WCAL Football 2024

I like Rittman keeping it closer than Drew’s line. That week 10 tilt with Black River is ugly. This isn’t the usual Columbia team and somehow, Rittman has played a tougher schedule…
 
Hoist the Black said:
I like Rittman keeping it closer than Drew’s line. That week 10 tilt with Black River is ugly. This isn’t the usual Columbia team and somehow, Rittman has played a tougher schedule…
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To play devils advocate... Per Drew Ritts best win is #547 in Chippewa, while Black River is #485. also beat #285 Clearview... But I agree i think it'll be closer to a 20 pt game.
 
AirRaidLeach said:
To play devils advocate... Per Drew Ritts best win is #547 in Chippewa, while Black River is #485. also beat #285 Clearview... But I agree i think it'll be closer to a 20 pt game.
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I don’t need an advocate, Mike. :ROFLMAO:
We’ve roughhoused all year and finally get to “let ‘em hang” against the outsiders.
 
Also, it’s come to my attention (like an elbow from the top ropes) that there are plenty of folks who read up here, but rarely signup. (Unless my buffoonery becomes too much to ignore) I say jump in. This thread was a lot of fun this year thanks to Smithville & Dalton and like one guy from Creston… Gimme more fan bases and this would be really special. Just follow my lead and be loud and wrong. It’s fun.
 
My Nephews' children are students at Rittman HS. I talked with him about what's going on there. He told me about a problem between an assistant coach and a player during the Waynedale game. I will mention no names as these are kids playing. The player was flagged with a personal foul (cheap shot after the whistle) the player was benched and proceeded to cuss out the assistant coach in front of the crowd. The head coach put the player back in the game and the assistant walked off the field. The players was later disciplined but quit instead of taking his punishment.
 
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Did a little digging and have some stats:
LaBrae averages 28.4 points on offense, their defense gives up and average of 22.1 points a game. Their opponents record this season is 41 wins and 59 losses.
Smithville averages 21.9 points on offense, their defense gives up and average of 15.9 points a game. Their opponents record this season is 44 wins and 56 losses.
 
Oldsmithie said:
My Nephews' children are students at Rittman HS. I talked with him about what's going on there. He told me about a problem between an assistant coach and a player during the Waynedale game. I will mention no names as these are kids playing. The player was flagged with a personal foul (cheap shot after the whistle) the player was benched and proceeded to cuss out the assistant coach in front of the crowd. The head coach put the player back in the game and the assistant walked off the field. The players was later disciplined but quit instead of taking his punishment.
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Big key to there line as well .
 
Oldsmithie said:
My Nephews' children are students at Rittman HS. I talked with him about what's going on there. He told me about a problem between an assistant coach and a player during the Waynedale game. I will mention no names as these are kids playing. The player was flagged with a personal foul (cheap shot after the whistle) the player was benched and proceeded to cuss out the assistant coach in front of the crowd. The head coach put the player back in the game and the assistant walked off the field. The players was later disciplined but quit instead of taking his punishment.
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“The Full Rittman”
 
Oldsmithie said:
My Nephews' children are students at Rittman HS. I talked with him about what's going on there. He told me about a problem between an assistant coach and a player during the Waynedale game. I will mention no names as these are kids playing. The player was flagged with a personal foul (cheap shot after the whistle) the player was benched and proceeded to cuss out the assistant coach in front of the crowd. The head coach put the player back in the game and the assistant walked off the field. The players was later disciplined but quit instead of taking his punishment.
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Bobcatsfan2016 said:
Big key to there line as well .
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Sounds like coaching at Rittman is a no win situation. No way should that kid be put back in the game. He should have been kicked off the team. I wonder if his parents were at the game?
 
Bobcatsfan2016 said:
I agree unfortunately I don’t think this kid has much of parents in his household. I know for sure his dad isn’t around.
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This is the thing that we all need to remind ourselves watching these kids play. All the talent in the world won’t get anyone over the hump without someone who loves you enough to teach you right from wrong.

And it goes the other way too. Coaches have these kids for a few hours a week. For parents to expect that a coach is going to “straighten” a kid out is parental malfeasance.

Sure there are exceptions but those only prove the rule.
 
bob99 said:
Sounds like coaching at Rittman is a no win situation. No way should that kid be put back in the game. He should have been kicked off the team. I wonder if his parents were at the game?
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Bobcatsfan2016 said:
I agree unfortunately I don’t think this kid has much of parents in his household. I know for sure his dad isn’t around.
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Raylan_Givens said:
This is the thing that we all need to remind ourselves watching these kids play. All the talent in the world won’t get anyone over the hump without someone who loves you enough to teach you right from wrong.

And it goes the other way too. Coaches have these kids for a few hours a week. For parents to expect that a coach is going to “straighten” a kid out is parental malfeasance.

Sure there are exceptions but those only prove the rule.
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First, I know nothing about this particular situation or the student-athlete(s) involved. But as a high school coach myself, I know that sometimes there are kids who truly need the team more than the team needs them. So maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel that, in those situations, coaches are (or should be) more lenient in public/outward punishments, while still making sure the discipline and/or repercussions are happening behind the scene. Some kids just need sports in their lives more than others. Understanding that is just part of the job description and what you sign up for when coaching at public schools. A high school coach without empathy is not a coach at all.
 
