There was not one, but two articles this month in the Wisconsin State Journal about high school coaches. The first story was related to an issue I raise in my book: with increasing pressure on coaches to win and unrealistic expectations about pleasing parents and athletes, who will be willing to coach in the future? 

Apparently, the future is closer than I thought.

The shrinking pool of candidates for school coaches before the pandemic has gotten even smaller. Job postings draw three or four applicants. Sometimes there are none and positions remain open for months. Ideal candidates are teachers working in the school, or people with coaching experience, but most schools are open to hiring coaches with “relatable experience.”  

As one athletic director acknowledged, it can be a thankless job. And he sees how club coaching opportunities and people reevaluating how they want to spend their time have reduced the interest in coaching at schools.

Two days later, the same journalist had another story. This one was about high school coaches who got certified to drive a school bus to be sure that their athletes could compete. One even made a 108-mile round trip to bring a competing team to a track meet so their kids could participate.

It reminded me of how in the 1970s and 80s many women’s coaches had to drive their teams to games. People willing to do this are people who truly care about kids having the opportunity to play.

But coaches shouldn’t have to drive the team bus. And they shouldn’t have to officiate, but at some point, they may have to do that as well. Early this year I wrote about the shortage of officials and its impact on school sports.

Teachers, coaches, and officials all deserve more respect.

Traditionally, teachers also took on coaching roles. But as the demands on both teachers and coaches have increased, and respect for what they do has decreased, it’s understandable why fewer of them are willing to take on an additional role. Poor behavior by some parents and athletes—even other coaches—is making those jobs undesirable and in some cases, impossible for someone to sustain, no matter how much they care about kids. 

And some of us are just not meant to be coaches. So, there are only so many good candidates to go around. Community recreation programs and club sports also need coaches. They all have something to offer, but we have created more demand than there is supply.

School sports deserve more respect.

School sports are intended to be an extension of the classroom that provide learning opportunities for kids in another realm. They are also an opportunity to build pride in one’s school and community. 

School sports offer kids and communities something club sports do not. If parents and coaches are rethinking how they spend their time and what they truly value in sports, I hope they see that we are moving closer to losing something very special. I hope they will respect, support, and prioritize athletic opportunities in schools and the people who work hard to provide them.   

Read more

How an increasingly shallow pool of high school coaching candidates challenges athletic directors, Jon Masson, Wisconsin State Journal, May 3, 2022

Bus driver shortage leads some high school coaches to take on more — including picking up opponents, Jon Masson, Wisconsin State Journal, May 6, 2022

Coming soon:  50 Years in the Bleachers

photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash