Kids these days.....

[HasBeenorNeverWas]

Let's talk about attitudes and how you squash them. We're talking cursing directly in front of coaches, not wanting to be there, "I'm better than everything on the planet", cliques, not listening, not giving 100%, throwing helmets after a K, crying when they mess up, not acknowledging teammates if they try and pick them up......all the things that come with bad attitudes. I'm curious how you handle these things and if players just quit because they don't like being held to standards, or if you see improvement in attitudes etc. This applies to all ages, 10-18.

 

[Hawk_]

Well you have to be willing to lose a player, even if it means you won't have enough. But saying "you are no longer welcome on the team"..... that's how I handle it. Cliques are hard.... but players with attitude....see ya.

 

[nixxy311]

We have a girl on DD's HS SB team who has quite an attitude. If she makes a bad play or strikes out - when other players try to say something nice to her to encourage her, she brushes them off and basically tells them to get out of her face. When it was brought up to the coaches, coach says "That's just how she handles it" and the other players should just leave her alone. She can hit HRs so basically she gets a free pass
Certainly doesn't help with the team dynamics.

 

[Northball]

This is a pre-season meeting or 1st practice type of conversation with parents present. Lay out expectations of the players regarding their attitudes and let them know if that's not agreeable, they may find a better fit playing elsewhere.

 

[Chris8]

We have a girl on DD's HS SB team who has quite an attitude. If she makes a bad play or strikes out - when other players try to say something nice to her to encourage her, she brushes them off and basically tells them to get out of her face. When it was brought up to the coaches, coach says "That's just how she handles it" and the other players should just leave her alone. She can hit HRs so basically she gets a free pass
Certainly doesn't help with the team dynamics.

Not saying bad behavior is acceptable. Individual players have different ways of dealing with bad plays etc. We had a plan for our team called C.H.I.L.L. Catch yourself. How are you feeling? Intentional Anchor (finding that anchor some talk in gloves, some turn around, some pick up some dirt and rub on hands etc.) Let it go. Lock in. As a team we could remind ourselves and each other to C.H.I.L.L. and it was a reminder to get head back in game for next play.

We had a player similar to what you described. She didn't want to be told "You got this. Or Next time" etc. So we worked out a deal that in the dugout you have 60 seconds to be "upset" after that we move on. Players gave her the 60, she got herself recentered and life was good.

 

[canyonjoe]

I don't know where all of you played, but there were kids like that 50 years ago too.

 

[_MIA_]

Not saying bad behavior is acceptable. Individual players have different ways of dealing with bad plays etc. We had a plan for our team called C.H.I.L.L. Catch yourself. How are you feeling? Intentional Anchor (finding that anchor some talk in gloves, some turn around, some pick up some dirt and rub on hands etc.) Let it go. Lock in.

This is good..I am going to use C.H.I.L.L. next time I watch my kid play...

 

[radness]

Let's talk about attitudes and how you squash them.

throwing helmets after a K,

Tolerance may be overrated!
That player would be done in the moment for throwing a tantrum.

That said
At the beginning of every season
Always have a conversation about team etiquette and set a standard of sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Set the expectations and in that way administer responsibility.

 

[radness]

A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.~

Attention
To
The
Individual
Test
Under
Development
Everyday

Positive Purposeful Presence

 

[PJR202]

We just say "dry it up or you're on the bench." That generally works.

We only really have one kid that gets outwardly emotional like that a lot. The above works for her because she wants to play more than she wants to pout, and she's getting better about it every game. We knew this coming in. Great kid and solid player, but just needs some maturing, and she's been holding up her end of the bargain thus far.

The rest of our group is positive and supportive. We're lucky in that regard.