Standards For All Coaches
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| The Freeman School District is proud of its athletic traditions, coaches, players and fans. We believe that this partnership is important in the total development of the student athlete, as they strive to become good, productive citizens. In order to maintain a strong, safe, vibrant and supportive athletic program that promotes the spirit of competition, the following standards have been developed for coaches. A similar brochure outlining expectations for parents and fans have also been developed. Both statements are a work in progress and may be modified as necessary. | ||||
| My
thoughts: First of all, these standards are not for "all
coaches" at Freeman High School, but rather just one coach in
particular. The following are excerpts from the Freeman School Board
meeting minutes. During the February 27, 2007, school board meeting, Mark Dresback stated he was very concerned about "the atmosphere the district is subjecting 14 to 18-year old boys, specifically the boys basketball team". After some discussion, board president Sue Cronk thanked Mr. Dresback for his comments and concerns. At the March 14 school board meeting, board member Diane Woodman moved the Board to direct the superintendent to raise the bar for athletic programs, specifically boys basketball, and create a process to accomplish that. Kris Barnes seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. At the March 28 school board meeting, Dwayne Gady asked the board what the language meant in the March 14 board minutes regarding "raising the bar in boys basketball." Superintendent Sergio Hernandez stated that there have been numerous conversations regarding the boys basketball program and the intensity of coaching. "We will form a small committee that will look at the program and create some expectations for the coach. The committee will sit down with the coach, see if it's a good fit, and make a recommendation at that point." (Added 7.20.07) At the June 26th school board meeting, Hernandez reported a committee was formed to review present standards and expectations for Freeman coaches. Committee members are Mark Dresback, Phil Altmeyer, Randy Altmeyer, Tom Maine, Fred DePell, Brian Parisotto, Dave Smith, Chad Goldsmith, Kelli Beaulaurier and Sergio Hernandez. He requested approval of the committee's documents: standards for all coaches employed by the Freeman School District, annual performance review, post-season student/athlete survey, progressive discipline for all Freeman coaches, and parent/coach expectations. Mr. Hernandez thanked the committee for their hard work on the process. Mark Dresback stated a group of parents have met on a regular basis and have long-term documentation beginning in 1997 regarding specific concerns in the boys basketball program. Barb Sanders read a letter from the parent group stating their concerns and outlining the history of communication to the administration and Board regarding student well-being and safety. She stated they have repeatedly asked that Mike Thacker's contract not be renewed. After lengthy discussions of concerns, hiring processes, and qualifications, Mrs. Cronk thanked the parents for their input. Mrs. Cronk stated "while the Board may not be privy to everything the committee has done, the public does not have access to some of the things the Board has done that are equally as thoughtful and concerned." She encouraged anyone with concerns to contact the District office. Mrs. Woodman moved the Board approve the coaching standards documents as presented. Mrs. Barnes seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. |
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| Treatment of our Student Athletes - Our kids are the reason you are hired as a coach. You need to be accurately aware of the necessity to build and develop the "entire person" within each of our student-athletes. The "entire person", as far as the sports program is concerned, goes well beyond honing their athletic abilities. It also includes their academic endeavors, learning to follow school rules, developing a positive self-image, building strong character, and learning from their successes and failures. Please remember, you play an important role that is an intricate part of our mission to help each student-athlete achieve their best potential as a person. It is our expectation that coaches will treat our student-athletes with dignity and respect at all times. | ||||
| My thoughts: I thought this was the role of the parents. Don't the parents have any of these responsibilities anymore? Why lay all this at the feet of the coach. The coach is hired to coach his sport, not to cure all the problem's for the athlete in school and at home. My God, what's next? Is the coach responsible for global warming as well. I hope Thacker is getting paid plenty for all these added duties. | ||||
| Motivation and Discipline of Student Athletes - Creation of an environment that encourages and motivates active student participation is an important role of the coach. The district also understands that, when appropriate, intense coaching is a part of building and maintaining a strong and successful sports program. When intense coaching is the best tool to motivate and/or discipline student-athletes, it is expected that every effort be made to do so from a position of caring and approached as an opportunity to teach. When used, intense coaching is focused only on the player and their play. At no time will berating, bullying or belittling comments be tolerated. | ||||
| My
thoughts: Keep in mind that a lot of parents have never
participated in athletics and/or others do not remember what it was like
when they were in high school. Basketball is an intense sport and
should be played and coached with intensity. A lot of parents just
do not understand this concept and get all excited when the coach is
yelling at their little ball of sunshine. In a gym, you have to
raise your voice if you are to be heard from the sidelines. Again,
some parents have no idea of what is going on and have a tendency to take
everything negatively. If yelling at a child is a crime against
humanity, then how come parents can get away with it at
home? This rule will also empower disgruntled student-athletes to make frivolous complaints about a coach when he/she is not getting what they feel they are entitled to. The smallest of incident will also fuel the fire for irate parents looking for anything to get a coach fired. |
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| Athletic Event Demeanor - The Freeman School Districts expects our coaches to exhibit a professional manner at all times. Coaches are the district's most visible teachers! Your actions will reflect on all of our students, staff and community members. Any negative outburst, either verbally or physically, towards players, parents, staff, visiting team, spectators or officials, damages the positive image our schools enjoy and will not be tolerated. Remember, you are an official ambassador for the Freeman School District and we expect you to positively build upon the traditions and reputation of our schools. | ||||
