Indoor? wrote:
welp wrote:
This is tiring, but I'll give it one more shot.
If YOU don't text and drive, you stand a really good chance of being safe when you drive. We can all agree distractions while driving are dangerous. But, that's only 50% of the equation when you talk about an accident. You can do EVERYTHING right, but if the other party is texting, drunk, tired etc and run a red light T-bone you at 55 mph, you are still n a bit of trouble.
Based on your tone and responses, you are likely a younger, less experienced coach. Many of us have coached for years and have seen and experienced a wide variety of things. We have all tried helping. You haven't gotten into trouble yet because you have been very fortunate. But you are crossing all sorts of lines and eventually you will pay the price for not being more careful.
Please take out advice and make some changes. You'll thank us later. Promise.
I've coached for 15 years as I mentioned. I have no concerns. It may not work like this everywhere but most places it does. In my area in Wisconsin I can't even think of any of the coaches I know who are not somewhat similar. You guys are mainly the confused minority. Every coach I know texts their athletes. As I have said numerous times I do avoid being 1 on 1 in any private settings, but will occasionally run 1 on 1, which is out in public.
Your example is a bad one because it make it seem like there is some level of control that I'm giving up, but my chances of getting hit by a drunk driver are much much higher than anything bad happening with my coaching. It's impossible to happen for these reasons:
1. I don't do anything bad(FULL STOP THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS)
But for you worry warts out there...
2. Don't ever delete my texts so have back up of everything I have ever said.
3. When run with girls it is out in the open in public.
4. If anyone were to acuse me(which has never happened nor have I ever felt like there was any chance), there would be no evidence, other girls and guys on the team would back me up as would other parents, teachers and administrators.
It's pretty misogynistic of all of you to assume that groups of girls are just littered with crazies ready to make up stuff. But I guess that's what you get here. I feel bad if you guys are actually coaching females. You're probably coaches that tell them they get worse after freshman year too.
I'm done now however, you guys have proven you can't figure out reality. My advice to anyone wanting to get into coaching, please do so, care about your athletes, work hard for them, be smart about the situations you put yourself in but don't go over the top with it. Having a strong relationship and helping an athlete get to their goal is a super rewarding experience and then when that turns into a lifetime of running it's even better. The best is when stay in touch and let you know how things are going, that shows you truly have made a lasting impact. Finally texting is a form of communication the same as email, speaking, phone calls, etc... Do not let these guys trick you into believing it's some scandalous form for salacious activity. It also happens to be how High Schoolers communicate, so if you want to actually be able to connect and Coach your athletes, text them appropriately. Not a ton, not at all hours of the night, but some texts asking how a run went or how they are feeling is 100% completely OK.