I fully understand the reasoning, at young ages, for having an equal playing time rule and a no cut policy. However, and this is a big however, you bring up a perfect example of why having rules like these as absolutes is not a good idea at any age. There needs to be flexibility and basic criteria set that allows a coach to deal with extreme circumstances like the one you have explained.

For me, no individual at any age would be allowed to behave in the manner in which you describe. If after talking with the athlete using positive detailing of his potential for himself and the team there was no change I would then confront the parents. After discussing the situation with them, if there was no change, then the young man or woman would be asked to leave or not attend practice until he or she was willing to accept their role as part of the team and all that went with it.

We, as coaches, teachers, and parents, are not doing any individual or group any favors, nor are we holding up to the standards we should be instilling in athletes, if we do not take a stand on unsportsmanlike and selfish behavior as you have described.

Sometimes the principles we live by need to speak loudly about what will and will not be tolerated by any athlete.

I agree with Kirk. Without an option, you really are put at the mercy of the rules. On principle, it is necessary that you make a point to mention it to the parents, make them aware of the options you have and if you don't see change exercise his removal from the team. Remember my original point in the last sentence, on principle. Many coaches struggle with making such a dramatic decisions. Regardless of how nice his parents are, how good of individual player, or how valued he is to the team, on principle, you need to squash this type of behavior. Otherwise, you are not doing your job helping kids learn the valuable life lessons that can be found in sports. As a coach, you would not be helping to make him more "coachable."

Good luck Don. I hope it all works out.

Coach Pickles
Chief Executive Bean
Jelly Bean Sports
www.jellybeansports.com

Try some individual goal setting with ego centered kid. Work with him/her to set the goals higher than others and hold him/her to task. Maybe listen to his/her way of doing something. Who knows, it may work. Then cut a deal with him. The "my way or no way" authoritarian method of coaching went out along with Bobby Knight.

THIS SITUATION IS ALL TO COMMON I HAVE SIMPLY TALKED TO THE ATHLETE WHEN THEY THOUGHT THAT THE DRILLS WERE TO EASY

AND THAT THEY WERE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WE ARE WORKING SO THAT EVERY ONE CAN BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND BY THEM WORKING ON THEIR SKILLS THEY ARE JUST GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND IN THE TEAM HUDDLE BEFORE WE LEAVE OR START WE ALWAYS STRESS ON TEAM ONE FAMILY NO ONE IS BIGGER THAN THE TEAM NO ONE WINS BY THEM SELVES AND THAT EVERY ONE IS IMPORTANT

IT HAS WORKED FOR US IN THE PAST AND IS WORKING FOR US NOW AND THEY PLAY TOGETHER AND LEARN THE GAME AS ONE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY THINK THAT THEY ARE THE BEST AND KNOW ALOT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THEY HAVENT DONE AND IT ALWAYS HUMBLES THEM WHEN THEY STRUGGLE TO LEARN OR ARE WORKING ON A HARD DRILL AND MESS UP AND THE TEAM SHOWS THEM SUPPORT THEN THEY FORGET ABOUT BEING THE BEST THEY JUST BECOME ONE OF THE TEAM AND HAVE FUN DOING EVERYTHING THE NEXT PRACTICE AND THEY TRUST THEIR TEAMMATES AND PASS ALOT MORE..AND HELP THEM LEARN AS WELL BECOMING A PLAYER COACH AT A YOUNG AGE..

Put him in timeout! OK so that's not an option.... I would talk to the team in
general and let the whole team know that if they are not giving 100% and doing
what they are asked that there will be consequences and I would explain the
consequences to them. What are the consequences?
Wind sprints and loss of playing time. I understand that every kid has to play
but I would play him the absolute minimum and make sure that he knows why.
Just like in the real world, there are consequences for your actions.

practice with him teach him