Pay The Coach!

[alwoods]

Question: Should high school coaches be paid to only coach and should they be paid full time to only coach their sports (maybe a second sport) instead of being a teacher and coach?

Many high school coaches are teachers and I feel that if they had more time to work with the players, they could do a better job with the development of the kids.

[alabama mike]

Many high school coaches are teachers and I feel that if they had more time to work with the players, they could do a better job with the development of the kids.

They are a teacher first and foremost. The reason they are hired is to teach a particular class. Some of the larger schools in the south hire football only coaches but that is few and far between. The 'development' of kids is done in the off season not during the season. To be honest, how many kids are going to develop enough skill to play at the next level? Very few!

[theone]

Teachers should get paid more to Coach. They have to put food on the table like the rest of us, if we put in overtime at our jobs, we get paid time and a half, WHY DON'T THEY? Teachers have a 4+ year degree, they deserve more pay. If quality teachers were paid more to coach then the board wouldn't have to hire town drunks. But at least cg is putting in a new store in front of thier school so they won't have to walk far.

[Pol pot]

And where does this money come from? Many schools struggle financially in todays economic climate with sub-standard equipment, text books, and other resources. Places that are in pay to play mode already would probably just drop some sports or price a lot of families out of competition. Coaches coach for the love, you know that when you get into the profession.

[theone]

You are right. Coaches coach for the love and to bring out the best in each child because they want to. But, fact of the matter is, Coaches have to eat and so do their families (they have to put gas in their cars, and their kids may want to follow in their dad's footsteps and also go to College someday). We WANT to pay coaches more to draw in QUALITY adults to coach OUR kids. When they choose this profession after putting in 4+ years of college, they should be rewarded. When you divide the hours with the time they put in to be (for example) an assistant coach, they are just getting like $2 on the hour. What if that was your overtime pay? I see why teachers go outside to get part time jobs in the summer. I do respect how you feel, this is just how I feel.

[Frank Reagan]

Teachers should get paid more to Coach. If quality teachers were paid more to coach then the board wouldn't have to hire town drunks.

Teachers do get paid more to coach, it is called a supplemental contract. The pay for supplementals are many times set by contract negotiations between the school district and the union. If a coach doesn't like the pay, then they don't have to do it or try to get the union to negotiate a better rate.

Trust me, coaches, for the most part, don't do it for the pay, they do it for various reasons, they include but not limited to: the love of the game, the adrenaline rush, the prestige or even the power. The pay just takes a little of the sting out of not doing it for free.

As for the last line, that's just a cheap shot at someone's coach and/or school board and doesn't deserve comment.

[Frank Reagan]

Question: Should high school coaches be paid to only coach and should they be paid full time to only coach their sports (maybe a second sport) instead of being a teacher and coach?

Many high school coaches are teachers and I feel that if they had more time to work with the players, they could do a better job with the development of the kids.

I say no. The school general fund cannot afford to do such a thing. Athletics is not why kids go to school, it is academics. Spending money on a full-time coach would take money away from the true reason these kids are going to school, an education. That money would be better spent on teachers and educational material instead of full-time coaches. Yes, I believe that athletics makes a student more well rounded, but that is a small part of it, especially because, as someone said, these kids will not be making it in life as athletes. The academic knowledge will serve them more and take them much farther in the real world.

[Maximus the Merciful]

Coaches are hired to be fired! THe supplemental contracts are about a tenth of their teaching salaries. If they are fired, they always have their union to help them keep their teaching jobs. Consequently, there are a lot of teachers who are former coaches not coaching in their respective schools. A lot of good coaches I might say.

In coaching, it's not so much the X's and O's, it's the Jimmy and Joes. If you've got talent and a winning program, you usually keep your football position because the program keeps churning out good players.

A basketball coach once told me that you make about 5 enemies, minimum, for every year you coach. I'm sure that number is higher in football because there are 22 players instead of 5(more pareents and family to P$#% off). Everyone cannot be the star. Everyone on the team doesn't always get to play. Many parents with tunnel vision become disillusioned about their Jimmy or Joe.

Many schools find cake jobs for their football coaches so they can devote more time to their sport. Some schools find jobs for their coaches and the coach can't do the job they find for them. Sometimes high school athletics produces good coaches that are incompetent in the educational environment and the kids end up being the recipients of the incompetency. The ideal situation is where the coach is good at coaching and at his job within the school.

