TunneySide of Sports

On the TunneySide of Sports November 29, 2021 #876 Up next… Coaching And Teaching Can Be Synonymous

”Nothing is ever so bad it can’t be made worse by firing the coach.” wrote former syndicated sports columnist Jim Murray. Murray, arguably the greatest ever, was able to succinctly capture the essence of a sports story with humor and satire. What brings the Murray quote to mind is that this is the time of year when football coaches are separated from their jobs.

So, what is the role of a coach? At the Little League or high school levels, the coach’s focus needs to be on teaching. Players certainly should “play to win the game,” as Coach Herm Edwards says in my book “It’s the Will, Not the Skill.” However, teaching must come first. My belief is coaching and teaching can be synonymous.

As a former high school teacher and administrator, I believe that the role of a teacher is to help students become better people as well as better learners. What if in any given classroom, a teacher treated students as players, for example, some as quarterbacks, some as linemen, some as receivers with each student/player having different abilities? The teacher then helps develop that student’s special talents.

Should college and professional coaches be teachers as well? A former NFL coach, who has won a Super Bowl, told me “In the NFL, you don’t get paid to teach, you get paid to win.” Should that be the challenge for college coaches as well? Can a college or pro coach do both? Pro coaches with whom I had the pleasure of being with on the field did both [Lombardi, Landry, Walsh, Shula, Madden, and Edwards). Players spoke highly of their learning experiences both on and off the field. They appreciated the efforts coaches make in helping them become better people as well as better players.

Good coaches do that. However, all too often teaching takes a back seat to the pressures of winning. The race to be number one becomes too important. Economics often drives winning at all costs.

Will you support those who teach/coach the person inside the player?

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

On the TunneySide of Sports November 22, 2021 #875 Up next… On Trash Talking

I grew up on playgrounds, fields, and streets and have always felt very much at home there. I was lucky. There were no video games, no cell phones where you could actually see the person to whom you were speaking. “Log-in?” Huh? You had to go next door and ask his mom if Billy could “come out and play?” We didn’t talk much on the phone but created games to play – in the streets.

My dad helped nurture my feelings of comfort through sports and taught me a lot about people and relationships. As an example, Dad was in the stands at one of my high school baseball games when I was on first base and happened to say a word to my opponent who had been a long-time pal but was now on the opposing team. I got “picked off” – “Out!’ said the umpire. I learned a lesson.

There are two sides to most issues as well as this one. One is the talk that comes from long-time friendships with former players. The other is “trash talk” that may be intended to rile up an opponent. The latter has no place in sports. Yet, I see it in some of the most competitive athletes – pro golfers are one example. This sport is such that seldom do fisticuffs result from that. The pro golfing spat between Brooks Koepka – Bryson DeChambeau in 2021 could have been settled without its publicity.

As an NFL referee for 31 years, I heard trash talk all too often. In this 2021 season the NFL instituted a rule: if players are taunting an opponent, which usually starts with trash-talking or other insulting remarks, it calls for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (15 yards). Further unsportsmanlike actions call for disqualification. It was always my intention on the field to shut off talking but keep the player in the game. Sometimes it is beyond that limit and the player(s) must be disqualified. Do you go to games to see/hear players trash talk/fight/or be kicked out?

Most dictionaries define the word “trash” as junk, or litter, or severely criticize. What value does that add to any game? Further, what example does it send to younger players who see their “heroes”(?) take that approach? I guess you’ve heard me say that before!

Will you encourage others to treat players (people) with decency?

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.