High School Coach Ethics
Downball
school level? Some of the questions I would like answered are:
Is it standard pratice to demote a varsity player to jv?
Do you try to correct a previous coach's errors or ignor them?
Should a "walk on" coach be under the same standards as a classroom
teacher in a public high school?
Is there a high school out there that has standards for coach and player
behaviors in place at this time?
Have seniors ever been allowed to play jv?
What is the parents role in high school volleyball?
Tom Jack
: Does anyone have an exsisting Code of Ethics for Coaches for the High
: school level? Some of the questions I would like answered are:
: Is it standard pratice to demote a varsity player to jv?
Depends on the coach, and the league.
In some leagues you cannot move players up and down.
I personally like to have this option to motivate
players to move up. Moving players down is a tough call.
If the player on Varsity has reached a point where
the other players have surpassed his abilities,
and he is just sitting on the bench, you have to
decide whether it would be better for him to play
JV and get more court time, or "play" Varsity
just to save face.
: Do you try to correct a previous coach's errors or ignor them?
With any new team you have to evaluate where the individuals
currently are, where they want to go, and where you can take them.
Your job as a coach is to help them to reach their goals,
and to learn some lessons about volleyball (and life)
along the way.
There are right ways and wrong ways to execute the skills
involved in volleyball. There are alot of different ways
to teach these skills.
: Should a "walk on" coach be under the same standards as a classroom
: teacher in a public high school?
I would think so. Coaches spend more time with athletes
than most teachers do.
: Is there a high school out there that has standards for coach and player
: behaviors in place at this time?
Most schools have standards of behavior for employees.
Few teams have standards of behavior for players.
I put together my own standards of behavior for players
that I have the players and their parents sign.
: Have seniors ever been allowed to play jv?
When I was in High School and ran track, the coaches
moved players up and down regardless of grade.
Your latest results (time) determined which team
you were on. Some might consider this hard on
those Seniors on JV, others would consider this
the only fair method.
: What is the parents role in high school volleyball?
Depends on the coach. Some coaches like parent involvement,
some don't. I have gone as far as having parents
assist me in practices.
At a bare minimum the the parents role should be
observer/supporter of their child - and the rest
of the kids on the team.
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JerryG2829
not clear as to your motives in asking the questions you did. I get the
feeling that you might be trying to gather "ammo" to use in some conflict
you are having with a local coach. Is that the case? Are you the player
(or the parent of a player) who was dropped to the Junior Varsity? Maybe
you should rethink the situation and your role in it. I'm sure there is
blame enough to go around.
1. "Does anyone have an existing Code of Ethics for coaches for the
high school level?" Virtually every sports organization in existence has a
Code of Ethics. The question is whether or not people abide by such codes.
If people in sports are moral and ethical they don't need such a code and
if they are not moral and ethical, a ton of codes won't help. Contact the
governing organization for school sports in your area.
2. Is it standard practice to demote a varsity player to JV? I have
dropped younger kids to the JV's so that they can develop. A sophmore, for
example, who isn't playing half the time or more on the Varsity should
probably be dropped to JV. I might consider dropping a player to JV's for
disciplinary reasons although if the problems got to that point I might
drop the player from the program altogether. A coach's concern for an
individual has to be balanced against the needs of other players in the
program.
3. "Do you try to correct a previous coach's errors or ignor (sic)
them?"
What errors and who has determined that they are errors? If it is a player
who has been dropped to JV's, or a parent of one, who is defining what is
and what isn't an error, I have no answer to your question...you need to
go to the coach and work out the difficulties. Also, one coach's error is
another's core technique. I teach setting differently than most of the
coaches I know, yet every setter I've had was at least All-League. If the
"next" coach considers the techniques I've taught to be errors, he/she is
obligated to make changes in those techniques. Coaches are paid to make
judgements about such things and take steps necessary to make the "whole
thing" work.
4. Should a "walk on" coach be under the same standards as a
classroom teacher in a public high school? Again, what standards? Whose
standards? Yours? Supervision of an athletic program is the respon-
sibility of the school and athletic administration of the school. Perhaps
you should voice your concerns to them. And yes, a walk-on coach should
meet the same moral/ethical/technical etc. standards as an on campus
coach.
5. "Is there a high school out there that has standards for coach
and player behavior in place at this time?" Every program has standards,
some high, some low. Some standards are written down and formal others are
not. The question is are you consistent and fair? I am fairly "loose" as
regards player behavior, while one of my chief opponents is not. Who is
right? Players on both teams are good kids, both have fun, and both seem
satisfied with their experience and they know the game. Sometimes we win
and sometimes they do. Who is right?
6. Have seniors ever been allowed to play JV? It isn't unheard of,
but not common. A coach does have an obligation to develop young players
and frosh/soph and junior varsity teams designed to do that.
7. What is the parents role in high school volleyball? To support
their child, but not to solve their child's problems. I tell my player's
parents that I am happy to talk with them about anything but playing time
and money!
Jerry Gregg