Catch 22

[Tigercannon71]

I think coaches should get a house plus a car. They also need paid a lot more I think a base salary of 25,000 should do it. Then add in room for incentives. Like an extra 5,000 for winning a league or an extra 2,000 for making playoffs, and an extra 10,000 for winning state.

[madpolecat]

I wonder what would happen if high schools stopped sponsoring football altogether and left it to the communities to support the teams.

Would all these "fans" out in the community and all these parents be willing to foot the bills if there was no longer a football welfare check being issued by the school district?

[Rvfan]

X's andO's, I agree with your statement about kids not going to school just for athletics, then from there, the rest of your post is bull---- !!! What do think is being taught on the football field, basketball court, or any other athletic court,or field?? These young people are being taught discipline, responsibility, work ethic, sportsmanship, and the reward for hardwork, about setting goals, and lots of other things that aren't taught in the classroom, but are needed in our everyday lives. In most cases, they see that the one who puts most effort, and tries to be the best that they can be, is rewarded with a starting position. In todays world, kids need to work for something, that is one of the things wrong with society today, everyone wants something for nothing. Yes pay the coaches, get quality people teaching our young kids today about life, not just books smarts, but being life smart. I am all for good education, but if you have the best teachers money can buy, what does it benefit you if they chose to play sports for someone who is volunteering for the job, or just doing it for a little power rush. I say put just as much effort an money in your coaches, as your teachers.

[Frank Reagan]

X's andO's, I agree with your statement about kids not going to school just for athletics, then from there, the rest of your post is bull---- !!!.

Bull----? Really? Let's see.

What do think is being taught on the football field, basketball court, or any other athletic court,or field?? These young people are being taught discipline, responsibility, work ethic, sportsmanship, and the reward for hardwork, about setting goals, and lots of other things that aren't taught in the classroom, but are needed in our everyday lives..

Aren't discipline, responsibility, work ethic, setting goals and other things besides book learning taught in the classroom?

Isn't discipline taught in the classroom? I think so.

Responsibility? I think so, kids are made to be responsible for getting their work done, bringing the proper tools for class (books, pencil paper), etc.

Work ethic? I say a resounding yes. It takes a good work ethic to do the right things to make the grade. Yes, there are ones that are super smart and don't have to work to get the grade, but for the most part work is a great part in it.

Setting Goals? Sure can be and is built in the classroom. Setting goals of how much they can do, what they can do and how well they can do it.

Hmmm, not just for athletics to me.

In most cases, they see that the one who puts most effort, and tries to be the best that they can be, is rewarded with a starting position.

How about being rewarded with good grades, good ACT and SAT scores, good college recommendations and even scholarships. Those will take someone farther than that starting position on an athletic team.

In todays world, kids need to work for something, that is one of the things wrong with society today, everyone wants something for nothing. .

Exactly. Work for it. Doing work in the classroom, succeeding with their studies and earning themselves a lifetime of success in their real lives instead of fantasy land hoping to be a big-time football star.

Yes pay the coaches, get quality people teaching our young kids today about life, not just books smarts, but being life smart. I am all for good education, but if you have the best teachers money can buy, what does it benefit you if they chose to play sports for someone who is volunteering for the job, or just doing it for a little power rush. I say put just as much effort an money in your coaches, as your teachers.

They do hire people to teach kids about life and life smart. They are teachers. Teachers teach all sorts of things, book smarts as well as life skills. How to read, write, balance a check book, register to vote, set up a retirement account, figure out the price of a discounted sale item in Wal-mart, cook, make a table, type a letter as well as discipline, work ethic, responsibility and setting goals..........I guess you must have really liked your coaches in school more than your classroom teachers.

[Rvfan]

No I didn't have any favorites. I never had a teacher grab me by the facemask, and ripmy a-- when I messed up on a problem or test, no they gave the grade and went on with their own boring routine. I never had a teacher slap me on the back, or the whole class jump up and down when I done something right, but it happened several times on the football field, and that meant more to me, than all the A's in the world, that is where I learned about being a man, and hard work payed off. Of course you wouldn't probably know anything about, you were probably doing science experiments during the football games. You have your opinion, and I have mine, but the bottom line is "you always get whatyou pay for" in both professions, so from now on when people on here start bashing this team or that team, you and I have just solved the problem, just ask yourselves this question"Is the coach payed or not??"

[Tigercannon71]

RVfan, XandOs has forgotten more football than you can ever hope to know. He has seen more games than probably 95% of the people on this board. When he talks you might want to listen cause he knows from experience.

