First of all, if you've never played an organized team contact sport or a sport that requires you to push the absolute limits of exertion to condition yourself, hush. What is the world coming to? I'm really worried about what the future holds. Football is a contact sport. It requires people to physically and mentally tough. You go out on the field and bash each other's brains out, inflicting pain, and receiving pain, intentionly hurting each other. Meanwhile you're carrying heavy pads, and sometimes in 100+ degree heat, and you have to be in fantastic physical shape. To get tough, and to get in the shape required, you have to be disciplined. This is not like going to your office in your confortable slacks and shoes, and sitting in an air conditioned building and typing on the computer and talking on the phone. It's a different world. I spent the summer before my freshman year in high school playing video games and sitting on my *** in the air conditioning. I showed up for the first day of 2-a-days a few minutes late and out of shape. And then I spent the next 2 hours doing drills, blacking out, while the coaches barked at me and forced me through them. I got embarrassed in front of everyone. And it was one of the most miserable things I've ever gone through. But you know what? I learned from it. I never showed up for practice out of shape again. I worked out in subsequent summers preparing for what was to come. I learned that fatigue is all in your mind, and if you push yourself beyond the pain threshold, you can make it through it. This is what is required of the sport. Mental and physical discipline. Without it, you get eaten alive on the football field by other teams who have it. I'm worried that this society is gradually taking away the ability of coaches to instill discipline in their players. It's not always pretty, and it's not always nice. It requires forcing pain on a player, mentally or physically, and making them take it and learn from it and become a tougher person. And for those who think Mike Leach is a minority here. Just an *******, and you don't have to be mean to your players to get them to play well, I guarantee you you're wrong. You think Mad Dog Madden has never mentally abused a player or forced them to push themselves past the pain threshold?? Or embarrassed a player in front of his teamates to motivate him? It's part of coaching. There are some good things that have come out of this new movement toward "humanity." When I played football, we got one water break during a 2-hour practice in the 100 degree Texas sun. Looking back, it was obviously stupid and dangerous. Coaches rightfully should not be allowed to hit players or beat them up physically. What Mangino did to that player to burn his hands, it crossed the line. There are other more humane ways to disclipline a player. But I am worried that the line is rapidly moving further and further toward eliminating a coach's ability to disclipline his players althogether. And that I will see a day where forcing a player to get in shape, even if he blacks out and pukes, is not allowed because it makes them too uncomfortable. Where embarrassing a player is not allowed because it's too mean. Where physical contact in sports is not allowed because it's too barbaric. I'm worried the violent sport that I love is going to get ruined by the ******* out there who think all discipline is inhumane and mean. It's getting absolutely ridiculous.
FF, I agree with everything you said. Even though I didn't read it. Yes discipline is going to go down the drain but only if your coach p.o. the admin, looks for a new job every year openly and publicly, refuses any request by admin to acknowledge receiving letters and treats the football team as his own personal fiefdom. In those instances you are exactly on point.
It's happening in the military too. When I have talked to guys that have gone in the last few years it sounds like summer camp. I just hope I am dead before the next real war.
Unfortunately I don't think it's just in sports anymore. After talking to others, it seems like more and more kids are coming out of college feeling entitled to their jobs along with raises and promotions instead of going out there, busting their humps, and letting it take care of itself.
my coaches were aholes in highschool. 89-92. You could tell which ones were fighting w/ their wives the night before.
I used to get licks at school for screwing off too... What's to fear at school these days? Talking to the counselor for not being nice? Getting your *** busted with a paddle did make you think about doing it again... Society and culture is turning into a bunch of pu**ies and it is a shame. Same reason my kids bring home 'participant' ribbons from their school field day because they 'don't want anyone to lose'. PLEASE
