Resumen de Examining Punishment and Discipline: Defending the Use of Punishment by Coaches
Confusion, uncertainty, and debate often surround the terms discipline and punishment because scholars fail to publicize that they possess distinctive meanings. This article differentiates punishment from discipline and attempts to present some rationale supporting its use, especially corporal punishment, in a sport setting from a coaching perspective. Punishment and discipline appear appropriate to study in the sporting environment because coaches must work with their players and actions affecting one player often impact the others. Thus, a wrongful behavior committed by one frequently extends consequences on teammates. Overall, this work proposes that punishment serves as an effective treatment when a coach intends to instruct, train, drill, and cultivate behavior and learning from those mentally capable of appreciating its objective. Punishment arguably appears most appropriate when a coach believes there is no other alternative for censuring and deterring behaviors and restoring the balance between victims, offenders, and the team or organization. It also appears to be an appropriate method to help perpetrators alleviate a sense of guilt or shame because punishment motivates offenders to demonstrate their repentance, a requirement for reentering society as a whole person in the eyes of others and oneself. Support for punishment also focuses on its unique ability to maintain or create order and stability, while also satiating negative feelings associated with victimization. Finally, this work argues we must recognize conventional punishment is age appropriate and proportional to the violation. Overall, punishment is acceptable because when properly measured, it supports the intrinsic worth of people as moral agents.
