Highlands coach upset with people hiding behind a computer, sending anonymous emails

[Sweeperboy]

BW committed the cardinal sin of coaching at any level. He allowed parents of players , alumni and others get under his skin and called them out publicly.

 

This is a first for me to see a Highlands coach go after the nansayers etc instead of just ignoring them and let your coaching and your winning do the talking for you instead of playing the blame game.

 

Just scratching my head here trying to figure out why he would do such a thing.

[Sweeperboy]

That is the problem it shouldn't come with the territory. However in the social media world we live in today and internet. People feel like it gives them the power to say whatever they want. Hence why more and more people don't coach anymore. People seem to forget these coaches people like to say are idiots, don't know what they are doing, etc. Also have family, they also have family who have to read that about their dads. They have family in the stands who have to hear people who think they have the right to tell high school coaches they are horrible, acting like they are getting paid millions like professional coaches. People behind the key board think they have the right to criticize and say whatever they want without any fear of anything happening to them. That they can attack coaches who also work 8 to 10 hour days at their normal jobs, before spending another 3 hours on the practice field, then film at home, while trying to find anytime to spend if any at all with their own family. But yeah your right people think that should come with the territory and that line of thinking is the problem with things today and why many do stop coaching.

 

The worst part of it is people behind the keyboard in some sick way think they are helping by saying things like that. Usually those criticisms hurt a program and divide a program more than helps because the players also read it. So if it makes them also doubt their coaches when daddy is saying how bad a coach is. How can you expect a kid to truly sell out and buy end. You can't, but yet people think it is their right to say things like it will help and coaches should just deal with it because as you say it comes with the territory.

 

Great post and spot on for majority of coaches but unfortunately this is not the typical HS football coaching job.

 

At Highlands the stakes are very high with a whole lot of pressures, expectations and distractions and it is very obvious that it is beginning to get to him.

 

To be honest with you, if BW is indeed being bullied or harassed then perhaps the administration is at fault for allowing this to go on. They hold the power to stop it so this is on them imo and not the naysayers.

 

I have said this many times, I like BW and think he is a great defensive coordinator.

[TheDeuce]

To be honest with you, if BW is indeed being bullied or harassed then perhaps the administration is at fault for allowing this to go on. They hold the power to stop it so this is on them imo and not the naysayers.

 

How should the Admin go about stopping it?

[Sweeperboy]

How should the Admin go about stopping it?

 

Lol, I think you know the answer to that.

 

Good lucks to my Birds this Friday night in the huge rivalry game...

[Bluebird99]

I think many are missing the entire point of his quote. He is praising his players for taking a difficult loss and doing what real men do by working hard, showing up the next day to learn, improve, and fix while not getting distracted by the social media world we all live in today.

 

His post is not saying he is getting harassed/bullied. He is not talking about anyone in the public. He is not distracted. His quote is not about him.

 

He is PRAISING his players while providing some life advice.

 

Great job, Coach Weinrich!

[STPB]

There is absolutely nothing the Administration can do about post, comments, anonymous letters and emails. Even if the emails and letters are signed, what is the administration going to do? They can ignore them but that doesn’t mean they are going to stop coming. Freedom of speech has the naysayers protected in this one but it also gives the coach the right to say what he needs to. I think what he said was perfectly put. He has earned the right to make that comment considering how much time and effort he has put in to the Highlands program. I know I would have to defend myself if I was being attacked like that as well.

[Statsdontlie]

I remember when Danville was playing Highlands in either 2002 or 2003 at Highlands, it was a great game and a Danville fan was giving Coach Sam Harp a terrible time. The fan was saying your offense sucks, you're terrible, run something different etc, what he didn't know was Sam Harp's Son was in the stands, Chase Harp. Chase stood up standing around 6'4 big as heck and said if you wanna run your mouth, run it to me. We didn't hear another word from the guy the rest of the night LOL. Oh, Danville won the game on a punt return for a TD. I respect all coaches because its a tough job.

[ATLCat]

I read this threat title and hear:

 

“Come at me bro”

 

 

I am torn on this subject.

 

On one side of it I think it is poor form for Weinrich to even give his critics what they want and acknowledge that he is even seeing these emails, let alone that they are weighing on his mind. If you are going to bring up the subject don’t do it publicly when morale is low, do it after you have something to crow about or keep it inside the locker room and drive it home as motivation.

 

 

On the flip side of the coin, I cannot fathom a grown adult using an anonymous email account to send personal emails to critique and harass someone trying to do their job.

 

We all have our right to our opinion, but if you want to take someone to task and want to try and provoke anger from them or get in their pocket by threatening their career at least have the decency to man up and let them know who you are and where you are coming from. It is not like Weinrich is some political figure, professional coach, or corporate CEO. This is a guy just trying to coach High School Football and make ends meet for his family.

