Blog: Running As Punishment Does Nobody Any Good

When I played freshman basketball at a Catholic high school in Wisconsin back in the 1980s, one of my teammates earned the nickname "Plop" because of the sound his flat feet made when we ran laps around the gym. I remember running laps around that gym with "Plop" and the rest of my teammates a lot, often as punishment for forgotten indiscretions; in fact, the running is what sticks out most about that season - which was my last playing organized hoops.

The reason I'm even thinking about stuff like this is because of a Des Moines Public Schools investigation into the behavior of Tom Mihalovich, a now-suspended football coach at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Mihalovich may have violated school bullying and corporal punishment policies by requiring a sophomore player to run sprints and laps after the boy made derogatory comments about Lincoln's varsity team. The district's investigation revealed that the player ran at least 20 hill sprints, completed 20 up-down drills, ran two laps around the practice field and did additional hill sprints in approximately 30 minutes. According to Lincoln's athletic trainer, the player was not given a water break.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 273
Next Page
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025