By Brian Gotta, President of CoachDeck:

Comments about drugs, alcohol, religion, race or those of a crude or sexual nature can never be made. Don’t ever swear. This should go without saying.

I was coaching a 12U girls softball game recently and the opposing team’s catcher was wearing a sweatshirt under her chest protector. She called time and wanted to take it off. Her male coach was helping her and it was cumbersome to pull it out from beneath the gear, it was taking some time, and he made a joke about her doing a “strip-tease.” I know the coach didn’t mean it in a vulgar context and I doubt the little girl felt uncomfortable (though I could sense a moment of indecision among the parents), but it didn’t need to be said. It is good to have fun when coaching and I make jokes to my players all the time. But think before you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind and if you’re not sure, it is probably better left unspoken.