Coach resigns over profane speech, community supports him

Shawn Abel resigned from his position as varsity football coach at Collierville (Tenn.) High School earlier this week. Controversy erupted when a recording of Abel's pre-game speech prior to a game last Thursday was posted on YouTube. I've listened to the unedited version of Abel's speech. He should be ashamed of himself as a coach, educator, father, and a man. I won't post the speech nor will I provide a link through this blog. You can find it yourself through your favorite search engine. It's beneath the spirit of sportsmanship and beneath the character of this blogger to post such filth. Yes, I said filth. Watch the WPTY-TV story below about Abel's speech and it's aftermath (email subscribers click here).




What sparks outrage in a community often boggles the mind. The Facebook support page for Abel now has over 2,600 members - and they're mad at the kid who posted the rant on YouTube. Have a look for yourself with the link I've provided.  Moreover, most of the members aren't kids themselves. When is it ever OK to curse out a kid? I'll wait...maybe you have a reason I haven't thought of. Maybe there's a good reason to talk to kids that way. The WPTY story also mentions Abel teaches pre-calculus and other advanced math courses at Collierville. You would think a man that smart could come up with a more intelligent way to motivate his team.

I know what you're going to say. This is football. Coaches have always used profanity. These kids need to "man up" and stop being a bunch of babies. Let's examine those points for a moment. First, they're kids and not men. Besides, no grown man I know would allow anyone to say to him what Abel said to those kids - not his boss, not his best friend, no one. We also know that many coaches have used and still use profanity toward players. Stop it! Negative actions do not yield positive results. Coaching is about putting your players in the best position to be successful. Point out what they're doing wrong. Then, show them how to fix it. In nearly three minutes of profanity-laced garbage, Abel never did that.

Coach Abel never told his players what they should do to improve their blocking, tackling, etc. He just yelled four-letter words and empty threats. Abel knew it, too. His own words showed he was aware of what he was doing. Yet, he kept on cursing. Abel said, "I'm sorry to yell, but apparently you don't understand me when I talk to you like a human." On the first page of the booklet A Standard Higher Than Victory, author Bruce Brown makes a very clear statement about the role of coaches. He writes, "Coaches need to make their expectations and values clear." Tell your kids what you're about and what you expect them to do. Be firm without being foul. Make them do push-ups to get stronger and run laps to get faster. Make everything you do as a coach have a purpose.

Your team has the opportunity to get free copies of the booklets A Standard Higher Than Victory and Through a Child's Eyes: A Parents' Guide to Improving Youth Sports by joining the Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Initiative. There's no cost involved. Just click on the following link for our Team Players Program and sign-up to receive your free Cardinals Care Package - a sportsmanship kit filled with the aforementioned booklets and other materials to help you promote character and sportsmanship in your organization. Our children can be great people. They really wish to be. They only need us to show them the way. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol