I'm not talking about the gym. We seem to be getting into other areas altogether. I see motels mentioned etc.

Please everyone answer the statement below yes or no. Let’s be honest. We are trying to set a good example.


In no instance shall alcohol be consumed or tobacco products be used in the presence of an athlete.

Answer YES if you had alcohol or tobacco in the presence of an athlete.
Answer NO if you never had alcohol or tobacco in the presence of an athlete.

If you answered YES to this statement was it more than 2 times?
If you answered YES to this statement was it more than 3 times?

It does not state whether or not the athlete is your own child. It doesn’t even say how old the athlete is – it could have been in college.


Enough said.

But to answer your questions. no, no, no, no, no, no, I try to sit on first row when possible, or sit or kneel on edge of mat when a competitor is coming up, and no.

Jeff


This is in the rules:

In no instance shall alcohol be consumed or tobacco products be used in the presence of an athlete.


What happens when a coach, club director, teacher, anyone affiliated with the club has a beer or a cigar - at a wedding reception at a city civic center and or public school, funeral, church picnic, old shawnee days, Lenexa BBQ, State Fair, and they are in the presence of one of their athletes and/or children - is that in violation of the rules. It would be IMO. Have you and/or anyone affiliated with your club ever done any of these?

I am smelling a double standard on the rules.

C'mon Sean,

I think you, and many others out there know the intent of the rule... Don't you?


Jeff

C'mom Jeff

I think now a Rule is a Rule! Not just its intent... Don't you?

Sean

When I walk into the practice room, I am their coach. They are my athletes. When I walk out of the room, I am an ordinary person. They are ordinary kids.

When I walk into the gymnasium for a tournament, I am their coach. They are my athletes. When I walk out of the gymnasium, I am an ordinary person. They are ordinary kids.

I do, however, try to be a positive influence on all of the kids who I come to know from wrestling and other sports.

Where's that rule? So now we can choose when we are coaches and when we aren't? What if you see them in the hallway during practice...coach or not? How about the parking lot....coach or not? What about at weigh ins that aren't in the practice room or gymnasium?

Splitting hairs...yes. A little over the top...absolutely. But there have been comments on here about people breaking rules and that we should obey all of them, etc. The point is that if you are going to go down that road then make sure you clearly define the rule or live by the vague guidelines. This is what makes it so challenging.

Shawn Budke

your not always the coach and the athlete, when i am coaching my boy at home i am his coach, when he is at practice his coaches are his coaches, when we are at a tournament we are his coaches. but when were not he's my son, if he's at the coaches house there not his coach at that time, they are simply the father of my boy's friend.

this turned into no chew in the gym at a kids wrestling tournament. to oh you breaking the rules, if you have a chew at a fair with you son.

jeff i don't believe you need to explain no more, you said no chew the rule book says no tobacco , there will always be people trying to spin the web in there direction.

I was just explaining when I felt I was their coach Shawn, ( not to be confused with Sean).

I still do not chew in front of them, or anyone else for that matter.



Jeff

So walking around smoking a cig or having a beer is OK in front of young athletes. Out in the parking lot, in the house (second hand smoke), where ever kids are watching.

This is pretty definte: I did not make this rule. Read it carefully.

IN NO INSTANCE

"In no instance shall alcohol be consumed or tobacco products be used in the presence of an athlete."

I am justing using information provided by Mr. Broadbent (happier) and Mr. Salyer - I do not have the sited source where the data came from on this one.

Sean McCarthy

Shaun MuKarthee,

I like the way it reads, lets not change a thing!!! :-)

Jeff Broadbent

Is it acceptable to have a dip in your lip or beer on your breathe at practice? I don't think so!

We (coaches) are not always wearing our coaching hat! Our athletes need to understand that there is adult behavior that can be handled in an adult manner!

My rule (for me and what I express to my bronze attendees) is I will consume no alcohol within 8 hours of having "coaching" contact with your kids. Further, I will consume no tobacco while I am coaching!

If my athletes contact me outside the wrestling venues ... and I am participating in adult behavior (having an adult beverage or tobacco) ... I hope I am demonstrating that there is an acceptable way to participate in such behavior!! I feel that this is a lesson we can impart to our athletes!!

4. Coaches and Team Leaders shall not consume alcoholic beverages or use tobacco products during such times that they are assigned duties with regard to the athletes. In no instance shall alcohol be consumed or tobacco products be used in the presence of an athlete. Coaches or Team Leaders that elect to partake of alcoholic beverages or use tobacco products outside the presence of the athletes, during unassigned time, are expected to do so responsibly. Coaches who partake of alcoholic beverages are expected to report for their assigned duties in an unimpaired condition.

