Thursday, March 26, 2009
"Chicago Public Schools crack down on abusive coaches"
This brief article discusses a new policy concerning how high-school athletics coaches are allowed to manage their players. The new policy prohibits the use of profanity, taunting, or throwing objects at student athletes. The article discusses how the policy will work, and provides some information concerning how coaches feel about the new stricter rules. The article fails to include any student athletes' reactions. Without the students' input, one doesn't know for sure whether the policy was instated to protect the schools' administrations, the coaches, or the players. The coach that is quoted in the story is against the new policy, and since new student source is included, it's hard to say whether kids are in favor of it either. The article's lack of balance makes it unclear as to what caused the new change in policy, which I believe to be an interesting aspect to this story. The summary lead used to open the story is about as effective as the article that follows it in terms of grabbing the reader's attention and providing newsworthy material.
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You're right that the article could have used some student input, or maybe it was parent outcry that led to the change in rules. The article is pretty barebones about the whole issue, except for that coach quote. I think this article could've had a lot more grab to it. There are some pretty good coach freak-out stories out there that would have made this article really attention getting. (I know I once had a softball coach hurl a bat from right field all the way behind home plate.)
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic. You're right in that it needs some student opinion but it also needs a coach endorsing the new rules. Maybe the source was hard to find, but if you've got one coach that doesn't like the rules, then to balance it out you need another that approves or at least is understanding of why they are being put in place. I am really left with that punchy quote after the article is over and all I'm thinking about is why the rules are a bad idea. The mention of coaches setting a good example is not a distant memory after those memorable words.
ReplyDeleteIf I can just address the topic briefly, I do agree with the coach. As a three sport athlete, I was sworn at a time or two but it got me fired up. It's not like you're going to be protecting kids from foul language, it's a daily occurence that can't be avoided. I do get why they wouldn't want coaches throwing anything at the players, that softball story has me a little concerned. I agree that the writer could have done a lot more with this, but not every story can be a big story.