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thePITman said:
First, I know nothing about this particular situation or the student-athlete(s) involved. But as a high school coach myself, I know that sometimes there are kids who truly need the team more than the team needs them. So maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel that, in those situations, coaches are (or should be) more lenient in public/outward punishments, while still making sure the discipline and/or repercussions are happening behind the scene. Some kids just need sports in their lives more than others. Understanding that is just part of the job description and what you sign up for when coaching at public schools. A high school coach without empathy is not a coach at all.
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Good points PITman. The only thing I would add is that if a player is using profanity in a public setting and verbally abusing a team coach, he should have been benched for the remainder of the game. That is on the head coach. If I may pick your brain, how do you think this incident should have been handled in real time?
 
Another problem with not only high school athletes, but teens as well is social media. I’ve read and heard about more problems between kids at school, athletes and non athletes, than I’ve ever heard before. It’s mostly gossip, who went out with who, who did this to who, which can be a whole list of things, who said this about that girl, this guy, that teacher, this parent….holy smokes! Many kids don’t think before they push send or post. Coaches, whether it be basketball, football, softball, track or whatever, can’t monitor these kids on their own time. Im hoping most coaches talk about the dangers of social media to their teams and maybe some don’t, but it almost seems as if it should be a requirement these days. Then again does it go in one ear and out the other?
 
thePITman said:
First, I know nothing about this particular situation or the student-athlete(s) involved. But as a high school coach myself, I know that sometimes there are kids who truly need the team more than the team needs them. So maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel that, in those situations, coaches are (or should be) more lenient in public/outward punishments, while still making sure the discipline and/or repercussions are happening behind the scene. Some kids just need sports in their lives more than others. Understanding that is just part of the job description and what you sign up for when coaching at public schools. A high school coach without empathy is not a coach at all.
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100% on this. Know a HC who actually "uninvited" an assistant (non-teacher) from staying on with the team because he refused to let go of the HC being "too soft" on guys.

I for one have been critical of coaches based on performance, but I'm also going to be one of the first to acknowledge that each of the folks doing those jobs volunteered for something I never have. The empathy @thePITman is describing is one of the reason some coaches hang around despite what folks on the outside might view as mediocre W/L results.
 
bob99 said:
Good points PITman. The only thing I would add is that if a player is using profanity in a public setting and verbally abusing a team coach, he should have been benched for the remainder of the game. That is on the head coach. If I may pick your brain, how do you think this incident should have been handled in real time?
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My previous post was directed more at long-term decisions like kicking players off the team (some kids you just shouldn't kick off the team for their own personal well-being).

But to answer your question about this game in particular, it might sound like a cop-out, but all scenarios are different - the backstory, is this a repeat offense or first time/out of character for this individual, is the player actually correct in what he's arguing, etc. None of that excuses the behavior, but it does unconsciously (or consciously) play a factor in what disciplinary measures I'd take.

But having said that, if I see a player cussing out me or any other coach like was described, he's getting sent to the locker room (or the bus) and staying there. He's most certainly not going to re-enter that game. He's also probably not gonna dress the next game (in a sport like baseball where there are 20+ games in a season), or in a sport like football with only 10 games, sitting at least the first half of the next game.

Again, it depends on a lot of factors, including how his teammates (and team captains) feel about the situation. We elect captains for a reason. But my main point was to handle every situation on an individual basis. Not to go on another tangent about one of my pet peeves, but I hate "no tolerance" policies in schools today, and other rules that have zero wiggle room. School administrators, coaches, etc. are hopefully hired and/or approved for not only their skill but also their judgment. If I am comfortable justifying a decision that may look unfair or inconsistent to some people, I should be free to exercise my good judgment in those decisions and stand by them when asked. But that's a whole other topic.
 
thePITman said:
My previous post was directed more at long-term decisions like kicking players off the team (some kids you just shouldn't kick off the team for their own personal well-being).

But to answer your question about this game in particular, it might sound like a cop-out, but all scenarios are different - the backstory, is this a repeat offense or first time/out of character for this individual, is the player actually correct in what he's arguing, etc. None of that excuses the behavior, but it does unconsciously (or consciously) play a factor in what disciplinary measures I'd take.

But having said that, if I see a player cussing out me or any other coach like was described, he's getting sent to the locker room (or the bus) and staying there. He's most certainly not going to re-enter that game. He's also probably not gonna dress the next game (in a sport like baseball where there are 20+ games in a season), or in a sport like football with only 10 games, sitting at least the first half of the next game.

Again, it depends on a lot of factors, including how his teammates (and team captains) feel about the situation. We elect captains for a reason. But my main point was to handle every situation on an individual basis. Not to go on another tangent about one of my pet peeves, but I hate "no tolerance" policies in schools today, and other rules that have zero wiggle room. School administrators, coaches, etc. are hopefully hired and/or approved for not only their skill but also their judgment. If I am comfortable justifying a decision that may look unfair or inconsistent to some people, I should be free to exercise my good judgment in those decisions and stand by them when asked. But that's a whole other topic.
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I have plenty of unpopular opinions. Zero tolerance should actually read “zero liability”. Once you forfeit the agency of your own or a collective discretion, you are absolutely NOT benefiting a student/athlete. You’re likely just avoiding potential litigation.

In a team setting like this I’ve found absolutely nothing works better than having the offender front and center while the rest of the team completes an excruciating form of conditioning on their behalf.

“When you let the team down, the team pays for it. When you’re part of a team and a teammate lets us down, we put the work in to pick them back up.”

Life lessons. You don’t want to be the one to put your people through that.
 
I would hope that a coach has an adult level headedness....... that being said, I don't think you do any good by ignoring or not taking action when there is a young player acting out. I think that we learn by example and we teach young men that they will be held accountable for their actions. This is a life lesson that will serve them well down the road. Communication is always key in these situations.
 
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