Disabato: Coaches need to tone it down

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Updated: January 3, 2012 8:54AM

There was more than turkey and dressing distributed during the week of Thanksgiving.

For a number of local high school boys basketball coaches, technical fouls and ejections were being served along with the side fixins.

Maybe it was the excitement to the start of the season, the pressure — self-induced or otherwise — coaches feel to live up to expectations, or the inability of rabbit-eared officials to tune out sideline comments, but a higher than usual number of “T’s” appeared to be whistled from Chicago Heights to Riverside-Brookfield.

The real action, however, occurred at the District 218 Thanksgiving Tip-off Classic at Shepard. And by that I’m not referring to Marist winning the tourney title.

In a matter of hours Friday, Richards coach John Chappetto and Eisenhower coach Mike Curta were hit with two technicals apiece in separate games, calling for their automatic ejections and one-game suspensions.

Chappetto and Curta generally are two of the more passionate and animated coaches in the area. However, their emotions got the better of them in these instances.

Marist reeled off 17 straight points after Chappetto’s removal to turn a 34-34 tie into a laugher.

Eisenhower had closed to within 12 before Curta was given the boot. Marist went on to win by 20.

In my eyes, the outcomes of those games are irrelevant.

The impact the coaches’ outbursts could have on their players and the youngsters in the crowd has far greater significance. Coaches are looked up to and expected to lead by example. If the head coach can be disrespectful to an official, why can’t players?

If fans in the bleachers voice approval for a coach’s actions, what would prevent players from following a similar path in an attempt to achieve crowd approval?

“I’m very embarrassed about it,” said Chappetto, who led Richards to a state title in 2008. “I can’t allow my emotions to get the best of me like that. My family and principal were in the stands. I’m an educator for Richards. I’m expected to teach young men the right way to act. It won’t happen again.”

Curta realized his actions went beyond the scope of acceptability.

“Forget about the result of the game,” Curta said. “I felt bad for Marist. They played two games Friday, they win both games and both opposing coaches get ejected. As soon as our game ended I apologized to (coach) Gene (Nolan) and their AD (Bob Lim). We always tell our kids to maintain their cool and we sit them when they get a ‘T.’

“There was a level of frustration that I didn’t handle very well. I was sick about it all weekend. I couldn’t sleep. My wife called me an ‘idiot.’ That’s pretty accurate.”

This isn’t specifically about Chappetto and Curta, two knowledgeable coaches who care about their kids, schools and communities. This was only the second ejection for both during their long, distinguished careers.

It’s about the entire culture of boys basketball. I’ve witnessed some excessive meltdowns from coaches the past 20 years, but it seems to be getting worse. Most of the time I’ve often wondered if the more animated coaches, when dissecting game film, take a look at their sideline behavior and feel a sense of embarrassment.

That is, unless Bobby Knight is a person they admire.

Most coaches, at least smart ones, work the officials in a discreet manner, with the intent of getting a game-deciding foul call to go their way.

Believe it or not, there’s a skill to this. An excessive amount of screaming, foot pounding and arm waving is a poor option. Remaining composed is the preferred action.

“I have a problem when coaches show me up,” said a longtime official who asked to remain anonymous. “Talk to me in a normal voice and say whatever you want to me, I don’t care. But when they’re screaming and throwing their arms up in the air, that’s when there’s a problem. Especially when the gym is half-full and everyone can hear what they’re saying. They’re inciting the crowd. Most coaches have a great attitude about it. But there does seem to be something in the air this year.”

There certainly does.