Patrick kind of implied that this thread is getting more attention then it is worth. In a way I agree and in a way I do not. I believe this thread hits something bigger then chewing. Its the difference between those who believe a rule must be followed - and to the tee - regardless!!! And, those who have a little more flexibility. I would bet if you ask a traffic cop, they don't write a ticket for every offense. They sometimes give warnings. I think about the Football Coach in Hutchinson who was in trouble for cussing in front of his players at a camp - some people wanted his head. I look at it different - I want to know if he is a good coach. And, I recognize he can set a good example for my son even if he has faults. I WILL EXPLAIN that myself to my son at home. And, at least one of my son's current coachs chews and he also has ear rings. My son thinks the world of him, but he still has not asked me to get ear rings. Smoky hit it real well, these rules have no limits or boundaries - they appear to have applied to the hotel bars and pool areas in Salina last weekend - where I will know these rules were broken many times.

On to picking which rules to follow - someone said the rules were set by KSHSAA - well, tell me if I am wrong - but they do not allow Jr High and High School kids to practice together and wrestle against each other, right, but we do. Also, I understand from another post on another topic, Kansas does not follow the national rule on weigh-ins. So, where does the picking and choosing stop - why can't a tournament director do the same.

your always going to have people like smokeycabin that just want to stir up the crowd. he has done a good job with that. guess if chewing is more important than being a coach at a tournament then i say let those kind of people go elsewhere and wrestle. he chose what was important to him the rest of us will try to do what we think is best for the kids and not just our own.

I am not speaking for or against smokeless tobacco. I do not use any tobacco products. I have heard that refraining from using chew is exponentially harder then it is to stop smoking. As I said, I don't use either so I can't say for sure. I just know that I get very stressed at points during the long wrestling tournys and can only imagine if I was a skoal bandit(lol) I would probably be fighting a terrible craving all day. As I see smokers get to exit the building and light up and return, I dont see it being as easy for someone to go out and dip, spit and return.

I do believe that rules should be followed, just ask my kids, but as my wife is constantly telling me,"you have to pick your battles." I think that the rule is there and people should try and follow it. If they have weak moments or are capable of concealing the by-product(spit)try and be understanding. Smoking poses health risks to innocent bystanders and makes it uncomfortable for us non smokers to even breathe. If I can't see it, I'm not looking for it.

Lets give it a rest. 6 pages on this topic, seriously!

Scott,

You obviously have no idea who "smokeycabin" is...Sean is one of those in the state that has given countless hours to this sport and has asked for nothing in return. He coached kids wrestling before his own son was old enough and has continued to be the head coach for our club (STA) even though his son is now in college (check out West Point wrestling).

He could easily walk away from it all but he is one of those rare people who is in it not just for his own kid but for every kid who walks thru the doors at STA Wrestling. You usually also catch him helping out at other tournaments (after he is done in hospitality room) helping hang brackets, even handing out medals.

Sean has been nothing but a positive influence on my two kids who wrestle. I imagine a lot of others in the community would say the same thing. Ask his former wrestlers who are now coaching in high school or wrestling in college, ask many of the current wrestlers at St. Thomas Aquinas or at other Jo Co high schools, ask current members of STA Wrestling...we would not have STA Wrestling without Sean and the wrestling community as a whole would lose somebody who is dedicated to this sport.

Oh...and I have been guilty of sneaking coolers into gyms (against the rules) almost every weekend I can get away with it.

People,

Plain and simple...

This thread isn't about Sean, or any other Tom, Richard, or Harry.

This thread is about the FACT that there are no less than 3 documents that tell us the use of tobacco products is not allowed! Those are a Rule Book we abide by, a USAW Coaches Code of Conduct, USD232 School District Policy, etc....

If you want to use the products there is, and will be a penalty. That penalty is ejection for Flagrant Misconduct.

Ejection from any tournament also carries with it an 8 day suspension from the sport.

Means no appearance in the wrestling room and no Tournaments.


This topic has gotten a little more life than I thought it would, but now many more people are aware of the RULE! That was my intent.

Have a good day.


Jeff

even though i do chew, i DO NOT do it on school grounds!!!!!

Its not about when and where. If that is the rule then maybe just try and follow the rules. Just because you bend the rules a little bit it does not make you cool. So if the tournament director says no chewing, spitting, yelling, drinks in the gym I guess its up to you if you want to be asked to leave or not. Thats my opinion.

Again, as a few have noted and Richard Salyer supplied ... there is a State statutue that is being violated if you chew on public school property!

Most districs have a policy against, drinks or coolers in the gym!