Stand Up for Your Coach

And so, it begins.

?As the hockey season comes to a close, open season on hockey coaches officially begins. A blistering reminder of what too many coaches will now endure as the unhappy parents begin to assemble the marksmen for their firing squads.

?It’s a simple phone call or text, “Hey coach, I guess they have started a petition to get me fired.”

?Immediately my brain hits warp speed spitting out all the reasons why this nonsense must be stopped. I completely understand that not every situation is the same, but at the same time am certain that the majority of these modern-day witch hunts should be shut down like an internet scammer.

?Your kids aren’t getting enough playing time is not a viable reason to fire a coach. It is, however, the perfect time to teach your kid that they are responsible for earning that playing time. That maybe they need to put more time and effort into improving. Wear out a stickhandling ball this summer and put some dents in that hockey net in the garage. An old school solution that still works today!

?The team’s won-loss record isn’t what you wanted, not a reason. No coach can win consistently without talent. Not the late Herb Brooks, not the legendary Bill Belichick, and not your coach who is putting in long hours away from his family, for the pittance of pay, often trying to make chicken salad out of chicken droppings. Those who seek to discredit and dismiss coaches who are doing the best they can with what they have should not be allowed a stage to act out their imaginary tragedy.

?This is not professional sports, winning at all costs is not the top priority. And furthermore, the sole purpose of high school athletics is not to get your kid a college scholarship. It is time to slam the brakes on both of those acidic beliefs. There is an arduous path to the next level, but the likelihood is no greater than learning to play the recorder will lead you to a spot in the Philharmonic Orchestra.

?Looking for a fast way to destroy your program? Hire a new coach every year or two. Good programs are built through consistency at the top. Constantly changing coaches, cultures, systems, rules and expectations is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Changing coaches won’t fix your lack of talent. Giving up on young coaches because they make some mistakes, which they will, or don’t bring you an immediate championship, is foolish. The learning curve of coaching is endless and much of it can only be learned by experiencing it. Patience is indeed a forgotten virtue. Every wise old coach was once young and inexperienced.

?Do you have a coach that is on time, prepared, high character, accepts responsibility, has played the game, puts in extra hours, cares about your kid, is a role model, committed to your community, maybe an alumnus, or a firefighter, with kids that will be coming through the program? Then keep them. If they have some faults maybe give them time to work on them.

?Administrators who support help guide young coaches would be a much better option than succumbing to cries of irrational and selfish parents.

?Contrary to what you might believe, coaching high school in today’s climate isn’t exactly one of the most sought-after jobs available. Really good coaches are leaving or being forced out in record numbers. Career coaches, those that put in thirty or forty years, are going the way of the dinosaurs. And it isn’t because they don’t love coaching, it’s because of everything else that takes away from their actual coaching. It is the diametric change that has put the player before the team.

?If you are a coach in the crosshairs, you first need to ask yourself, do I really want to keep doing this? If the answer is yes, then don’t sit back and watch this witch hunt develop. Take the fight to your parents, players and administrators that have the power to make sure you keep your job. Don’t assume you are safe, or that you have done enough, or that these torch-toting maniacs won’t lie, exaggerate and slander your character, because they will. They will ruthlessly take it all away without batting an eyelash. I made the mistake of believing my forty years of experience, my reputation and support from the majority of the team would be enough, it wasn’t.

?There are bad coaches out there, I won’t disagree with that reality. However, your kids playing time or your teams lack of talent isn’t a reflection of the quality or character of your coach. Do you have a coach that is unprepared, disorganized, late for everything, swears at your kids, throws stuff, only plays the best kids, doesn’t pay any attention to the rest, is a terrible role model, doesn’t communicate, blames others, blatantly unfair, inconsistent and will do whatever it takes to win? That laundry list is too extensive to rehabilitate, but also one that should fly enough red flags to get your athletic director’s attention.

?Parents, the sane, reasonable ones out there, when you say nothing, you cast your support with those who are perpetrating this injustice. You don’t want to get involved, well you are involved, you have a kid on the team, and you need to stand up for the good coaches who don’t deserve this character assassination. Silence is acceptance and cowardly.

?"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," said Edmund Burke, an Irish statesman, author, and philosopher.?

?Do the right thing, support your coach.