"Kids on our high school hockey team texting among each other before practice, on team bus rides and even during games is causing us grief. As coaches, we are considering having all players surrender their phones during team activities, including bus rides, so they can focus on practices and games. In case of emergency, of course, parents could reach coaches on our own cell phones. Can you suggest policies for cell phone use?"
-- Name Withheld By Request
Posted by David Jacobson at 09/24/2009 10:38:35 AM |
To get in(to) the game you must have your head and mind in the game...and its not there when somebody outside the game is texting you. Your team should be in the moment...impose penalties for texting - sit ups, running etc. If your players need technology in the game, tell 'em to stay home with their x-box or wii because this game is played with realtime sweat, work and communication.
Posted by: alex ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 11:42 AM
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By forcing this upon them you may get an adverse response and in this case they may not be focused anyway. I would recommend bringing it up in a team meeting and see what the kids think about it. Have them come up with their own cell phone policy and align it with yours. Perhaps having them agree on appropriate times to use their phones will create more buy in then having you enforce it yourselves. Then you can come to an agreement that if they are not following it you will have to take further measures such as surrendering phones prior to events or whatnot.
Overall - have them put in their input. Unfortunately we are in the era of texting and coaches need to adapt, as well as players. Give them a chance to govern themselves along side of you - it builds mutual respect.
Posted by: Erin ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 11:45 AM
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I'm not sure I would recommend this approach for others, but a couple of years ago, I had a somewhat related experience.
A club team I was helping to coach was playing the other team in its U-15 age group within the same club, during what has become an annual "grudge" match played at the local high school, under the lights with PA sytem, and player introductions. The varsity and JV coaches and remaining high school team members were in attendance for what is considered a showcase event for girls who play on, or desire to play on the high school team.
For the first time in the club's history, the "B" team I worked with was beating the "A" team, and held 5-1 lead at half time. We created the advantage by sending fresh bodies in frequently, and mixing up our point of attack.
Just before the half, I heard a cell phone ring on the bench, and a player who I'd taken out of the match a few minutes earlier, answered it. The conversation I could hear went something like this: "I don't know why. He didn't say, but I'm pissed too. OK, I'll ask him."
When I asked the player to whom she was speaking, she said it was her father, in the stands, and he wanted to know why I substituted for her. I told her to hang up immediately. She refused and said since it was her father, she is required to take his calls, and his authority was higher than mine.
Since half time was just starting, I told her if she didn't hang up immediately, she would be watching the rest of the game from the other side of the field, in the stands with her dad. She continued to protest, and I told her she was done for the day and sent her from the bench.
After the game, the father was waiting for me at the gate. Although he was angry, shouted some taunts at me, and wanted to start a confrontation,other parents urged him to cool off, and I left without incident.
His daughter finished the remaining couple of games with the team, and then she moved to another club.
I can say that throughout those remaining games, and the entire next season, the team actually responded in a very satisfying manner. There was a better sense of discipline, fewer players acting up, and a much more relaxed atmosphere once everyone knew there were boundaries the coaches insisted upon and enforced.
Posted by: Jim Paglia ( Email: | Visit ) at 9/24/2009 12:15 PM
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Just last night I attended a clinic at Duke University and coach Danowski made an interesting comment about we all long for things to be like they were for us when we were younger. We didn't have cell phones or texting. It is simply a part of the kid's culture now. As long as the phones are not in use when the coach is coaching I do not see the problem. I think it is a battle you will loose.
Posted by: ed ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 12:27 PM
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I would not agree with collecting phones. High school-aged players should be able to deal with turning off their phones at some point and turning them back on (or at least putting on silent). I would suggest that it be known that phones are off during practice, travelling to and from games and during games. Perhaps give a couple of minutes after a game to let kids tell parents, whomever the results or if travel is significant phone calls to parents to confirm travel, pick-up, etc. I tell my soccer players that to be successful need to live in the moment -- the here and now. There is no one more important when playing a team sport then their teammates. They get it. And they self-police it in a good way.
Posted by: Randy Rompola ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 12:28 PM
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I believe that coaches should have a rule prohibiting cell phone use and texting during practices, games, and bus rides to and from. Prohibition is one of the many “life lessons” that coaches should teach their players at any age level. As I tell even my 9-10-year-old squirt hockey team, people perform best when they concentrate on what they are doing while they are doing it. Players lose much of their mental edge (and thus let down their teammates) when they allow themselves to be needlessly distracted.
When a player goes to a friend’s house for a sleep-over, for example, the player should concentrate on having fun with friends at the sleep-over; that is not the time to be thinking about the next game or practice. But when a player attends a game or practice, that is not the time to be thinking about the next sleep-over. The important life lessons are self-discipline and self-control, and I believe that most players learn these lessons best when coaches set the rules, but let the players think for themselves and resist temptation for themselves. Players who violate the rule can be subject to appropriate discipline.
