Is Being a High School Coach Really Worth It?

I was just thinking about the pressure that has to be on high school coaches who have to deal with this generation of high school student athletes.

Today’s high school athletes seem to have a much softer side to them. These players cannot take criticism from their coaches or harsh and strong language to motivate them to do better.  Today’s high school athletes have to be treated a special way, like you would handle a newborn baby.

Why would any high school coach want to deal with high school athletes and their issues?

I think the pressure on high school coaches these days is ridiculous. Not only do they have to deal with cry baby high school athletes, they also have to deal with outside distractions from parents.

It used to be that the high school coach had more power and control over the team he coached and the players he developed. Now everything has changed.

If the high school coach does not win enough games right away they will be fired.  It seems that building an athletic program for the long term would be more important.  I would want to win for a longer period of time in terms of years than try and rush to win games right away in order to please the parents and the public.

If a high school coach yells at this generation of high school athletes they would be fired.  It used to be that a coach would yell at the players as a form of motivation; as a way to get the attention of these athletes. It was also a way of motivation.  The coach’s job is to teach players how to play the game and I would think sometimes you’re going to have to use strong language.

This generation of high school athletes is not willing to accept constructive criticism from their coach who is trying to make them better.  Instead, they will go complaining to their parents about how mean the coach was when that’s not really the truth.

High school coaches have a lot of B.S. that they have to deal with and I think it’s ridiculous that coaches have so much outside distraction.

When I read the local paper, there’s a listing of job openings for high school coaches after the football season. A dozen or more high school coaches have decided to get out of coaching altogether and focus more time on family and other things.  It’s the same with all other sports at the high school level-that a large number of high school coaches are leaving the game.

You have high school coaches who want to do a good job but are tied down with so many rules, regulations and restrictions that are getting in the way of real coaching.  Whose fault is it?  Is it the athletic director’s fault? They’re responsible for the entire athletic apartment along with the hiring of a new coach.  Is it the Principles involvement with hiring or firing a coach that may be getting in the way of good coaching?

When hiring a new coach, the administrators listen very carefully to that coach’s intentions for the program but it seems that outside pressures can persuade the administrator’s decision on whether or not to keep or fire the coach.

Maybe high school coaches are fed up with all of the unnecessary responsibilities that have nothing to do with coaching whatsoever.  This is why I believe there is a huge turnover of very good high school coaches who decide to get out of the game.

Final thoughts: The high school coach sometimes is treated unfairly because of the amount of responsibilities placed upon a coach and the low pay they receive.  The high school coach is required to do so many things such as developing the players, producing a winning program and getting these athletes recruited and placed in college.  That is the job of a high school coach but I think there’s just so many outside distractions that slows down good high school coaches from really doing their jobs.

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Should high school coaches be paid full time to coach their sport?

The high school coaching profession is extremely challenging; the hours are long and the pay is low.  Many high school coaches do outstanding and unbelievable work every year for the student athletes that they coach.  Should high school coaches be paid full time to only coach their sport?

This question will spark a huge debate because many people do not believe that high school coaches bring any value to their sport or to their schools.  I believe high school coaches are a critical aspect to the success of high school athletes.

School coaches, in my opinion, bring a lot of value to the schools they coach for and for the players that they teach and coach.  If they did not matter what high school teams were doing then no one would show up for the games.

I know every school district would not be able to afford to pay a coach a full time salary to only coach.  Maybe high school coaches in revenue-producing sports such as football and basketball should be paid full time.

What are your thoughts?

I know that it may not be a great idea to hire someone to just coach their sport and do nothing else, but it’s done at the college level. I do understand that colleges and universities have the money and the resources to pay a coach full time to only coach. I’ve heard stories of how the head coaches would use their coaching salaries to pay assistant coaches and to put money back into their program.

There can be creative ways to possibly raise money to pay a high school coach’s salary to coach full time.  At the college level, I do know that they have basketball camps to help fund their athletic programs and pay for a coach or two.

Maybe this process can work at the high school level where there could be some sort of fundraising for basketball camps or host an event where money could be raised to pay a coach a full time salary or give them a larger piece of the pie.

I’m sure there are many parents and fans of high school sports who do not understand the amount of hours that it takes to coach high school players and to develop that program in which they coach. In my opinion, and maybe I’m wrong but it is my opinion and I believe high school sports is a critical part of a school’s curriculum.

I understand that education is extremely important but I also believe that playing sports is also important.

In many school districts throughout this country high school sports is everything to a high school kid that play sports. Many of these young men and women look to high school coaches as father-figures or role models and I believe there is a huge value to having a full time high school coach.

The world is changing; the things we use to do 15 or 20 years ago do not apply to young people today. Everything is different and I believe having strong mentors as head coaches can do a lot for the young people who play a sport and uplift a community or even a high school.

There is a crisis in this country when it comes to the many school districts that are having financial problems.  Enrollment is dropping at many school districts and that affects money but I believe more creative thinking can create a better future for the overall success of high school coaching, athletics, school districts and, of course, the students.