positive
Coaching: A Behavior Checklist for Youth Sports Coaches(Part 4
of 11)
by Dr. Darrell J. Burnett
- Attitude:
the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
by Dr. Richard K. Stratton, Health and Physical Education Program,
Virginia Tech
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Equal Playing Time for All
Dr. Richard Stratton, Health and Physical Education Program, Virginia
Tech (reproduced from Youth-Sports.com)
CYS received a question asking about our feelings on the emotional
impact on a child who consistently plays 1/4 of a game while the
other teammates play the entire game. This question raises a broader
issue. What is the fundamental purpose of youth sports? How should
this purpose be reflected in practices and games? Granted we are
raising somewhat of a philosophical issue here and probably a controversial
one at that! As has been reflected in some of our previous articles,
we believe that the primary purpose of youth sports should be to
teach fundamental sports skills in a non-threatening environment.
That is, children should have the opportunity to learn new skills
and improve previously learned skills and have fun doing it. Coaches
must create an environment both in practices and games where children
are not afraid to make mistakes. Using fear of failure as a motivational
technique is unacceptable. Mistakes happen as part of the learning
process. Children who hope to become better skilled so they can
move on to more advanced levels of competition have to be willing
to take risks and experiment with more advanced skill techniques
and strategies. They will not do this if they are afraid of making
mistakes. All members of any team come to the team expecting equal
opportunities. They have the right to expect equal quality and quantity
of coaching in practice. They all must be given the same opportunity
to try out what they learn in practices in game situations. In fact,
games should be considered an extension of practices, another opportunity
to learn. An athlete can not learn much by sitting on the bench.
Sports involve movement, physical skills. They are best learned
by doing, not watching.
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If you're a pro coach, NFL stands for Not for
Long".
-Jerry Glanville
My athletes are always willing to accept my advice as long as it
doesn't conflict with their views
-Lou Holtz
One of the advantages bowling has over golf is that you seldom
lose a bowling ball
-Don Carter
If the people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's going
to stop them.
-Yogi Berra
We were tipping off our plays.Whenever we broke from the
huddle, three backs were laughing and one was pale as a ghost
-John Breen, former general manager of the Houston Oilers, on a
bad Oilers team
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Sports Lose Element of Fun When Young Athletes Reap Abuse From
Parents, Coaches
-Psychiatric
News-
...some coaches including Larry Byrd and Phil Jackson
"don't rant and rave at their players, but rather engage them
and motivate them to want to win a championship. They seem to
recognize that the costs of abuse outweigh the potential
benefits."
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Life
Cherish life in every way
Make it better every day
Don't waist your time
Counting every dime
Don't doubt yourself
Or put dreams on the self
Try, at least once, everything
Dance anywhere and sing anything
Before time is gone and days are through
And you can see every chance you blew
Cherish life when its fun
Make it better when things come undone
Think about every choice
Listen to every voice
Help others no matter the cost
They are there when you feel lost
Don't let memories become hazy
And always act a little crazy
Before time is gone and days are through
And you can see every chance you blew
Kiley
Sue
My name is Kiley Sue and I am 15. I have never been
published before but I have
been writing poetry since 1997.
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