I doubt that the coaches should require players to surrender the phones because a surrender policy would indicate a lack of trust that the players will do what they have agreed to do. Trust is at the core of any teacher-student relationship, and coaches are teachers in every sense of the word. Once again, I think that most players will forego cell phoning and texting when the coaches set the rule and explain its reasons, and violators can be disciplined as appropriate.
Be sure to inform parents about the rule and the reasons for it, and make sure the parents do have your cell numbers handy.
Two other thoughts about cell phones, while we are on the general subject. . . . First, cell phones are expensive, so a coach or a parent volunteer may want to collect all cell phones (and wallets, wristwatches, spare jerseys, and the like) before the team leaves the locker room for a game or practice, and then return them afterwards. I encourage my players not leave any valuables in the locker room, even if the room will be locked. (Someone may have a pass key.) Theft can put a damper on everything the coaches are trying to achieve. Indeed, my pockets have often bulged during games with valuables that the players thrust in my hands and asked me to hold before they hit the ice if their parents are not available to hold them.
Second, the coaches should always have cell phones in their pockets during practices and games, just in case they must call "911" in an emergency. Parents in the stands may have cell phones in their pockets too, but the parents may not see the emergency as quickly as the coaches do, and parents without medical training may not understand the emergency well enough to be able to alert the "911" responder in a helpful way. Also, do not count on attendants or other employees to know what to do in a pinch. I have seen too many ice rinks whose personnel on duty would not likely be very helpful.
Doug Abrams
Posted by: Doug Abrams ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 12:36 PM
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It sounds like there is a lack understanding between the players and the coaching staff as to what time belongs to whom. Be specific, coach's time is coach's time, player's time is player's time. Both parties need to respect the other's time. When it is coach's time the phone goes in the kit bag and the focus is on whatever material the coach is presenting or the task at hand. If a player chooses to be disrespectful then there must be clear predefined consequences. I am sure you have already established policies for dealing with other types of disruptive behavior. Why should this be any different?
* Set the expectation. Be specific.
* Put it in contract form to be signed by players & parents.
* Be reasonable. As a coach do I really care what my player's pre-practice phone habits are?
* Be consistent and willing to follow through.
Posted by: N Cooper ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 12:52 PM
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Coaches set the parameters of what their expectations are of the athletes under their charge. Just as a parent, you can add rules as the situation presents itself. By not doing so, the players or children will continue to challenge what they can or cannot do, and will do so just to see what the punishment will be. So in setting up the parameter, in this case, a no cell phone use, state what the consequences will be for breaking the rule. A warning, then confiscation, with the parent picking it up, and if it continues, a suspension, or even removal from the team. It comes down to...do you really want an athlete that challenges you and your authority on the team? Set the parameters and go from there.
Posted by: Joe Venegas, Jr. ( Email: ) at 9/24/2009 12:59 PM
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Last year during the state finals in girls basketball, I had our players surrender their phones to me before they had to have "lights out" in the hotel the night before the game. As a prank, they set their alarms on all the phones to go off at different intervals during the night!!!
All kidding aside, my approach has been to find alternatives to texting, etc. when a team is together at summer camp, leagues, and other team activities...we do team building activities. A lot of the texting, tweeting, games, and facebook is from boredom. Explain to the team that these team connections are a "once in a lifetime" experience.
I'm not in favor of a lot of rules and policies, rather explain the importance, value, and meaning of what they are experiencing. It will make them a better and more competitive team under pressure and adversity. Don't focus on punishing players or treating cell phone technology as a negative, but rather emphasize the rewards of team building.
Give it a shot. Plan a well-thought activity and explanation.
Posted by: Jim Blane ( Email: | Visit ) at 9/24/2009 1:01 PM
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As a professional I have to attend MANY meetings. All are started off with "turn your cell phones off now." I think there is nothing wrong with expecting that of players; after all, as coaches we are helping prepare players for more than just the game. Our teams travel often 4 hours to play. For most of that time there is nothing but texting or listening to music going on. I always required that the last 60 mintues before arriving that all electronics were turned off and would move around the bus encouraging players to talk about their expectations in the game. We are teaching a generation to tune out; they are more comfortable communicating from afar--this benefits no one. A team needs to communicate together.
Posted by: Barbara Cullingon ( Email: | Visit ) at 9/24/2009 4:57 PM
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I have my team agreeing on certain things including texting (code of conduct) See what works for you.
On the other hand, we use group texting very succesfully. Suddenly we are communicating in their world! Most cellco's provide a service where you can store the team cell phone numbers. Give it a try......
Posted by: Martin Slagt ( Email: | Visit ) at 9/27/2009 3:45 PM
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Wow, I thought this was a girls-only problem! The critical attachment of today's youth to cell phones/texting is the bane of today's coach in trying to keep their attention. To be effective in teaching you have to have discipline, and both the coach AND players NEED to have it.
