July/August 2019 - 8

A.D.MINISTRATION athletic director strategies
filling
THE GAP
Considering community coaches
for your high school vacancies
By Dr. David Hoch, columnist
Finding qualified coaches is an increasingly complex
dilemma for athletic administrators nationwide. The
typical process of posting a vacancy, sifting through
applications, interviewing selected candidates, and
ultimately hiring the best individual for your program may
not be the total answer. To fill those difficult positions,
you may have to be a little more creative and take a few
additional steps.
While teachers present the ideal candidate to fill
coaching positions, there are fewer today willing to take on
the added responsibility. As a result, this creates the need
for additional sources. This means athletic directors may
need to cultivate or prepare community coaches to move
into the high school arena. But these individuals come
with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Community coaches may possess the technical
knowledge of skills and strategy in their sport. But they
likely lack the understanding of how a high school athletic
program operates. It's also reasonable to suggest that
they may be unfamiliar with the value and foundation
of education-based athletics, in which the growth and
development of young people is the primary objective.
To increase the pool of coaching candidates, athletic
directors might want to take some time to educate
community coaches on the complexities of the high
school job. Here are some steps you might take to help
community coaches understand how high school programs
operate, the qualities that are desired, and the roles that
they need to fill.
1
Host a workshop. Hold a clinic during the summer
or school year to cover a number of pertinent topics.
This meeting could be advertised as a necessary step
toward becoming a high school coach. Make it known that
individuals who complete this educational session will be
given greater consideration for any vacancies. This is a
good hint that attending should be helpful, important and
advisable.
Here are some topics to cover:
* The value of education-based athletics. Since this
concept is the foundation of high school athletics, it
needs to be understood and embraced.
* How winning is valued in education-based athletics.
Coaches should prepare teams to win, but they also
need to know that winning is not the ultimate objective.
The primary goal is the growth and development of
young people and instilling lifelong values.
* Good sportsmanship is mandatory. This includes
interaction with officials and opponents. Coaches set the
tone for fans and parents, and they need to be role
models.
* Student-athletes are students first. This means that
attendance and active participation in the classroom is
imperative, and they do have homework most evenings.
* Creating a healthy balance. While it's good to work
hard and be devoted to the sport, athletes have families
and are involved in much more. Playing a sport should
not be so demanding and inclusive that it leaves no time
for the other elements.
* The role of athletic trainers. These professionals are
responsible for the diagnosis, treatment and
rehabilitation of injuries. They have the final decision,
with consultation of a physician, as to when an athlete
returns to play. No interference or pressure by coaches
will be tolerated.
* Coaches must comply with state and district policies.
This means completing the necessary paperwork for
athlete eligibility and collecting the necessary
permission, physical and informed consent forms.
* Coaches represent the school. In a high school
program, unlike with a community team, coaches serve
as a spokesperson for their team, the program and the
school. When interacting with the media, they must
convey a positive image. Great care must be given to
their choice of words, tone and overall message.
For additional agenda items, the National Coaching
Standards for Sport Coaches is a valuable reference.
Make sure to include anything pertinent to your particular
school and community. The goal of this session is to give
8 JULY/AUGUST 2019
July/August 2019

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