[CaptainCrunch]

I've been thinking a lot about the coaching thing over the last few days, and not really responding, but following along. I'm not here to justify Bill Peter's actions or any other abusive coaches actions.


To put it into perspective and to lay it out honestly, I've got 13 years of coaching experience in Amateur Football.



I started out with 4 years at the high school level. I began as a Defensive Line Coach and then was moved to DC in my 2nd year. After that because of the work required for coaching, I happily stepped away. A few years later I was wearing my coaching Jacket at a Stamps game and was approached by a Coach of the Calgary Rage. They were looking for coaches and noticed my jacket, and we talked and I was invited on staff. My first year was as a Defensive Line and LB's coach. My second year and third year were as the DC there, and then I moved back to being a Linebackers Coach.


I had decided to leave coaching when I was recruited by the Calgary Cowboys, I started as the O line Coach and then was moved to the OC slot for the next three years. Last year, after being burned out and having a year marred by some pretty deep tragedies and a realization that I wasn't having fun, we mutally walked away. I was done and finished with coaching, I packed up my all of my playbooks, and DVD's and books on coaching. All of my guides and threw them into my storage room. But I was recruited by a Calgary Colts team that really needed coaches, it was close to my house and I figured that I wanted one more year just to end things right. We didn't do well in the standings, but it was the most fun coaching staff and groups of players that I worked with, and I'm looking at doing some Spring Ball as well as returning to Bantam.



When I first started coaching at the highschool level there was no certification requirement for coaching, you had to get a police check done, and that's it. So a lot of your training was by your head coach or your coordinator. You learned how to deal with players, practice, make adjustments to the game and motivate players based on the methods of your senior coaches.



When I went to the Rage Football Canada was pretty much just reforming their certification requirements and every coach had to get it. You took a day course on ethical decisions, dealing with players and parents. The major no's of coaching etc. Then you took your position certifications. Once you had that it doesn't expire you can merely go every year and take positional coaches.



Two years ago they added safe contact, this season it was mandatory to not only teach it but to actually have the certification. Its now a lot tougher for some dad who's only going to coach as long as his sons playing to walk on the field and coach. Or some ex CFL or college player to just declare himself a coach.



Ok that's step one of the personal coaching story. Now my experience as a player.


I was a football player, I was ok, not great, usually started. When I played in the caveman days. Coaches were usually either teachers or volunteers, they had previous playing experience and they usually picked up coaching methods used on them or taught to them by other coaches. Because of that you saw a lot of hard arse coaches. The term player coaches didn't exist. Parents sent their son into a meat grinder because of their belief that the coaches could toughen them up in sports, school and life. Maybe pass on some kind of life lesson in perseverance.



Now I will say this. I was yelled at by coaches, made to run laps til I puked, I was taught technique and footwork in battles and toughness in things like the Oklahoma Drill and King of the Mountain and the pits. Coaches would pit players against players, usually starters against Backups, because honestly backups want to start and kick the crap out of the Starters and the Starters want to keep their job. Coaches yelled and pushed, and tossed players around. I can't though remember having a single racist action happen, or any kind of excessive physical abuse, and frankly in those days a coach grabbing your face mask and yelling at you and slapping your helmet wasn't to me abusive, I never thought that way ever.



As I progressed in the sport from Midget to High School Junior Teams to High School Senior teams and beyond. The intensity ramped up. There was a coaching hierarchy, While a Position Coach might soften on you and have discussions, The Coordinator literally was as short as possible with you because he cared about systems and execution, And man if the head coach approached you, it was usually because you either did something really well, or you were so bad that you were now holding for field goals.



During the season, you didn't have conversations, you took direction and instruction and the yelling. In the off season, they were different people and you could talk to them.


So what's my point in this mess of text.


This is how these coaches were taught, and frankly this is how a lot of pro coaches were taught, they were lectured and encouraged by the previous generation of coaches. The Bill Peters got his lessons from his coach who got his lessons from his coach etc and etc. On top of that the really hyper successful coaches like the Scotty Bowmans, for example, were absolutely nasty pieces of work.



There were other coaches, like the Bob Johnsons for example who didn't take that route from player to assistant coach in the minors or the amateur ranks who clawed their ways to the NHL. The Johnson's who came through the coaching ranks via the college systems who viewed coaching as a science, a combination of systems and motivation and psychology theory.



Now, have things changed and do they have to change. I'd say yes and yes.



For me, I say down and thought about it. When I coached High School Ball years ago, I approached everything with a high level of intensity, and I knew there were times when I had to push or breakdown a player so I could build him up again. I knew I had to be demanding at times and intimidating at times, and I knew there were times that you needed to foster a us against them player coaching relationship. But the thing is, I never used personal insults, I jumped on their game and their effort level and their preparation. I never physically assaulted a player. I would demonstrate on players .


By the time I reached the Bantam coaching level, I made it pretty clear to the head coach. If you run head to head pits or ohlahoma or any of the other toughness battle drills, I probably can't be here. They don't teach technique and your probably going to concuss players. I stopped yelling at players and started talking to players, if I needed to demand effort I could do that. But the players knew that once or twice a season, there was a pretty good chance that I would blow up because of lack of effort, execution, preparation. How did they know that? Because I warned them at the start of the year, that I will yell when I need to yell, and you need to know what that means.



I had to change because the modern student athlete is smarter then we are, is better trained then we are, with the elite level players they have a level of desire that can't be coached. so that's great. I also use the reverse system with my staff. If I need a kid to be motivate, its up to you as a position coach to do that, If I have to step in its because your not doing it.



We're eventually going to see the end of the old school coaches, the old blood and guts yeller and screamers, the Peters, the Babcocks, The Torts, the guys like the Sutters will have to fade away. The players get paid too much to be motivated in traditional means and they have too much access to social media and the media. We're going to see more technocrat coaches, or teaching coaches or even player coaches with psychology degrees. With long term big money contracts, we're going to see less high effort players except in the last year of their deal unless coaches can start providing life lessons and sell players on effort that doesn't involved pitting players against each other.


Unless the league manages to either shorten contract terms or add a cut component to contracts anyways.


Look what Bill Peters did is beyond the pale and there should have never ever been any room for that in any organization, there's no motivational benefit to it or teaching opportunity in the use of racial slurs whether directed at a specific player or not.



The kicking, chocking and helmet hitting on the bench, that's a lesson that's been passed down over 100 years of hockey coaching experience in the answer how do a I get a player to pay attention or get his head out of his a$$. But that's a practice that's needed to go away for a long time.



This is certainly an issue that's on the NHL and on the individual organizations as well. How are they controlling things how are they ensuring quality control and making sure that coaches aren't crossing the line.



It also goes to the argument that Tre should have know, and its tough to say, but at the same time Carolina knew what was happening and probably Chicago as well and they chose to bury it. Does Tre know what's going on in his locker room?



We've seen a tectonic shift in coaching over the last dozen years especially at the Child level, now it seems that the pro game needs to put in the same effort and set up the same standards and enforcement that they have at the kids level.


Just my two cents.