April/May 2019 - 10

A.D.MINISTRATION athletic director strategies
supporting and
PROTECTING COACHES
The importance of defending quality coaches against unfair criticism
By Dr. David Hoch, columnist
When athletic administrators analyze their major
obligations, they'll likely look at tasks like managing
the budget, risk management, game management and
scheduling. While they may not realize it, they're also human
resource managers. They hire, supervise, and evaluate their
coaching staffs and other personnel. In addition, their efforts
with coaches should extend to mentoring.
These responsibilities, and a few others, make them
personnel managers. It's no different than what occurs
at the corporate level. Outside of the educational realm,
salaries and bonuses are still the most important aspects
for motivation and retention of employees. Corporate
human resource managers, however, have discovered that
showing appreciation to employees ranks a close second
to money when it comes to retaining a quality staff. This
concept should not be lost on athletic administrators.
Part of demonstrating appreciation is being supportive
when your coaches need help and guidance. Coaches
might want to vent or seek sound practical advice. It's also
important to keep in mind that these sessions may not
always come at an opportune time in your schedule. To be
of real support and value, you need to be available when
coaches actually need help, and this may not accommodate
your daily routine.
One of the greatest ways to show appreciation and
support your coaches is to protect them. This does not
mean blindly standing behind them regardless of their
mistakes or problems. But coaches often face expectations
that are unattainable. That sometimes leads to attacks
from misguided parents and community members.
Here are some specific issues that may require the
athletic director to protect their coaches:
* In the community, there may be unrealistic
expectations to win. To counter this, it's vital to educate
parents and community members of what's involved in
education-based athletics. Specifically, you should
explain how your program measures success. It's
important to stress that the No. 1 objective in educationbased
athletics is the growth and development of
student-athletes.
* Demands and pressure from overbearing, problematic
parents represent the primary reason coaches leave
10 APRIL/MAY 2019
the profession. Quite often, the problem centers around
starting, minutes played, a player's role or the coach's
style of play.
* Some parents " coach " from the stands. This behavior
cannot be allowed, because it interferes with the
coach-athlete relationship, and it upsets the operation
and execution of the team. This approach by parents
may also embarrass and negatively affect the athletes.
Here are eight tactics that athletic administrators
should consider to help their coaches and demonstrate
their total support.
1
Act as a buffer to protect coaches from parents. Sit
in on potentially contentious meetings that parents
schedule with coaches to air their grievances. You don't
have to say anything, but your mere presence can be
a major deterrent. If needed, you can jump into the
conversation and help maintain proper decorum or provide
clarification. Being a part of these difficult and stressful
meetings is greatly appreciated.
2
3
4
.Explain that coaching from the sidelines is not
.tolerated. Accomplish this during your preseason
parents meeting, and provide the logical reasons for
this expectation. If there is an incident during a game,
approach the parent and politely intervene. Should the
parent ignore your request, the next step is asking them to
leave the contest.
.Emphasize that coaches are never evaluated
.primarily on win-loss records. Explain this during
you preseason coaches meeting. The evaluation process
uses the National Standards for Coaches and is an effort
to list their positive contributions along with suggestions
for improvement. The end result is to provide the best
environment for student-athletes. This means having a
coaching staff that helps young people grow and develop
life-long skills.
.Don't succumb to pressure to fire a coach over
.wins/losses. Keep your principal and superintendent
informed that these demands are wrong, and that the
formula for winning has many variables beyond coaching.
By taking these steps, the venom and attacks may instead
be directed at you. But stick to your guns, and formally
evaluate all coaches based upon a multitude of factors.

April/May 2019

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