[Frank Reagan]

No I didn't have any favorites. I never had a teacher grab me by the facemask, and ripmy a-- when I messed up on a problem or test,

I didn't figure a teacher would grab you by the facemask, especially since I didn't think that people like you, who wore their football helmets in class, even had masks on those helmets.

I never had a teacher slap me on the back, or the whole class jump up and down when I done something right, but it happened several times on the football field, and that meant more to me, than all the A's in the world,

Maybe you never did anything in the classroom to get a teacher's praise.

Trust me, praise comes in many ways, for many reasons and in a whole lot more places than a football field and not just a pat on the back or a bunch of guys jumping up and down. Heck, I thought that's what a sorority was for. I've never had a pat on the back or my co-workers jump up and down when I've done well at work in real-life. It's called doing your job and how do I get rewarded? Getting a paycheck. Maybe some out there ought to try it sometime. It's much better and more satisfying than sitting around drawing a government check, but that's the philosophy of many who thought all to life was playing high school sports. This really goes against what you said in an earlier post about, getting something for nothing. Is that what really is important, pats on the back and a team jumping up and down for your efforts? Wow!!!!! It doesn't take much to pacify you, does it?

that is where I learned about being a man, and hard work payed off.

You learned about being a man from just football? Wow, how sad. Being a man is more than just blocking, tackling, discipline and teamwork. It goes much deeper and obviously you haven't figured it out yet.

Of course you wouldn't probably know anything about, you were probably doing science experiments during the football games.

Really. And what do you really know about me other than I disagree with you on this topic. Well, let me inform you about my football background: As for the science experiments, I left those to Chemistry and Physics class during school and afterwards at Marshall University. There was no time on Friday nights, I was playing and actually going all the way to play in the State Finals at the Horseshoe. You know that little stadium in Columbus. I don't think they have science experiments set up there, do they? I followed that up as a varsity assistant coach for three years and head coach for one. Then, follow that up with 5 years as a KHSAA and 24 years as an OHSAA registered football official working the last 20 seasons in a varsity crew, sprinkle in at least, 14 playoff assignments including one State Semi-Final. Not much time for science experiments during Football Friday Nights over the last 28 years or so, do you think?

You have your opinion, and I have mine, but the bottom line is "you always get whatyou pay for" in both professions, so from now on when people on here start bashing this team or that team, you and I have just solved the problem, just ask yourselves this question"Is the coach payed or not??"

You have this misguided idea that coaches are not paid. They are paid. It is called a supplemental contract. If a teacher is a coach, the supplemental pay is just added into his/her salary somewhere in the year. There is a misguided idea that some coach will do a better job if he isn't teaching and is a full-time coach. That is total bunk. Just look at the Bob Lutz's, Curt Clifford's, Ed Miller's, Dave Lucas', Norm Persin's, Roger Zornes', Mike Burcham's etc., of the world. They are successful coaches in their respective sports who are/were also teachers, paid supplemental pay and did darn good jobs as coaches while doing both. Are they paid enough for the time put in? Probably not, but that is nothing new and they know going in what they will be paid and it hasn't run them off.


BTW, thanks for the support tigercannon.

[BlindWhiteHat]

RVFAN, I'm sure your English/Writing teacher has jumped off a bridge after reading your post.

Obviously, football was and still is the only thing you have in your life. Many more teachers have made an impact in kids lives than football coaches. I'm sure football coaches would agree to that statement. Football has its place but in no way should coaches be paid full time salaries just to coach. When high school programs start bringing in the money that pro and college programs bring in, you may be onto something but until then supplemental contracts for coaches who teach is the way to go.

[dragoncoach56]

I love football!!!! I have coached youth league for 27 years. One of the most rewarding things for me is when these kids come back as young adults and want to visit and even help coach because they enjoyed their time with me but the one thing I stress most is if you make good grades and get a good education chances are you will have a lot of good athletes working for you. I wholeheartedly agree with xandos and bwh when it comes to what they are saying about what is important. All of lifes lessons are in the game of football but the most important are taught in the classroom. Coaches at most high school levels would laugh if you suggested they do it for money as I suspect at best when all expenses are paid and all hours are tallied the figures are in the red and the statement of you get what you pay for,as much as it pains me to say it, I'll bet Bob Lutz isn't getting rich and you can't argue his credentials. Being well rounded is a very good thing but who will be more successful,the guy who only cares about football and poured all his effort into that or the guy who only cared about physics and math and poured his life into that.
Clayton Dement