Coach resigns over "Hurt Feelings Report"

Be glad your kid didn't bring this home.

Pat Lynch was the head football coach at Buffalo (Wyo.) High School until last week when word of his "Hurt Feelings Report" reached school and district administrators. Lynch distributed the document to his players and had them submit a completed version to him when they had a complaint. The document you see in this post is the "Hurt Feelings Report" in its entirety. However, I did have the profanity and slurs redacted.  Let me be clear. Students did not create this as a prank or to bully another student. Their coach...an adult...the school's guidance counselor created this and gave it to his players.  Oh, I forgot to mention that. Lynch is Buffalo's guidance counselor. Beyond football, this guy gives kids advice on college and career. Go figure.

The school board decided to accept Lynch's resignation as football coach but is allowing him to remain as guidance counselor. This is yet another example of coaches using questionable methods to motivate players. A few weeks ago, Shawn Abel of Collierville (Tenn.) High School resigned from his position as head football coach after he was recorded shouting profanities at his players before a game. Abel was also allowed to keep his full-time position at the school as a math teacher. I'm not going to debate whether or not these men should be fired. I will say that those of us who teach and coach kids have the responsibility to treat them with respect no matter what the setting. We have no right to demean them and tear them down. 

Calling a young boy a "girly-man" will not help him become the man he should be. As a matter of fact, all that does is create another problem. He's no closer to being a man and now he hates his coach. I've said this before and it bears repeating. Be sure everything you do as a coach has a positive outcome in mind. Make them run to get faster. Make them do push-ups to get stronger. Push them so they'll go forward, but don't knock them down. Raise your voice to raise their game. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Related Links:

Wyoming coach resigns after forcing offensive survey on players - Yahoo! Sports

Coach resigns over profane speech, community supports him - Sportsmanship Blog