High school football coach in Utah suspends nearly entire team for bad behavior

[garbon]

http://www.wbtv.com/story/23540721/union-high-school-football-coach-matt-labrum-suspends-team-utah

A high school football coach in Utah is receiving national attention for making an extraordinary decision: he suspended nearly every player on the team.

Union High School football coach Matt Labrum had grown frustrated with reports of his players skipping class, receiving poor grades and allegedly cyber-bullying a fellow student.

Labrum said, "I think the most important thing is that we build character."

After last Friday's game, he sat his players down in the locker room and told them to turn in their jerseys and equipment. The football season would be over until they earned their way back onto the team. Labrum said, "It was very emotional for both sides, the coaches and players."

He handed the players a letter outlining his decision that read, "Gentleman, we are not pleased with how our football brothers are representing our family, school ... and yourselves."

He also wrote, "It is a privilege to play this wonderful game!"

Labrum then laid out the criteria each player would need to meet to rejoin the squad: attend all practices, be on time, have no discipline problems. Each would need to complete a community service project and memorize a quote about good character.

With the support of his coaches, the school administration and even the player's parents, the team spent football practice Monday and Tuesday working on a different set of skills. Labrum said, "We did some service as far as digging weeds and cleaning. On Tuesday we went to the senior center and played some games with them and listened to their stories."

Wednesday's practice was study hall, followed by a team meeting -- with some good news. Labrum recalled, "We went back through all criteria that we've been marking throughout the week and we saw who earned their jerseys back."

Not all of Labrum's players met that criteria, but most did. One player said, "It's a lot of relief for sure, getting my jersey back. I love it."

It was just in time for the homecoming game on Friday. Labrum said, "It's a wonderful thing to see young men take on a challenge. I think a lot of lessons we're learned this week, I think some will be learned later in life I think this is something that we'll all remember."

The team returns to the football field on Thursday with a lot more to think about than their next game.

[merithyn]

I wish more coaches would do something like this.

[Caliga]

Fortunately for him, he's not a Texas high school football coach.  Don't mess with Texas high school football.

[crazy canuck]

Excellent.

I have told this story before but I think it is worth repeating.

Years ago when I coached high school ball I had one simple rule regarding school.  If the teachers or the school had any complaint at all about a player that player would miss the next week of games and they would spend the whole week of practices doing wind sprints.  If they skipped a class they were off the team.

Most of the time that was never an issue but for a couple years I volunteered to coach in school with a bit more of a challenging student body. The star player on my team decided I wasnt serious about the rule and skipped classes the day after our first practice (when I set out the rules).

He showed up to practice that evening and I told him he was off the team.  He was stunned.  I think it was the first time anyone had ever carried through with a threatened consequence in his life.  The next day he came to see me at practice and apologized.  I told him I wasnt owed any apology and exlained that he owed obligations to himself and his family to do the best he could and that he was showing disrespect to his teachers and his school.  I sent him away to think about that.

I didnt see him for some time but as it turns out he was very busy.  He apparently went to all his teachers and the school principle with his parents and apologized to them all.  He also didnt skip any classes and he got all his homework done.  I assume that a lot of the transformation was coming from peer pressure.  Not only were his friends on the team going to all their classes and doing all their homework (the team rule) but his friends also had a sense that he had let them down.

About a month later a recieved a letter signed by all his teachers requesting that I let him back on the team.  In the letter they explained the transformation that had taken place.  I happily let him back on.

I didnt have any other problems with anyone on my teams at that school and the teachers always enjoyed having my players in their classes.

As a post script - that year we went undefeated until the zone championships.

[The Brain]

Did you live a made-for-TV movie?

[crazy canuck]

Did you live a made-for-TV movie?

No.  But I do tend to live rather than watch TV.  Hence I have experienced things that others who do spend a lot of time watching screens can only experience through that medium. 

[Caliga]

I don't watch TV either.

[The Brain]

OK but you're missing out on a lot of magic.

[crazy canuck]

OK but you're missing out on a lot of magic.

My loss.

[Caliga]

OK but you're missing out on a lot of magic.

Really?  Oh no 

[CountDeMoney]

and the school principle

[merithyn]

and the school principle

It's a sweet story. I was going to let the poor grammar go.

[crazy canuck]

Sorry I dont have perfect spelling and on occasion I use ple when it should be pal.

Fuck you all. 

except Meri 

[Ed Anger]

Ugh, wind sprints. CC is history's greatest monster.

[derspiess]

No shit.