I have been in the unfortunate position to witness strength & conditioning coaches serve as the scapegoat for the venomous culture of some athletes programs. As we all know, athletes are different today and don't necessarily respond well to physical punishment. I have seen specific examples of coaches using physical punishment toward everyone except for the athlete who make a mistake in an effort to "teach" more accountability. Often times it backfires and creates resentment.

In the case of well-respected Tulane University strength & conditioning coach, Stephanie Sharpe, another example of "accountability gone wrong" is evident.

Regardless of who is is in the "right", Coach Sharpe or the Tulane University Bowler who was an hour later for practice, it becomes a question of team culture.

The article  provides no explanation of Sharpe's firing from the administrators of Tulane. But, there are a few things that stand out.

  1. Stephanie Sharpe is well respected and well-liked by the Green Wave athletes of many sports,
  2. There are other coaches, including head football coach Curtis Johnson who did not approve of the firing.
  3. Why was Sharpe handing the discipline of tardiness to a practice? Was this a lifting session? Where is the head Bowling coach in all this?

It begs the questions, what is a strength coach responsible for in terms of team culture?

Tulane community expresses anger over apparent firing of Wave strength coach Stephanie Sharpe

By Tammy Nunez, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
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Several current and former Tulane student-athletes have spent the past 12 hours reacting to news that assistant Green Wave strength and conditioning coach Stephanie Sharpe was dismissed following an incident involving the bowling team, according to several sources.

Sharpe, who has worked for the university since 2007, worked closely with the football team and ran with coach Curtis Johnson after practices. She was a constant figure around the university's athletic headquarters and well-liked by several members of the football team.

Some in that number took to Twitter late Tuesday evening to express their frustration and amazement that Sharpe was let go for what former Tulane ace pitcher Randy LeBlanc and former Tulane cornerback Lorenzo Doss tweeted was discipline running for a bowling team member who was an hour late for practice.

The university called it a personnel matter and refused to comment on it. Several members of the bowling team were contacted and also refused to comment. Sharpe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Johnson deferred comment to athletic directors Rick Dickson and Barbara Burke. Spokesman Roger Dunaway said no one from Tulane would comment.

But that didn't stop a host of Sharpe supporters from voicing their opinions and desire for her return by tweeting and using the hashtag #bringstephback.


Former Tulane tennis star Miriam Kurdaze, who has worked for the university after finishing her tennis career, expressed her amazement.

 

Basketball player Payton Henson kept his criticism simple.

 

Tulane sophomore cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. tweeted: "The only woman in the weight room & most respected in the weight room. our sister"

Former Tulane star and current NFL running back Orleans Darkwa weighed in his support:

 

Deep snapper Aaron Golub said:

 

NFL-bound cornerback Lorenzo Doss left school early at the semester break to declare for the draft. But he wasn't happy with the Sharpe news either:

 

Here is what Tulane tight end Trey Scott tweeted:

 

Former Tulane pitcher Kyle McKenzie had nothing but admiration for Sharpe:

 

Current running back Lazedrick Thompson wants Sharpe back:

 

Defensive end Royce LaFrance is a Sharpe supporter:

 

Quarterback Tanner Lee had nothing but praise:

Read the original article here

Source: http://www.nola.com

Tulane strength coach fired for reportedly using running as discipline method

By

By all indications, Tulane strength and conditioning coach Stephanie Shape was a well liked person on the New Orleans campus. She would run with head football coach Curtis Johnson after practice, and was a prominent figure in the athletic buildings helping players of all sports out whenever she could.

But word surfaced a few days ago that administration at Tulane had made the decision to dismiss Sharpe from her strength and conditioning position following an incident with a player on the bowling team (yes, apparently the bowling team needs the expertise of the strength staff).

According to the Times-Picayune, Sharpe disciplined the bowler by having them run after being an hour late to practice. Apparently, some people view that from of punishment as too harsh, which led to a parent complaint, and ultimately Sharpe’s dismissal.

The university has refused to comment further on it, citing that it’s a personnel matter that is being dealt with internally.

As ridiculous as this sounds, there’s a lesson to be learned in here and that is anyone that has their hands in how players are being disciplined should take the time to get on the same page with the athletic director, the athletic administration, and the head strength coach as to what is acceptable, and not acceptable. The parameter will be different from university to university, but this type of situation can be avoided if everyone is on the same page.

A number of former players took to Twitter to voice their concern with the hashtag #BringStephBack, which was trending for a majority of the day in New Orleans on Wednesday.

 

 

 

 Read the original article here

Source: http://footballscoop.com

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