Sportsmanship Amongst Coaches

At every level of sport, those of us involved celebrate how athletic competition is the best platform to teach life skills. The recent fight that broke out between the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin basketball programs at the Kohl Center, reminds us of where those lessons apply. Both coaches were culpable in this situation. Both need to be accountable for managing sportsmanship in later game situations and both need to adhere to lessons they teach their players daily.

Let us start with the timeout called by Gard, up 15 points with 15 seconds left on the clock. Howard maintained, “I didn't like the timeout they called, and I'm being totally honest with you," Howard said. "I thought it was not necessary at that moment, especially with it being a large lead. ... I thought that wasn’t fair to our guys. And so that's what happened." At this stage of the game, the Badgers had inserted their bench players into the game while Michigan continued to pressure the ball full court. According to Gard, “Because we only had four seconds to get the ball over half court," Gard told CBS. "I didn't want to put my backups…in that position of scrambling with only four seconds. So I took a timeout and got us a new 10 seconds and it helped them get organized and get the ball in.”

In basketball and more obviously in football, there is a tacit agreement that defenses will not attack and offenses will not advance the ball to run up the score when the game is in hand. This posture illustrates that coaches understand the stage of the game, the energy of the opponents and the appropriate way to end the game with dignity, win or lose. There are other times when teams play until the final whistle, especially when the game remains in the balance. This was not one of those cases. The Wolverine’s defensive posture suggested they were going to play hard until the clock expired. That made it perfectly reasonable for the Badgers to, at minimum, give their best effort to get the ball across half court. We can all understand Coach Howard’s frustration with the timeout, but greater situational awareness should have led him to instruct his players to tone down the defensive pressure given the Badgers sent their starters to the bench.

On Coach Gard’s part, knowing Coach Howard had expressed his displeasure with the timeout call, addressing the situation right after the buzzers sounds is not a wise decision. Further, the fact that Coach Howard noticeably tried to pass Coach Gard without speaking or shaking hands supports that notion. The effort to grab Howard to force a conversation escalated a situation that could have been handled another time. Coach Gard should have made a concession here. In football, we would call for a punt; he did not, tensions heightened.?

?Another important life skill is to keep your composure in the face of unfair calls, violations by the other team or increased intensity. Despite his frustration, Howard needed to deescalate the situation, focus on getting his team ushered off the court and into the locker room. Unfortunately, pushing and shoving ensued and Howard took a swing at a Wisconsin assistant coach. Immediately after the game, we heard calls from the likes of Dick Vitale, Rex Chapman and Kendrick Perkins calling to eliminate the handshake line after games. This is exactly the wrong thing to do. Sport teaches us the emotional intelligence to keep the game a game, and when it is over, we shake hands and go back to normal life. We are talking about sports, not life or death. There are a growing number of external factors threatening the sanctity of sports. Let us not dig our own grave by stripping away the importance of sportsmanship by all involved in sports. It is important to not only our internal teams, but also how we interact with competitors and how we collaborate with partners.

?In Michigan's follow-up statement, Howard said, "After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were, and how they affected so many. I am truly sorry. I am offering my sincerest apology to my players and their families, my staff, my family and the Michigan fans around the world. I would like to personally apologize to Wisconsin's Assistant Coach Joel Krabbenhoft and his family, too. Lastly, I speak a lot about being a Michigan man and representing the University of Michigan with class and pride, I did not do that, nor did I set the right example in the right way for my student-athletes. I will learn from my mistake and this mistake will never happen again. No excuses!”

?The best leaders, no matter the sector, accept responsibility when they are wrong. It is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes it safe for your team to follow suit. Acknowledging fault is the first step to corrective action individually and collectively. Sport is the most visible platform to display leadership. Coaches carry an awesome responsibility and they are paid handsomely for the privilege. I am a proud board member of @Positive Coaching Alliance, where our motto is Better Athletes, Better People. By extension, better people make better communities and a better country. Let us not lose sight of the important role sport plays in making the world a better place.

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