 

If you don’t think he should be leading your kids tell him to his face in person and allow him the opportunity for rebuttal. Sign a petition. Get a quorum with the school administration. Don’t take the yellow bellied way out and hide behind anonymity. Plus how serious can someone take your opinion that change is needed if they don’t know who is even requesting it?

 

With all that said, I understand why Weinrich would be upset. I am sure 99% of us on here would be angry too if people were emailing us and telling us how bad we were at our jobs but wouldn’t have the guts to put a name to it. With that said, what positive does this public stance take? Does this lashing out demonstrate to kids how they need to handle criticism?

 

I just don’t like anything I am seeing.

[Oldercoach]

My point is that I post fair/unfair etc. if he hears about it and tells me to stop I will. To each their own.

One of a father's responsibilities is to leave footprints for our children to follow. We should never vary from that path. To knowlingly think we should be free to publicly ridicule and critize to the point our children need to reign us in is more than just an accidental misstep.

[John Anthony]

BW committed the cardinal sin of coaching at any level. He allowed parents of players , alumni and others get under his skin and called them out publicly.

 

This is a first for me to see a Highlands coach go after the nansayers etc instead of just ignoring them and let your coaching and your winning do the talking for you instead of playing the blame game.

 

Just scratching my head here trying to figure out why he would do such a thing.

 

Because he’s lost control or is losing control.

[Tones]

One of a father's responsibilities is to leave footprints for our children to follow. We should never vary from that path. To knowlingly think we should be free to publicly ridicule and critize to the point our children need to reign us in is more than just an accidental misstep.

 

I could be wrong, but I think people are reading too deep in to what @Bluesport said. The way I read it is not that he will continue to berate a person on a message board (BGP) until his son tells him it is enough, rather he will continue to post on this message board until his son asks him to stop (my guess is out of embarrassment because that is our job as fathers, to embarrass our kids). I think he is saying that BW either needs to have thicker skin, or stop reading negative press, because the negative press is never going to stop. There will always be people who think they could do it better, and a coach complaining about the criticism isn't going to stop it. Personally I have no problem with what BW did, but you would think he has to know that his comment isn't going to stop keyboard warriors.

[Voice of Reason]

Bottom line for coach. Keep these thoughts in house with your players and coaches. They are good to use to build camaraderie and focus. There isn't one good thing I can think of for the coach or the team that comes from making these pointed comments in public. Take out the comments about hiding behind a keyboard and anonymous emails and everything else in the quotes are fine.

[The Double Deuce]

I don't know Coach Weinrich very well, but in reading that original post, I immediately thought of Mike Gundy's famous "I'm a man, I'm 40" rant. Not suggesting they are even similar in theme, but it is the first thing I thought of. I had no issue at all with Gundy's rant, and I have zero issue what what Coach Weinrich said...or how he said it.

 

While I admire @futurecoach's soliloquy, and agree with nearly all of it; the part I disagree with is that this is a new concept, or even one that has been exacerbated by social media. You have had parents and fans criticizing, attacking, belittling, and disagreeing with since the first game was played. More people are aware today, because of griping on Social Media, but the concept of parents running off / wearing out a coach is nothing new.

 

P.S. -- if you gripe about your kid's coach on social media, and haven't had the conversation one-on-one first with said coach, my level of respect for you is pretty low.

[Bluesport]

One of a father's responsibilities is to leave footprints for our children to follow. We should never vary from that path. To knowlingly think we should be free to publicly ridicule and critize to the point our children need to reign us in is more than just an accidental misstep.

 

Thanks for the parental advice. You are not getting my point-I am merely saying a high school coach needs thicker skin like anybody in a leadership position. I am the target of a lot of keyboard warriors because of my position and that is fine, but I do not let it bother me. If he lets it bother him he needs to step aside. As far as my kid who currently plays, my point is if me posting in this forum (and it usually is just commentary on a game) bothered him, I would stop. I've been on here for something like 15 years and enjoy this website.

[Bluesport]

I could be wrong, but I think people are reading too deep in to what @Bluesport said. The way I read it is not that he will continue to berate a person on a message board (BGP) until his son tells him it is enough, rather he will continue to post on this message board until his son asks him to stop (my guess is out of embarrassment because that is our job as fathers, to embarrass our kids). I think he is saying that BW either needs to have thicker skin, or stop reading negative press, because the negative press is never going to stop. There will always be people who think they could do it better, and a coach complaining about the criticism isn't going to stop it. Personally I have no problem with what BW did, but you would think he has to know that his comment isn't going to stop keyboard warriors.

 

Thank you @Tones. My entire point was that and then I should have shut up.