Invite Them To Your Calm, Not Join In Their Storm
When an athlete is blowing up because they didn't get the ball, or didn't get the call or didn't make the play, INVITE THEM TO YOUR CALM. DON'T LET THEM INVITE YOU TO THEIR STORM. Stay calm, stay cool, and calm them down so that you can diagnose the problem and find a solution. The same can be said for a mad parent. I had a parent try to rip into me after a basketball game because of his daughter's playing time. She was a starter, but she didn't play in the final minutes of a close game because her backup was on a roll. We played above our heads, but we lost. Immediately after the game, the athlete came to me crying and upset and seeking answers as to why she wasn't allowed to finish the game. Her dad felt like he needed to come to the rescue of his distraught daughter and continued the storm in my direction. A younger version of me would have been easily invited into both of their storms, and it would not have been good ...