Dealing With Illegal Substantces And Your Athletes

[ADaniels5510]

How do you handle athletes in your gym that post on Facebook or Twitter about smoking drugs or drinking at parties? Even when its states in the contract that they signed? Or when the come into practice inebriated?

How do you deal with it? How can you stop it without cancelling out a paortion of a team?

 

[cupieqt]

Sometimes the right thing and the easy thing are not the same thing.

 

[ADaniels5510]

Agreed but it's half way through the season, how could you be persistent without removal? Even when its in a contract?

 

[cupieqt]

What are some consequences you are comfortable following through with?

 

[cupieqt]

If you feel removal isn't an option you should get creative. Extra conditioning? Cleaning the gym? Formal apologies? All of the above? What are some things you can effectively enforce?

 

[ADaniels5510]

If you feel removal isn't an option you should get creative. Extra conditioning? Cleaning the gym? Formal apologies? All of the above? What are some things you can effectively enforce?

Cleaning our gym is used when an athlete doesn't show up to practice or is late with no reason. We also don't find conditioning to be a way of punishment and since the season is in full gear, sitting that athlete out of practice is only hurting the team... That may be what it takes to get the to understand that what they are doing is illegal, against contract and wrong. Writing an apology to the team and or parent (because the parent has a small % chance of knowing what their child is doing) may also help. They are teenagers that think it's "cool" or "fun" when it's only leaving grounds for termination.

 

[CoachMandiCF]

How do you handle athletes in your gym that post on Facebook or Twitter about smoking drugs or drinking at parties? Even when its states in the contract that they signed? Or when the come into practice inebriated?

How do you deal with it? How can you stop it without cancelling out a paortion of a team?

If they come to practice under the influence, they should be removed from the program.

If they post about it on FB/Twitter, I'd have a sit down with the parent and athlete first. Most of the times that parent has no clue what is going on and doesn't monitor their child's social media postings. If it continues after that, institute a fine if it happens again.

 

[MissBee]

Here's how I deal with it:
Screen capture, print, meeting with kid and parents, show print out, explain removal from team. Excort them out the door.

Don't make rules unless you are willing to follow through with them. If your contract states removal from the team, you remove them from the team. No ifs, ands or buts.

 

[thecheernerd]

Here's how I deal with it:
Screen capture, print, meeting with kid and parents, show print out, explain removal from team. Excort them out the door.

Don't make rules unless you are willing to follow through with them. If your contract states removal from the team, you remove them from the team. No ifs, ands or buts.

You have to follow through on whatever the contract states...100%! Otherwise you will have more trouble in the future! This athlete chose their destiny and there has to be consequences.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Last year we had a girl (school team, not all star) that had been smoking pot on or near school grounds and she ended up being kicked off the team right before nationals. It was in our cheer handbook & athletic code saying that you can't do drugs or you will be removed from the team.
If you wrote it in contract you have to follow through. Otherwise athletes might get the idea that it is okay for them to do these things because they will never get in trouble for them. And I'm sure this girl that is doing drugs or whatever must not really love and be committed to cheerleading if she does these things. A lover of the sport would never do something to put their team or themselves at risk.

 

[cupieqt]

Cleaning our gym is used when an athlete doesn't show up to practice or is late with no reason. We also don't find conditioning to be a way of punishment and since the season is in full gear, sitting that athlete out of practice is only hurting the team...

Is their behavior hurting the team or your program? Would sitting them out or kicking them off the team hurt more?
Protect your team and your name. Sitting an athlete out of practice is pretty small consequences for something that could potentially damage your long term goals. As much as I love my athletes as individuals, I treat my program as if it's an individual thats more important than ANYONE. Including me. What's best for your program?

 

[XtremeWpg]

How do you handle athletes in your gym that post on Facebook or Twitter about smoking drugs or drinking at parties? Even when its states in the contract that they signed? Or when the come into practice inebriated?

How do you deal with it? How can you stop it without cancelling out a paortion of a team?

If they signed the contract, you have to enforce it. I've dealt with this while coaching before, and you think that it'll be okay if you dont' do much...you're dead wrong. This will have an impact on the entire team, probably more than removing the offending members will. The resentment and bitterness literally will take over the program, demolishing the team from the inside out.

In my experience, removing the people , ESPECIALLY those that come to practice under any influence, is the best way.

 

[NCMom]

Continuing to have this person a part of your program may be more harmful than removing them completely. Not only is it not good for the athlete to be taking part in destructive behavior but they are bringing it into your place of business and if you allow that it could deter future business. How would a parent of a mini aged child or a special needs child or even a senior aged athlete feel about letting their son/daughter be around that? If they are new and looking from the outside in and that is their first impression it may not look so good. I understand that from the inside looking out you have reasons for wanting to make it work but in this case it may not be possible. However, it never hurts to let teenaged kids know that you see what they are doing and that you care. If you discussed it with them maybe it would stop, but if not you would definitely know where their priorities were. Best of luck.

 

[dawgshow]

Continuing to have this person a part of your program may be more harmful than removing them completely. Not only is it not good for the athlete to be taking part in destructive behavior but they are bringing it into your place of business and if you allow that it could deter future business. How would a parent of a mini aged child or a special needs child or even a senior aged athlete feel about letting their son/daughter be around that? If they are new and looking from the outside in and that is their first impression it may not look so good. I understand that from the inside looking out you have reasons for wanting to make it work but in this case it may not be possible. However, it never hurts to let teenaged kids know that you see what they are doing and that you care. If you discussed it with them maybe it would stop, but if not you would definitely know where their priorities were. Best of luck.

Not to mention what could happen if that athlete brings illegal substances into the gym and gets caught! Even if there are no legal repercussions against the gym, the PR nightmare wouldn't be worth it.

 

[lovcheer1995]

USASF should drug test before competitions soo athletes can't get away with using illeagal substances in any gym