On occasion I hear stories that make me wonder what some coaches are doing and why they got into coaching in the first place. I understand that coaches are human and prone to mistakes. Trust me, I've made more than my share - whether it be getting called for a deserved technical and putting my team in a bad spot, chewing out the wrong kid, or breaking into a dance at a team dinner at Pizza Hut (I did apologize to my team and my family for embarrassing them after that). What I don't understand is the coach who quits on their kids, curses a blue streak at one of their players, or tells everyone around how much they hate coaching.
I have a unique perspective on what it means to work with kids. I grew up in a family who has been involved in the education process in nearly every way. My grandmothers both worked at Jackson (MI) Public Schools, while one grandfather drove a bus for the same district and another coached his kids and their friends when they were young. An uncle coached football and baseball while he taught at Birch Run (MI) High School. And my parents have been involved in a bit of everything. From my mom working as a teacher's assistant at Jackson Public and now as a teacher at a local pre-school, to my dad serving on the school board at East Jackson Schools and the Jackson County ISD, to hosting numerous foreign exchange students, it was always ingrained in us that education and doing what's right for others is the right thing to do. Now in my generation, I married a young lady with a teaching degree, my brother is a coach, my sister and her husband both work in special education and she has coached cross country.
With that background and my Christian faith, I've always believed that there is a greater purpose to coaching than the wins and losses. Don't get me wrong, I have an ego and want to win as bad as anyone (see the aforementioned technicals and yes there have been a number of them). I simply see my players as much more than a means to that end. When kids play for teams I'm involved with, they are part of the family and are treated with the same love and respect as I treat my own kids (I'm happy to say it has been the same with the head coaches I've worked for). See, I want to receive the texts like I received yesterday when one of my former players let me know she is going to compete in track nationals or be invited to the wedding of one of my players as she got married last fall. And at the end of the day, I want my players to be successful whatever direction life takes them.
So when I heard last weekend that a coach in her first year at a program left her team two hours before they tipped off for a game, I was absolutely stunned and saddened. I don't know all of the details and can sense that there were issues throughout the athletic program. For the life of me though, I can't understand why you can't stick with your players through the end of the season. Those young ladies practice every day, go to class, and bust their backsides for that program and the coach. To leave them before things are done, is essentially inexcusable. Frankly I'm sick of coaches talking about loyalty and toughness and then showing neither when push comes to shove.
Fortunately most coaches are in it for the kids, but I would beg those who don't have the passion anymore to think about doing something else after this season is over. There are plenty of other folks out there willing to step in and take your spot. I know, I'm one of them and have talked to many others as well.
I'm interested to know the thoughts of other coaches out there as well.
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