Youth sports and running as punishment

I remember viewing forced exercise as punishment well into high school. I never ran for fun. I ran because I was late for practice, or because we hadn't played well the night before.

Having coached youth sports, I understand the need to have some sort of punishment, and it's totally logical that the punishment be something that will also benefit the players. However, it's also important that the kids realize that's why you've chosen this consequence.
If your basketball players understand that they're running not just because they played horribly, but because they were sucking wind at the end of the game, don't you think they'll put more effort into the run? If you're pushing your volleyball players to do more sit-ups, don't you suppose they'll have a better attitude if they realize a stronger core will make them better hitters?

And, if running truly is being used as a punishment, perhaps there's a better alternative. There are always ways to make skill-specific drills more intense -- include a goal or time limit with a consequence. It's easy to tell a team of kids what to do, but it's more beneficial for everyone to explain why they're doing it.