www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com
Some of it seems to be pointed directly at certain situations in that area, but great letter. Unfortunately our world is never going back to where coaches were seen as father/mother figures and entrusted with helping raise kids. And teachers are in the same boat unfortunately.Jake's Take | An open letter to 'those' parents of high school athletes
With high school coaches leaving the profession due to parental issues, it might be time for people to take a good look in the mirror and reflect.
Take a minute to read. Spot on article/open letter to parents.
That does present a bizarre twist.
Coach's contracts are extra curricular, and annual by nature. This is good because the biggest misinformation out there is that high school coaches get fired. No they don't. Their supplemental contracts must be renewed annually. If a school decides to go a different direction, they just don't renew the coach. Much cleaner and legal that way. Now a coach CAN get fired during their contract for certain big items, but for the most part it's a simple procedure. And it may or may not have anything to do with coaching. A coach could be a horse's butt and treat the kids horribly and win, and you get and administration and board who is more about participation and kids growing up differently, that coach may not be a great fit. If it's win at all costs - which it many times is - then they coach stays and kids can be mistreated.
Oh, they're definitely related. You could add the current situation with Mansfield Senior girls basketball to that list too.
By far the most difficult jobs to hire for are your Olympic sports. In my time as an athletic admin the hiring process for sports like XC, Swimming, Golf, Track, Tennis come down to simply can they pass the background check as you mentioned. And don't even get me started on middle school athletics. If you can find a young, ambitious middle school coach who wants to be involved in multiple sports you get them in your office asap and start signing HR documents immediately.
Thank the teachers union for that. Unions are good for solidarity, bad for getting rid of bad workers/ teachers.
I think first and foremost, schools need to proclaim that high school / middle school sports are extracurricular activities that the school sponsors in and attempt to keep students well rounded ( band/ choir/ theatre same). Therefore, these activities are for ALL students to tryout for. The goal of high school sports isn't to get kids athletic scholarships. This has been misinformation from the time I started paying attention. Athletic scholarships are few and far between, and also D3/ NAIA are NON athletic scholarship schools. These "letter of intent" signings are simply for show for the school/ college. There is no such thing as a letter of intent below D2. Actually, a good number of D2 athletes are walk ons or at best partial scholarships.
No sure I follow your final comments there. Can you expound?
Way back when, teachers were not paid well, but the time off was considered compensation and let's face it, public education is paid for by the taxpayers, so you have limited means. Most extracurriculars occur after school, so it just made sense to hire teachers to coach and it was supplemental income for them. Some coaches had little to no experience in the sports they coached, they just figured it out.
NAIA give athletic scholarships. Full and partial...............
So history repeats itself right. So let's go back to the 50's-60's-70's, COLLEGE coaches made a modest salary, many taught a few classes to make ends meet, coached multiple sports, the most veteran coach often became the AD for more money. Move ahead to today, especially at the D1 major level, coaches ONLY coach one sport, don't teach any classes and if they are the head basketball or football coach, they may be the highest paid person on campus.
This definitely spot on! I always find it funny when Bobby not very good at Basketball but great at algebra!
This is correct. Some parents can be uncontrollably passionate about their kids sports but care less about their level of education as long as they are getting one. Even though the education will take them much further.
It is extremely difficult to get rid of a tenured, certified, union membered teacher good or bad.
