Profanity issues confront coaches

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. — Ephesians 4:29.

When King's Academy baseball coach Adam Winters was coaching in college, he would remind himself of that verse from the New Testament.

That helped him when a player botched a ground ball, missed a sign or overran a base and he had the urge to employ what for decades has been a coach's favorite crutch: the four-letter word.

But yielding to the temptation of salty language can have serious consequences for today's coaches.

Ave Maria College, a Catholic school in Immokalee, Fla., recently made national headlines by firing its men's basketball coach because he used profanity at practice. Although his players defended him, the school said it was bound by its religious-based ethics policy.

Winters can understand that.

"Our goal is to present a Christ-like example," said Winters, who also serves as the school's athletic director. "It's a provocative topic, because it can be a struggle at times."

At any football field in Palm Beach County, it's not uncommon to hear a player or coach utter a curse word. During a game, that language can quickly go from PG-13 to R-rated.

The Florida High School Activities Association can issue a $150 fine for coaches or other representatives of the school who use "profanity or gutter language," according to the group's code of ethics. Palm Beach County Schools can further discipline offenders.

Boynton Beach football coach Rick Swain admits that he was quick to anger as a young coach. Sometimes, when he wasn't able to convey to a player exactly what he wanted, the frustration came out four letters at a time. He also said he could "put his hands on a kid" to instruct him where to be on a play.

After more than 25 years in coaching, Swain takes a more cerebral approach that he feels has made him more effective.

"When you get older, you get to the point where you look back and ask, 'How could I have done that differently?' " said Swain, whose team is 2-1 this year. "I try to find ways to coach them instead of just hollering."

"To get the respect of the kids, you can't stoop to their level."

He has found that the most effective way to reach a resistant player is not to use harsh language but to withhold playing time.

"It's not a requirement for graduation," he tells players as he sends them to the bench.

Glades Day coach Pete Walker said that as he has gotten older, he has found it harder to reconcile his life as a Christian with that of a cursing coach. While he and his staff slip up occasionally, he keeps this thought in mind: "I can't imagine the good Lord looking down on us praying before and after practice and then having this coach with a filthy mouth."

He said that thought helps make him a better coach even at heated moments.

"You can get on a kid's butt without cussin' him. I know it. I do it," he said. "If you have to use that language to motivate your football team, then you probably have bigger problem with your team."

Winters said coaches can't use bad language and expect their players to hold them in high regard.

Carlos Frias writes for The Palm Beach Post.