Coaching can be one of the most rewarding jobs as an educator. I've spent many years coaching football and basketball since I started teaching 23 years ago. Although it can be very rewarding, it does come with it's challenges. Coaches do not just coach at practice from 3:30 - 5:00 at night and on game days. All coaches are constantly thinking about what areas they can improve or areas in which they need their team to work on. Often times these thoughts come when you are at home trying to have time with your family. All of the above mentioned thoughts take place and that does not even mention game day preparation and upset parents with concerns or suggestions.
Parents, I want you to understand one thing. All coaches want to win just as bad or more than every parent in the stands. All coaches are coaching your child and the 25 other students on the team. Once they go home from practice, they are grading papers and making plans for class. Once that is complete, they hope to have time to unwind before going to bed and doing it all over again the next day. There is more to coaching than winning, losing, who is starting, who is playing, or who is sitting on the bench. Coaching is about building a relationship with students and hopefully continuing that relationship past the High School Days. As a matter of fact, I still have a student that I coached in HS that still texts me monthly just to check in and see how things are going. That means a lot to me as a coach.
Coaching at Mound City R-2 is also a secondary stipend. These coaches are Teachers First, Coaches Second. Their main job is to provide an education to our students, coaching is an extra way to make a little more money but spend time teaching they sports they enjoy so much.
We encourage open conversation between coaches and parents, however it does not happen as often as it should because it is not productive. There are proper guidelines set forth on appropriate times to talk to coaches, right after a game is not one of them or at another school function (regardless of the outcome). There are appropriate topics to discuss such as treatment of a student or areas where the athlete can improve. There are also inappropriate topics to discuss such as strategy, play calling and other players playing time or position on the team. All of the examples listed above are all in the Athletic Handbook in which all parents had to sign before their student is able to participate. Parents please remember that coaches are trying to put the players in a position to succeed. They are with the students at practices and around them at school all day. Parents and Spectators are only watching what is happening on a game night and do not know the preparation and work that has taken place in the weeks leading up to the game.
Athletics and Extracurricular Activities are a major part of the school environment and growing up as a student. Negative talk regarding coaches or how they are coaching has made it harder to find coaches in our small communities. Without coaches, we cannot have teams and we do not seem to have a lot of coaches knocking on our door to put in the time and effort that it takes. Please keep these thoughts in mind. Thank you!