| My thoughts: This simply means that Mike Thacker is required to sit down during games and keep very quiet as he is not to upset any players, fans or officials. If Freeman is getting the short end of the calls by the referees, he is not to question the referees as it would make the whole community look real bad. God forbid the positive image of the school be damaged. Now keep in mind that parents don't have to follow the same set of rules as they can bad-mouth the officials during the game all they want using profane language. It is only the coach that can tarnish the schools positive image not the screaming, irate parents in the stands. | ||||
| Communication/Cooperation - Every coach needs to communicate positively and clearly with all players, parents, staff and community members. Positive communication, developed by our coaching staff, as well as, members of our communities. In order to build positive communication, please share with athletes and parents the district's resolution policy, which begins by first discussing the concern with the coach. It's important to remember that positive or negative remarks, retaliation, or an attempt to exert power or control can leave lasting impressions on individuals. Please understand and recognize the importance of all your comments. Coaches are also expected to cooperate with all the Freeman School District policies, guidelines and decisions and to communicate any concern with the appropriate supervisor. | ||||
| My thoughts: Does this include all the negative remarks heard in the bleachers from a hysterical, band of irate parents and fans? Or is this one of those "Do as I say and not as I do" rules? The coach needs to be positive and all-wonderful but it is okay for the parents to act like complete idiots and come unglued at the seems. Is the behavior of the parents also included in this set of standards? | ||||
| School and Community/Visiting School Relations - Every employee and volunteer of the Freeman School District carries responsibility of promoting good public relations with our communities, as well as with visiting schools and teams. Everything you do while representing our schools has a direct reflection on our district and all of our employees. It is responsibility that we all share and must take very seriously. Sportsmanship, high ethics and strong role models are essential in developing our student-athletes to their highest potential and critical in creating positive relations with our communities and visiting schools and teams. | ||||
| My thoughts: Hire a public relations director if you are so concerned about the image of your school. Have an ice cream social and recite the flag salute after each game if this is such a huge issue. | ||||
| Playing Time - An intricate part of developing a positive self-image, as well as, personal and athletic skills, is making every student-athlete feel important and vital to the team. Maximizing these learning opportunities through athletics requires the student-athlete to participate beyond practices. At the varsity level, not all participants will be able to see playing time in every contest. Communication of their role must be made very clear if helping the team doesn't include reasonable playing time. Regardless of the level of play (junior high, "C" squad through high school varsity) there will be some competitions where the skill level of the two teams playing will be lopsided. In these instances, we would expect that every athlete would see playing time. Efforts should be made to keep the score differential reasonable in these types of contests so as not to create ill will with visiting team and spectators. | ||||
| My thoughts: This is solely the decision of the coach and no one else. Period! If a parent's little ball of sunshine is not getting the playing time they feel he's entitled to, then they need to do the following. Get the child out of sports, or they (the parents) need to get out of the way all together. Parents generally have a poor sense of his child's ability to begin with. | ||||
| All Freeman coaches are expected to follow and abide by the
WIAA Just Play Fair initiatives, state laws and regulations (RCW/WAC),
district policies and the Standards For All Coaches. I have read the above referenced document and understand what is expected of me as a coach in the Freeman School District. I also recognize that my evaluation and continuation as a coach is based on the Standards For All Coaches document.
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| Final thought: I am no authority to evaluate and judge anyone of their job performance because I can honestly say I have no previous experience fields such as banking, law, receptionist, politics and whatever else people do for a living. If I can understand this concept then what qualifies any group of parents to fairly judge the performance of a head basketball coach? First, isn't there something called a "conflict of interest"? Second, have they ever been in those shoes before? If they have been a head basketball coach before, then they are qualified and their point of view should be valued and respected. If not, then those parents need to leave the evaluations to those that were hired to do just that job. Isn't that the job of the school's athletic director? As an administrator, that is his job. If his recommendation does not concur with a hysterical, band of irate parents, then the parents need to separate themselves and their kids from the situation all together. This idea that their kids are being tortured and abused is and always has been total nonsense. These people are corrosive to the ideals of athletics and to their own kids. Many parents enable their kids to a fault. If there is anything that needs to be addressed in the area of high school athletics it is the out-of-control parents who often are looking at only their own child's benefit. Will these parents be around when their kids have graduated. Will these parents still have the same opinions when they can back up and take a look at the big picture? Are they truly interested in the overall program or just the part that involves their own kid. Mike Thacker may not be perfect but he very passionate about high school basketball. He loves the sport almost to a fault. He cares enough about the sport and the kids to make sure that only the best performance is the standard. Unlike the classroom, basketball calls for a different setting. Basketball always has been and will always be a high emotion sport. That is what makes it so much fun to play, to watch and to coach. Coaches like Mike Thacker are going the way of the dinosaur. Pretty soon the coach will be nothing more that a painted silhouette figurine on the sidelines. When that happens, basketball will never be the same. |
Sally Sunshine High School
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Here is a viable solution for those not satisfied with the
coaches at their child's current high school. Welcome to Sally
Sunshine High School. Here, there is never a problem and never an irate
parent. Let's take a look at the boy's basketball program and see
how coach Sally Sunshine handles any problems that may occur.
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