I do not believe that
interscholastic coaches should be required to submit a learning and assessment plan
to their athletic director at the beginning of the season. If coached
properly, an athlete will learn core life values while furthering their
education. A coach is responsible for instilling the values of hard work,
good sportsmanship, dedication and teamwork in their athletes; success is
measured by their wins and losses each season. In the state of Texas, there are
minimum grade requirements that must be met in order for athletes to
participate in sporting competitions. If athletes do not achieve quality
academic or attitude standards they should be disciplined with negative
reinforcement (sprints or bench time). A coach should not only coach a sport,
but also coach a student in academics and values. However, if coaches are
asked to write an assessment plan each season, this may take away time
spent encouraging athletes to achieve their best on the court and in the
classroom.
ReplyDeleteCoaches are assessed by wins and losses at the end of the season and are responsible for teaching core life values to their athletes, but I’ve seen many coaches who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. It’s easy for anyone to say that they’re all about the future of our athletes but without the physical evidence we will never know for sure. If success is in fact measured by success solely on the court, then what should we expect of our athletes off the court.
To help with the amount of time spent on an assessment plan and the time taken away from encouraging athletes, these assessments could be submitted before the school year begins or before athletic programs begin practicing during the school year. As you’ve stated I do believe coaches are responsible for teaching our athletes many different life lessons but to ensure our athletes are getting that proper training these assessments are needed.
High school coaches are educators first and should remember that. Yes, they are ultimately judged on wins, but also on the quality of students they are helping build.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes down to the mission statement of the athletic department. I know many schools that place academics and life development just about equal to winning and losing. However this is the Division III mentality. There is much more job security at this level and more emphasis is placed on character development than wins and loses. I think it is important to have an assessment plan but I agree I don't think coaches should be required to submit assessment outcomes to the athletic director. This goes against my previous opinion where I thought they should be required to but I have taken a different side. I think it is more important to just do it than report back about it.
ReplyDelete