Talk about "teaching moments", this is FANTASTIC!!! ~ ~ we need more, many more, exactly like Coach Labrum ~ Sooz

High school football coach suspends entire team for cyber-bullying
By Arturo Garcia
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 18:25 EDT

Faced with reports that members of his team were cyber-bullying a fellow student, a Roosevelt, Utah high school football coach suspended the entire squad, not letting them reform until they agreed to an extensive set of conditions.

KSL-TV reported on Wednesday that Union High coach Matt Labrum disbanded his team on Sept. 20, citing both the bullying and academic and attitude problems plaguing other members. Labrum also chose to tell the 80 students to turn their jerseys and gear in following a Union loss, but denied that was a factor in the decision.

“It just felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going,” Labrum told KSL. “We felt like we needed to make a stand.”

The Deseret News reported on Tuesday that Labrum also met with the student who was targeted by the online harassment to apologize. Because the bullying took place on the chat website ask.fm, which allows for anonymous usernames, the offending team members had not been identified at the time.

“We don’t want that represented in our program,” Labrum told the News. “Whoever it is (doing the bullying), we want to help get them back on the right path.”

The day after issuing the mass suspension, Labrum allowed the team to reform, but has not returned their equipment. Instead, he made each player sign a contract stipulating that they will attend counseling sessions on character development, study hall sessions, and perform two days of community service instead of team practice. The squad was also ordered to hold new elections for their team captains. The players were expected to learn on Wednesday whether they would get its jerseys back.

“I think it’s going to bring our team closer,” Labrum told KSL. “I think we’re going to be more accountable, not only for ourselves, but for our buddy next to us.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/25/high-school-football-coach-suspends-entire-team-for-cyber-bullying/

I don't agree with what he did. His job is to be the coach. It is not his responsibility to monitor the players outside of his role as coach, nor is his opinion about what was going on (i.e., that the players were bullying) necessarily the correct one. He may have not had all the facts. Basically he was taking it upon himself to be a policeman and judge and jury when that is not what he was getting paid to do.

It should up to the school administrators to investigate bullying and to take the appropriate action if warranted.

Thumbs up to Mr. Labrum.

You're entitled to your opinion, SciFi ... even if it is wrong ~ ~

I spend a lot of time in a school environment on a volunteer basis ~ all of us -- teachers, staff, volunteers, admins -- are charged with making the most of "teaching moments" ~ bullying has become epidemic ~ literally ~ and we read often that bullying has deadly effects ~ and we also read that cyber-bullying has exploded, with the same or worse deadly effects ~ I strongly support this coach's action to stop it before it got out of control ~ and I see his "remedy" as good as it gets ~

Sooz

The school administrators approved...

Labrum then laid out the criteria each player would need to meet to rejoin the squad: attend all practices, be on time, have no discipline problems. Each would need to complete a community service project and memorize a quote about good character.

With the support of his coaches, the school administration and even the player's parents, the team spent football practice Monday and Tuesday working on a different set of skills. Labrum said, "We did some service as far as digging weeds and cleaning. On Tuesday we went to the senior center and played some games with them and listened to their stories."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162- ... r-on-team/

Nice to see that he didn't do a Paterno and pass the buck.

When I was in school, coaches were also teachers. They taught a few classes that fit their skills. History was the most popular.

I applaud this man. What his players do outside of football practice and games affects their behavior on the field too. If they are bullying, then they will be bully players. If their studies are affected, then they need to buckle down in case they can't play a game for a profession. (one article I read said that he addressed that too). There is nothing wrong with expecting exemplary personal behavior. Too many times players at the college and pro level are given a "pass" on terrible behavior, unless they kill someone. By that age it's too late to modify their behavior and mold young boys into responsible, respectful men.

Mr. Labrum is the Phys. Ed. teacher at the school.

Coaches are teachers, role models and agents of authority in school. He did his job instead of shrugging, looking the other way or using the "boys will be boys" excuse for those members of the team involved in the bullying. And he was lucky to have an administration that would back him up. Now they just need to get parents on board too if they want to reduce/eliminate bullying altogether.