Freddie Roach as New D-Line Coach (SIAP)

[Tug Tide]

It was, but It was mostly because I was annoyed with the parents. Remember I was in first year of coaching and I had no patience with the parents of the kids. With Kids, I had lot of patience and I was willing to work with them and help them build confidence to be the best person on the field.

No doubt a simple phone call from them on they way saying they were running late would have helped the situation immensely. As a coach I absolutely detest watching the parking lot.

 

[B1GTide]

Better to learn tough lessons when you are a kid and have a safety net. When you are treated like a special little fragile flower as a kid you can think that's how the world is supposed to treat you. That first real job can be a shock to the system.

The lesson here was - if your parents are jerks, you will pay for their behavior.

 

[bigjue24]

The lesson here was - if your parents are jerks, you will pay for their behavior.

The lesson is be responsible. Those kids will remember what can happen when you don't conduct yourself well and fulfill your obligations. It might also teach some self involved parents that isn't all about them and their kids.

 

[B1GTide]

The lesson is be responsible. Those kids will remember what can happen when you don't conduct yourself well and fulfill your obligations. It might also teach some self involved parents that isn't all about them and their kids.

Agree to disagree - those kids were punished for something totally out of their control.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Agree to disagree - those kids were punished for something totally out of their control.

Well, unfortunately that's the only option the coach has. If you continue to let the kid have equal playing time as the others who do come to practice and games on time. The parent will continue to be late for practice (if they come at all) and games. Then you have the problem of the other parents who do get their kids there and there on time chewing on your butt.

The lesson to the kid is, your decisions don't just effect you (both good and bad). It's why I make the entire team run, do push ups etc. when one player isn't listening or giving half effort during practice. The innocent parties get sick of running and doing pushups for something their teammate is doing and you'll be amazed how they start correcting it. Sports is a beautiful platform to learn life lessons.

 

[B1GTide]

Well, unfortunately that's the only option the coach has. If you continue to let the kid have equal playing time as the others who do come to practice and games on time. The parent will continue to be late for practice (if they come at all) and games. Then you have the problem of the other parents who do get their kids there and there on time chewing on your butt. The lesson to the kid is, your decisions don't just effect you (both good and bad). It's why I make the entire team run, do push ups etc. when one player isn't listening or giving half effort during practice. The innocent parties get sick of running and doing pushups for something their teammate is doing and you'll be amazed how they start correcting it. Sports is a beautiful platform to learn life lessons.

Don't get me wrong - I understand why he did what he did. But to say that the kids learned a valuable lesson - not so much.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Don't get me wrong - I understand why he did what he did. But to say that the kids learned a valuable lesson - not so much.

It depends. If you take time to explain it to the player. Many times they do understand and learn. Kids are smart and very perceptive. But as the old saying goes, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". Most of the time the parents who are like this amazingly have kids just like them. You can almost guarantee if you have a kid who is a behavior problem, respect problem etc. You can look at their parents and quickly realize why. You do have exceptions. But for the most part, a child will reflect the behavior of their parents.

 

[Jay Hughes]

I had similar experience. I asked the parents to be at the game 45 minutes earlier so I can get the kids stretched out and get warmed up, had two kids who showed up 5 minutes before the game started. I had already set the lineup (I usually do it 20 minutes before the game.) I turned looked at the kids and parent and I said "How nice of you to show up to support the team... enjoy the game from the bleacher." The parents were livid and cussed me out, and I explained to them that I'm running a baseball team... we are 7-0 because those kids on the field follows my instructions and does what I ask them to do. You and your kids can't even show up on time and I don't need that on my team. Both parents pulled the kids off the team only to come back two weeks later and apologized to me and begged me to let them back on the team. I agreed as long they accepted that their kids will sit on bench and they have to earn playing time, basically starting over.

How old were the kids you were coaching? Tee-ball?

 

[AlexanderFan]

All i want is two Kindal Mooreheads and a Jarrett Johnson, with Donta Hightower rushing the edge. That’s not much to ask for, is it?

 

[FitToBeTide]

Or Sammy Gellerstedts -- anyone remember him from the 1968. Unblockable...but also had a hard time playing well with others. Would up his collegiate career at Tampa IIRC.

Just saw that Sammy Gellerstedt was mentioned in the Kyle Mann thread...someone else is old as well....

You mean this guy? About 5'8" and 185 lbs. What you might call "intense". I was at the University in '70 when he played. Yep, I qualify for the cheap coffee at McDonald's.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

But anyway, the hire of Roach is a good move, let's take a look at who we hired in last few years:
Davis
Dunbar
Kuligowski
Baker
Roach

Not all is on Golding, and I believe Saban saw something on the tapes in practices and game to make the changes... Roach should do just fine and is a good fit for what Saban wants to do. We should see significant progress with DL and LB this spring.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I had similar experience. I asked the parents to be at the game 45 minutes earlier so I can get the kids stretched out and get warmed up, had two kids who showed up 5 minutes before the game started. I had already set the lineup (I usually do it 20 minutes before the game.) I turned looked at the kids and parent and I said "How nice of you to show up to support the team... enjoy the game from the bleacher." The parents were livid and cussed me out, and I explained to them that I'm running a baseball team... we are 7-0 because those kids on the field follows my instructions and does what I ask them to do. You and your kids can't even show up on time and I don't need that on my team. Both parents pulled the kids off the team only to come back two weeks later and apologized to me and begged me to let them back on the team. I agreed as long they accepted that their kids will sit on bench and they have to earn playing time, basically starting over.

