Time to speak with young athletes about foul language

It’s time, I think, for there to be a discussion about language. This discussion should take place among school administrators, teachers, coaches and parents and it should center on this: What is appropriate language to use when talking to kids, especially high school kids, in the context of athletics?

My motivation isn’t the disgraceful language the current occupant of the White House used in referring to nations he called “s---holes” the other day. I have trouble even printing that word, even though it is a quote. Normally we would look to our president to set examples, but I’ve long since abandoned that hope with this one.

So it leaves it to us — parents, teachers, coaches, ordinary citizens — to set the standards for decency for our kids and to be honest, I find that some involved in high school athletics tolerate and use language that I would never tolerate in my home. Let me be specific. I have been covering high school sports for a long time. When I cover football games, I often walk the sidelines, like many writers do. I’ve covered countless football games at countless venues all over the state. After all kinds of games involving almost all kinds of sports, I often wait outside of locker rooms to get quotes from a coach or a player.

I can tell you that I have heard the “F” word a lot. I’m not talking about kids. I can excuse a 17-year old in the heat of battle when he screams an expletive in frustration at himself. I’m talking about adults. And there are no limits as to what kind of school. I’ve heard it from adults who coach — public schools and parochial schools, big schools and small schools, urban schools and suburban schools. I’ve heard it screamed on football sidelines and I have heard it in locker rooms. Fact is, the only school I have covered where I have never heard this kind of language used is Mercy.

I hesitate to broad-