Discipline

My philosophy starts with:

THAT WHICH YOU TOLERATE YOU ENCOURAGE
AND
DISCIPLINE IS SOMETHING WE DO FOR THE KIDS, NOT TO THEM.
and
DISCIPLINE IS NOT TO EMBARASS A BOY, BUT TO KEEP HIM FROM EMBARASSING HIMSELF AND THE TEAM.

so, I lay out my expectations up front. Tell them, teach them, hold them accountable for their actions.

for example, I teach my kids that the two most important rules we have are:

DO WHAT IS RIGHT ALWAYS, if you dont know ask.

BE WHERE YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE, ON TIME, DOING WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO.


Then I teach them "bellies" which are my standard form of discipline.

everyone does bellies on the first day of practice just so they know what they are and what they feel like. they dont like them and they are a deterrant. much better than just hills, sprints or laps and even better than a loss of playing time.

also, i have a very basic policy regarding missed practices:

all missed practices require make up conditioning , excused or unexcused.

1000 yards of bellies for unexcused absense, call home (parents will want to know if their child didnt show up)
500 for excused. what this does is get kids to tell mom "please schedule my ortho appointment for a day when we dont have practice"...

nobody who "owes" plays. so a kid wont fake injury or make excuses for failing to pay the team back for his time off.

now, playing time is also something that gets taken away and I think thats a case by case thing. Im not going to bench a boy who was at a funeral but ill take playing time away from a boy who goes to his soccer banquet for example. In both cases the kid will not start. Its just something I clarify up front.