Good job! The kids need to understand that actions have consequences. In this case, it was the parents who delivered them late, and that isn't something the kids can control. Unfortunately, the only way to enforce the punctuality necessary to allow stretching (which prevents injuries, even in youngsters) is to keep the kid off the field.

So two things: One, I bet the rest of the kids and parents were watching that challenge closely. If you had backed down, you would have lost control of the whole process. Two, I bet those parents were never late again.

A bit harsh on the kids, IMO. We don't get to choose our parents.

One of the rare instances where we see things differently, BIG. It's true that the kids can't control their parents. But you have to have consequences for the people who can control it -- the parents. The coach of a little league team can't punish parents. The closest he can come is for the kids to pay consequences for parental entitlement.

Better to learn tough lessons when you are a kid and have a safety net. When you are treated like a special little fragile flower as a kid you can think that's how the world is supposed to treat you. That first real job can be a shock to the system.

Amen to that. I never had to deal with it personally, but in my last working years, I had colleagues who had to deal with parents of 20-somethings in their departments.

Mama and/or Daddy calling about what they viewed as insufficient raises, vacation days, even excuses for ostensibly professional / career track employees being sick, late, "burned out" (at 25?) hung over, whatever. One parent showed up at a secure building, uninvited and unannounced, to protest treatment of his little dumplin'. Security had to escort him off the premises, and he's now barred from any and all company buildings.

 

[Jay Hughes]

With two working parents, occasionally work can cause us to run close. If it is something that occurs regularly, then I understand. But if this is the first time it happened, then I think it is absurd to take that course of action by sending the kid to the bleachers. I pray my son never has a coach like that.

With that said, if I were to be in that situation, I would call the coach and make him aware of the situation.

 

[Bama Shoals]

Good to have Freddie back at Bama. With kids at the Brooks schools in Killen right now, it's neat to have a Brooks alumnus on the Alabama coaching staff. And I got to see him play at Brooks a couple of times back in the day. He was a beast!

 

[Power Eye]

Agree to disagree - those kids were punished for something totally out of their control.

You are correct, but that is probably the best way to prevent it from happening again. My daughter has cheered for the local pee-wee team since she was 7. The first three years, we just showed up 10 minutes before the game because they weren't really doing anything other than reciting the same 10 - 15 cheers the girls chanted when I played pee wee football.

This year, they got a new cheer coach who was great but pretty demanding. The girls were doing legit stunts and well choreographed routines. She also asked that we show up to the games 30 minutes beforehand so the girls could stretch and practice. My wife is notoriously late for everything, so the first game my daughter got there 10 minutes before the game and the coach told her she needed to be on time. Game 2, she got there 5 minutes beforehand and the coach wouldn't let her cheer for the game. Needless to say, she was devastated and there were tears for a solid hour. My wife, while initially angry, realized it was her own doing and that her nonchalant attitude about being on time finally really impacted not just her, but her child. My daughter wasn't late again and that incident really changed my wife's attitude about being on time for stuff.

It shouldn't have come to this, but unfortunately it took my daughter having to play the role of the martyr for my wife to get her to the games when she needed to. Believe me, seeing your child devastated about something they have no control over is a very effective remedy.

 

[TraskiTideFan]

So did anybody see this article about the lack of an Official announcement about the hire? Is it not a done deal or are they still ironing out details on his hiring and contract before making it 'official' ?

Nick Saban talks Freddie Roach, Burton Burns at Senior Bowl

"We’d love to have him be a part of our program, and hopefully, all those things will work out favorably for us."

247sports.com

 

[Bamabuzzard]

If he's out doing this then he has to be on payroll in some capacity. Sounds like he's official enough to be an employee and represent Alabama.

Roach, however, has been on the recruiting trail in Alabama gear.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

So did anybody see this article about the lack of an Official announcement about the hire? Is it not a done deal or are they still ironing out details on his hiring and contract before making it 'official' ?

Nick Saban talks Freddie Roach, Burton Burns at Senior Bowl

"We’d love to have him be a part of our program, and hopefully, all those things will work out favorably for us."

247sports.com

This is not new for Alabama to say that. Basically, contract has to be drawn up, and go through some internal stuff before it is approved. So, that's smart to do that and then announce later, but it is pretty much done deal.
I wouldn't worry about this.

 

[CoolBreeze]

So did anybody see this article about the lack of an Official announcement about the hire? Is it not a done deal or are they still ironing out details on his hiring and contract before making it 'official' ?

Nick Saban talks Freddie Roach, Burton Burns at Senior Bowl

"We’d love to have him be a part of our program, and hopefully, all those things will work out favorably for us."

247sports.com

Wouldn't worry too much about that. In addition to the aforementioned fact he is out recruiting for us, I don't think Nick would have commented about it publicly if there were any way Freddie may not be able to be hired at the Capstone.

 

[Tidewater]

Both parents pulled the kids off the team only to come back two weeks later and apologized to me and begged me to let them back on the team. I agreed as long they accepted that their kids will sit on bench and they have to earn playing time, basically starting over.

This reminds me of the scene in Remember the Titans when Denzell Washington's character takes his DC to task for going easy on a kid with an attitude, "You'll cripple a kid like that, and you'll cripple him for life."