Dealing with the problem athlete.

As a coach you cannot escape it. Sooner or later you are going to run into the kind of problem athlete who will not only take the fun out of coaching but may jeopardize the entire program.

The temptation, of course, will be: Get rid of this guy! But capital punishment is no solution. It is a last resort.

Part of our ministry as coaches is to work with such cases - to restore their equilibrium and return them to the group. The task is rarely easy. You will probably find yourself spending most of your time and energy on just one or two percent of your players.

Your "lost sheep" can leave you spent and exhausted, unable to perform the rest of your duties efficiently. 0r even worse, discover that your troubled athlete are spreading the contagion.

They are masters at such things, either by design or chance. They will engage in an endless list of negative behaviors such as being tardy for meetings, practices or workouts, dress in a unbecoming manner, be disrespectful or rude, have poor interpersonal relationships with players and coaches, play one against the other, be critical of teammates and coaches, be disloyal, loaf, sulk, brood, etc.

Many of these individuals may be impossible to relate to or even to spot, but most will have one or more of the following characteristics:

1. Low self-esteem, that ties into other factors dislike for them selves and for others, a paranoiac belief that they are unliked and that "people are out to get them."

2. Poor social skills with players and other coaches, or maybe good social skills which they may use to manipulate others.

3. Poor family structure, if any; come from broken or highly dysfunctional environments, or is embarrassed over a family situation or lack of money.

4. An intense and unhealthy need for attention and affirmation, manifested by loud, boastful, an rude speech and other behaviors designed to get attention.

5. Some may be fairly intelligent, but usually not good students. They may have some type of learning disability that embarrasses them.

6. Feel they should be an exception and are often treated as such, because of their athletic ability.

7. May have a substance abuse problem and / or addictive personality.

8. The most serious ones may haw sociopathic personality traits or serious personality disorders.

Many young men and women exhibit some of these characteristics at some time in their maturation process, but our troubled and difficult athletes are that way almost all the time.

Though there is no exact science for dealing with such personalities, we should have a solid philosophy in place to deal with them. With work, wisdom, preparation, and a great deal of patience we can sometimes help these individuals use their athletic experience as a tool for growth.

The following may prove helpful in providing direction and guidance.

1. Whatever the situation is, the head coach should always begin by modeling the appropriate behavior, especially when dealing with painfully immature and highly suggestible individuals. We must constantly be on guard about what we do and say around them. We cannot expect our players to practice behavior that we do not practice ourselves.

2. One key ingredient in dealing with problem players is simply enforcing a solid set of rules. Don't turn into "counselors" and "therapists." Simply abide by the rules. They should cover most of what you are going to encounter, if not, then rethink, revise, and rewrite what you have. A wise set of enforceable team rules and guidelines can be tremendously helpful.

3. Since exceptions are just that--extraordinary events which seldom happen--don't find yourself making exceptions on a regular basis. It will usually mean that something is wrong with the rules or with the way they are being enforced.

Exceptions should be based on merit and circumstances, not on how difficult a player is to deal with. Our troubled athletes are often looking for discipline and direction, but we fail to deliver because of some ill-conceived notions. Don't think too much!

4. Don't assume you can read pen pie's minds, motives, and intentions. Yon will be asking for more trouble. Work on the behavior don't judge the individual. You can do much more good by being honest, firm, consistent, and patient, as opposed to playing psychoanalyst 

5. Maintain contact with the player's parents and keep files informed of any serious problems. Parents have a right to know what is going on with their child. Unfortunately, there may be no positive influence in the home. But you still have to make every effort to keep parents abreast of all developments. In many instances, they can be strong allies.

6. You must decide on what behavior has to be addressed or confronted and what has to be ignored. Difficult, troubled players often do things that irritate or annoy us, but are not necessarily bad. You may be belier off ignoring the irritating behavior and spending your energy on emphasizing positive and acceptable behavior.

7. Don't let your ego get in the way of problem-solving. Every experienced coach will admit that he once ran off a "difficult" player because he let his own ego get in the way. Troubled players can often find our weakness and hit us where it hurts. Instead of confronting our weakness and growing in the process, we may "get rid" of the player. Coaching can be a tremendous growth experience.

8. Lastly we must have a strong belief in exactly what we are. We are in the business of helping young men and women grow and mature. We will be constantly amazed at how much an individual can change for the better. People are capable of miraculous growth and maturity. It has happened to many of us. Never underestimate the power you may have in shaping and influencing other individuals!

The AFCA and America's Missing Children

Each year approximately 450,000 children run away, 300,000 children are abducted by a family member, and 58,000 children are abducted by strangers. That amounts to more than 900,000 missing children a year or one every 40 seconds.

As a community service initiative, the American Football Coaches Association created the National Child Identification Program (NCIDP) that provides parents and guardians with a clean, convenient way to record their child's fingerprints and physical characteristics an a card they can keep at home. It has become the largest child identification effort ever conducted. Since the NCIDP's inception in 1997, more than 15 million inkless Child I.D. Kits have been distributed by various organizations at football stadiums and in schools across the country.

In the fall of 2001, the FBI partnered with NCIDP while Congress recognized the NCIDP and AFCA with the unanimous passage of House Congressional Resolution 100.

The teamwork among coaches, athletes, elected officials, and many corporate partners will continue to allow NCIDP to grow and reach its goal of fingerprinting all 62 million K-12 children in the U.S.

The AFCA is currently inviting all universities and colleges to participate. Schools can request a Game Information Sheet for the National Child Identification Program, by contacting stadium program coordinators at 214-630-2245.

THE KIT

Each kit is enclosed in a standard #10 letter-sized envelope and is comprised of an inkless fingerprinting foil pouch, containing a clear, non-toxic fingerprint solution, and an I.D. Card which includes:

* Instructions on how to take a fingerprint.

* A standard fingerprint area that can be used by law enforcement.

* Sections for child's physical description and identifying marks.

* Space for a current photograph.

* Doctor's phone numbers.

HOW TO OBTAIN A KIT

Families who would like to receive a Child I.D. Kit for their child can also order the kits by calling 1-888-55-IDKIT or via the Internet at www.childidprogram.com.