Trash Talk: Its Presence In Youth Sport Is Dangerous.
A tactic to rattle an opponent has evolved to crossing the line.
Welcome to the 177th edition of The Physical Movement. Happy Sunday, and thanks for spending a few minutes sharpening the saw around the youth sport experience.
Sharpening the saw is a term I first read in Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (A recommended read for all). The expression refers to “preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have = you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.”
It can apply to all aspects of our lives, including youth sport.
For example, social/emotional applies in making meaningful connections with others (and introducing this concept to our kids through sport). On the mental side, learning and teaching: those applications apply in our own adult learning and teaching but also the learning of our kids.
The Physical Movement shares topics and ideas to keep sharpening the saw, observations, findings, experiences, references, examples, suggestions all towards increasing awareness and providing us opportunities to get better.
With all this in mind, this week’s topic has been on my mind for some time:
When did trash talking become ok in youth sport?
Let me take you to last July and set the stage for a round robin tournament game between 2 very good under 22 baseball teams competing for an Ontario provincial championship. The teams don’t matter, because what I witnessed is common from what I have experienced over the last few years. The two teams were amped up and talking trash to each other. First, a definition of trash talk: disparaging, taunting, or boastful comments especially between opponents trying to intimidate each other.
In the above example, it took all of 15 minutes before each of the 2 umpires gave a warning to each team to stop the disparaging comments about the opponents. The warning brought with it an opportunity to clean it up or offending players/coaches would be thrown from the game.
What I do not see very often is the officials taking control like this.
I think it is one of the roles of officials, to control the climate around the game and keep the competition on an even keel. Some of the comments are somewhat alarming. When a pitcher walks someone, the opposing bench gets on the pitcher. When a batter strikes out, the same applies from the other team.
This is the same tournament where I witnessed a coach trash talking an opposing player has the game was ending, rubbing the victory in his face with expletives directed at said player.
WTF?
When did this become acceptable?
The umpire warning was the exception, not the norm. These instances are not confined to baseball and young men 18-22. They happen in youth sport competition in as young as 8 years old. Trash talking happens between players, between coaches. It happens amongst parents. It happens from parents to officials. It happens at all ages in multiple sports and has become the norm.
Or has it?
In witnessing many college and university competitions recently, the trash talking is not as obvious. In speaking to a couple of college coaches, the though process is teaching the kids what it means to represent the college, and institution of learning and not embarrass the organization. Why then would this be less prevalent at this level (it still happens, see the example below, just seems less so that community run sports).
Like many things, we accept what we tolerate. Meaning, it becomes part of our day to day norm. I have witnessed trash talking while driving, in a drive through and grocery store. Disparaging remarks when someone is not moving quick enough or did something “offensive” to prompt the remark.
So, is this act of trash talking a reflection of a cultural trend?
If so, what role can youth sport play in reducing the acceptance of trash talking and restoring the concept of respect for an opponent?
Respect for the opportunity to compete.
Respect for the opponent, who’s very presence pushing us to improve.
Respect for the officials and coaches by all.
Respect for the game that is being played.
The greatest and one of the original trash talkers of course was Muhammed Ali. The great boxer would use trash talk as a form of entertainment for the media and fans in promoting his fights. We see that today in MMA press conferences where it is commonplace for opponents to “chirp” the other. It is part of the hype in those situations with the goal of promotion. Growing the conflict to draw in more viewers. A business tactic.
However, when 11 year-old Jimmy scores a goal and stands over the goaltender and lashes a verbal barrage of demeaning comments, when does that cross the line?
Crossing the line
Last weekend, in a tunnel one where both teams enter and exit the playing surface, there was an altercation that brought this all to boil. Trash talk often leads to confrontation, and often it is off the field of play. 2 university football teams, heated college rivals (Michigan and Michigan St.) were leaving the playing surface after the game, when a group from one team literally beat up two players from the other. They cornered them, caught them at a time when the rest of their team were not there and literally punched, kicked and hit them with their helmets.
The event was caught on video and 8 players have now been suspended. The players beaten suffered injuries and their status to continue playing is in question. All was caught on video.
An unacceptable assault that was the culmination of verbal assaults back and forth leading up to and during the game. That is the thing about trash talking, the outcomes are never good. The best case scenario is the disparaged group walk away. The more difficult scenarios lead to physical conflict. A physical assault is not part of any competition other than boxing and mixed martial arts. Which brings us back to the theater referenced above. It is part of the lead up to the confrontation.
Raise the bar
This is a topic that coaches and parents have direct control over. Without awareness, and holding others within the team or competition accountable, this will continue to escalate and become accepted.
Young athletes mimic what they see. If they see/hear athletes chirping others on the field they jump on board. If they hear the coaches yelling and trashing other players, officials the young athletes follow. Parents, the example you set in your behavior around competition influences what is acceptable or not.
Expectations
Setting the expectations around respect for opponent and gratitude for the opportunity adds to what youth sport can teach our young people.
This is a life skill that is well worth building.
Imagine, the colleague at work spilling his or her coffee in a meeting and someone chirping how she got what she deserved, how she was no good at drinking coffee anyway, so it is best for her to stop?
Yet, that is the behavior that is being accepted and reinforced way too much in youth sport.
We can do better. Our kids deserve better.
If you have the stomach for it, here is some of the video from that incident between the 2 football teams, where bravado and trash talking went to its next logical step. This is where the athletes can not tell where the line is anymore and the unthinkable happened.
I can’t even imaging having a kid on either side involved in this.