Max, I agree, but this is OUT OF HAND...and I mean it....if someone steals the ball from him, he falls down and starts throwing a fit...it is disgraceful for a 2 year old much less a nearly 5 year old. And his dad then runs on the field...... I am trying to get them TO steal the ball, that is the point....... I may have to tranquilize the father.....and then show him what happens when his son just lays there and whines.......NOTHING..... DD
When you coach, you have to have some sort of authority regardless of age. I'm not at all saying that you hold a 4 year old to the same standard as a 14 year old but you do have to have the authority to run your team the right way.
i'm all about teaching him the game...and making him sit on the bench if he can't control his behavior. communicating your expectation of him. but i wouldn't take it past that, frankly. not at this age level.
my 2 year old nephew whines and throws his body on teh floor like that...and trust me, it's all for attention. when we ignore him, he eventually gets up and goes about his business. i'm not a parent, and i'm not giving any advice as how to deal with it. it's just a behavior i've witnessed time and time again. i think he does need to be "disciplined" as it is disruptive.
I think that is way to harsh, I would rather give the kid a better example of how things work.....it works wonders when Dad is not at the practices or games....... He only does it when Mom or Dad are around...... I will probably sit him down during practices for a spell to get the point across, that worked with the other kids.....he will throw a fit, but who cares...I will ignore it, then tell him when he is done whining he can come back and play. Yeah, I agree. DD
Your a coach not a baby sitter. I have coached my daughters' softball teams for the past 7 years. The best thing I did was put my wife as the team mom and she kept the scorebook for the games. She was in the dugout the whole time and if they got out of line, she got on to them. Kids will listen to a mom.
At 4 years old, you can send the child to the sideline with his parents until he is ready to come back and participate in practice with the rest of the team. Talk to the parent one on one and explain that you have a concern about him coming onto the field. Tell him that you respect that he is an involved father, but for practice, to please remain on the sidelines. Also explain that his son's behavior is a disruption to the teams practice, and when these disruptions occur, you will send his son to the sidelines until he has calmed down and is ready to rejoin the team. Also let him know that you may call him to remove his son from the field if he flops to the ground, as you don't want to physically remove him.
Watching parents deal with their kids like this gives me ulcers. Uhhhgg. One time I was at a party with my daughter when she was about 7 or 8 and my coworker's daughter, who was about the same age, was there. She was a complete brat running wild all over the party. The adults were playing volley ball and she would grab the ball and run away with it. Her dad would do nothing to control her. It was quite a spectacle. Anyway, when we left the party I made a point of complimenting my daughter on her good behavior and contrasting it with the brat's.
I think what you did is fine. I'm only 21 and I can't even imagine having a kid, but you seem like you're handling it right. As others have suggested, maybe talk to the dad.
