by defensewinsgames » Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:44 am
My response would echo what has been said. When kids see parents bashing coaches, officials, other players they learn to not respect those people either. If the parents are saying things and the kids are hearing it the players will show those feelings during times when their brains don't filter it out like normal (like the intense moments of an athletic event). I will say the schools I see get the most technicals are almost always the schools with the loudest/most disrespectful fan bases and coaching staffs.
The other piece is kids will do what they get away with. It is wired in the teenage brain to find the limit and get as close to as they can. If the kid knows there are no or minimal consequences and they can brag about it to friends later they will do it. If there was a zero tolerance policy and technicals led to a ton of running and missed playing time they wouldn't happen. The schools I know where coaches have policies like this you don't see many technicals at all. Put character development in-front of winning and things will change a lot. In the words of the great Mike Ditka, "In life, you get what you tolerate."