My high school girls have a defined time to practice. Just like when they are in class, everyone in their life knows where they are, and knows they are there to focus on what they are doing. My girls must turn off or silence their phones. They are not allowed to touch them except for our last break to confirm rides, or call in if there will be a significant change in ending times. I will run some type of discipline for breaking the rules. Continued violations would mean you did not have respect for the team or coach, and that you should probably be somewhere else. I have never had to come close to that extreme. All the girls know up front what is expected of them, and thus are very adaptable to be away from their obsession.
Bus rides are a different story with me. Listening to music, talking, doing homework, or texting are individual ways my players can relax and get 'loose'. When we are at the game venue, phones are off, as we then need to be focused for today's contest. Game plans were already in place, and it then time to put final attention to it. If the players have had time to lose any jitters in their own relaxing style, we all have an easier time getting ready later. We have a post game meeting before boarding, or early on during the bus ride. After that, I believe the players should be able to de-compress in a manner they enjoy and find relaxing. High school kids are able to take in the respect and team consideration factors quite easily if you set the parameters early on.
Posted by: HARRY E. SMITH ( Email: ) at 9/28/2009 12:14 PM
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Players of all levels have shorter attention spans then most coaches believe. UNC's coach Anson Dorrance (most successful college coach of all times) practices never last more then 90 minutes. They are intense, but short. I personally hate any breaks in practice. We have water on the field at all times, but we rarely ever stop for water breaks (drink on the move, in line between reps, etc..). Occassionally we will break if we need to re-set the field for one reason or another (very infrequently that we can not plan to avoid this, but small field scrimmages do require a break to move goals, etc). We vary the physical intensity of drills (kids can't run non-stop for 120 minutes), but we are constantly at work. There for, what cell phones? I have seen them pop out in those rare breaks, I ignore them during the break (assuming it must be important), but that player better not be the last one back on the field when break is over. Bus rides, I don't see the problem. You will burn players out if you keep them up too long. They will be exhausted by game time if they are only thinking of the game for the three hours leading up to start time. Be responsible for the build up to the game time. We use the expression, let's punch the clock and go to work. This is our trigger.. friday night plans, school work discussion, cell phones, etc... all stop then. Drills become focussed and we are then in game mode.
If you are referring to small kids that might need a rule, make it simple, in your bag, on silent, and if you parents need to reach you, they can call me.
Posted by: Chris Carroll ( Email: ) at 9/30/2009 9:29 AM
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PCA RESPONSE BY JOE SCALLY, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING AND EVALUATION
Your goal of keeping players off their cell phones before, during, and after games is a good one. Your plan for accomplishing that appears reasonable. I would encourage you to consider some interim steps before implementing your plan.
Talk with the team captains, or other leaders on the team, to determine whether there are any legitimate reasons for the players to have access to cell phones at some point before or after games. For instance, for away games, the time or exact location may change at the last minute or the game may go longer than expected. Players may want to share this information with someone who is coming to watch the game or pick them up afterward.
Once you’ve had this discussion, set whatever limits are reasonable for your team. The limits you outline in your plan seem good, in general. Explain to the players the reasons why these limits will make them better as individuals and as a team. Then ask them to take personal responsibility for respecting the limits.
They will keep their phones, but turn them off and put them away according to the rules. Set some consequences for violations. Ask the captains and other leaders to help you enforce these rules. While this approach might require some extra vigilance initially, in the long run it can enhance a team culture of respect and the learning of the individual players.
A coach told me the other day that she has banned cell phones and headphones on the team bus for several years. Her consequence for a violation is that the whole team does some extra running. When a new player pulled out her phone on the bus last week, a captain and two seniors immediately went up the player and told her to put it away. The coach was aware of this while it was going on, but didn’t have to say anything. She has built a culture that is self-enforcing.
If this approach doesn’t work, going to your plan would be a reasonable next step. I’m betting, however, that the players will step up and do the right thing. They’ll have learned an important lesson about how to approach practice and competition that they can follow in whatever they do.
Posted by: Joe Scally ( Email: ) at 10/1/2009 1:49 PM
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Texting messages has been part of scoreboards for many years. This technology can be embraced as the new technology for running any sporting game if we look at it constructively. Why ban something that could be our future/is our future? Perhaps the best approach is to take advantage of what it has to offer the game/athletes. Many sporting games allow coaching throughout the game. Is "Text-coach"just around the corner?
Team Discussion: Let's talk about how we can constructively use texting to improve our chances of winning games. improving athletically, and improving team spirit, cooperation, responsibility, and respect. Whatever the result, it will include team member input---important to team spirit and recognition of individuals as important.
Posted by: Raymond Morley ( Email: ) at 10/11/2009 4:26 AM
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