Qualified or Ability

[15portsfan]

I dont mean to start an arguement amongst coaches and parents but i would like an opinion from the coaches that truly expresses the majority belief among coaches.I have overheard more than one coach tell a parent or fan to go get a degree if they think they could do better.Now i for one believe that the degree gives a person the qualifications to coach not the ability and any job that requires or doesnt require degrees is open for scrutiny from those that are affected by the success or failure of the decisions made by said persons.I believe in a person getting a higher education and applaud the persistance to do so but do not believe that the degree alone gives a person the knowledge required to not have their decisions questioned.

[LH Panther Mom]

Since this is your first post, I'll be nice. :)

I'll be more than happy to give you an opinion from both perspectives. You're absolutely correct - a degree does not necessarily make a person qualified for any job. Any person, regardless of profession, degreed or not, who is in a position requiring decisions be made will have them questioned.

As a parent, I have upon occasion, wondered "what a coach was thinking" when some decision was made. Could I do a better job than any coach in the state? Not on my best day.

Anyone that has never been a coach, or a family member, has absolutely no idea what is involved. It is a pretty thankless job for not a lot of pay - the only time people like you is when you're winning & half of them don't like you then. Heaven forbid that you don't play some kid, especially when the "parent" is convinced how great that kid is - the only thing worse is if that parent also serves on the school board.

Coaching requires long hours away from home, many missed & late meals (I didn't know anyone actually ate supper before 8:00 p.m. until I was in high school), coaching school in the summer, laundry, two-a-days in blazing heat, standing for hours on end, coming up with a game plan week after week that will win games, watching game film over & over to see what adjustments need to be made for next week's game, reviewing scouting reports of next week's opponent, and making certain that you have the right player in the correct position. In addition, coaches, with the exception of the AD, are required to teach classes, which has added duties.

Certainly a parent has the right to voice their opinion, but they also have the right to get a teaching degree and find out exactly what coaching is all about. I don't know if you're a parent, but if a coach tells you to get a degree if you think you could do better, maybe this is why. Okay, I'm off my soap box now.

[CRHSeagle]

Most of the coaches at my school are teachers too except for the AD. Having said that, if I had kids I would rather them play for an 0-10 team with quality teachers/coaches than a 10-0 team with lousy teachers. I for one want to be a teacher/coach and I have already applied for college to do so. I have always respected coaches in every sport because of all the odd and ends involved in coaching. Not just the game changing decisions but the time and effort put in to being a coach. Sports aren't everything. But Im just a student, so what do I know......

[15portsfan]

I agree with every point you have made Panther Mom and do not agree with fans/parents bashing the coaches from the stands however I do agree that teachers/coaches and parents should form a relationship that pushes students/atheletes to be successful.This is hardly the case when a coaches first response to a comment or suggestion is to get a degree if you can do better.My first thought is that knowledge of sports is most likely obtained while playing or participating in such, not in a classroom in college so it is possible that the parent/fans could have valid points and not just talking to hear themselves.I would hope that every profession that requires a degree doesnt take this attitude towards the common man,I would hate to know that I couldnt question the decisions of doctors or lawyers if their actions directly affected my family of myself.

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by 15portsfan
This is hardly the case when a coaches first response to a comment or suggestion is to get a degree if you can do better.

What was his/her frame of mind when this was posed to the coach? Was it after a crushing loss? Was the coach having problems at home? Perhaps you merely confronted the coach at a bad time. There could be more to it than you can see.

[15portsfan]

Valid point,problem is that this is not a one time thing,this is a response given several times to several different people over a course of 4 to 5 years by different coaching staffs,not just one coach.That is why I have ask the question.

[spiveyrat]

Oh well, so much for that theory...

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by 15portsfan
I agree with every point you have made Panther Mom and do not agree with fans/parents bashing the coaches from the stands however I do agree that teachers/coaches and parents should form a relationship that pushes students/atheletes to be successful.This is hardly the case when a coaches first response to a comment or suggestion is to get a degree if you can do better.My first thought is that knowledge of sports is most likely obtained while playing or participating in such, not in a classroom in college so it is possible that the parent/fans could have valid points and not just talking to hear themselves.I would hope that every profession that requires a degree doesnt take this attitude towards the common man,I would hate to know that I couldnt question the decisions of doctors or lawyers if their actions directly affected my family of myself.

I agree that parents should form a relationship with anyone who has an influence over their children. I also agree that you have the right to discuss decisions made that affect you or your family. I'm not saying this is the case here, but many times a parent tries to question the coach's decision before the relationship has been formed. I do think that a coach or teacher should be willing to discuss & not immediately tell a parent to try to do better.

While it is helpful, I don't think that knowledge of sports is necessarily learned while playing. If that was the case, a coach who played DT only in h.s. would not be able to teach a kid to kick PAT's or high jump.

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by 15portsfan
I agree with every point you have made Panther Mom and do not agree with fans/parents bashing the coaches from the stands however I do agree that teachers/coaches and parents should form a relationship that pushes students/atheletes to be successful.This is hardly the case when a coaches first response to a comment or suggestion is to get a degree if you can do better.My first thought is that knowledge of sports is most likely obtained while playing or participating in such, not in a classroom in college so it is possible that the parent/fans could have valid points and not just talking to hear themselves.I would hope that every profession that requires a degree doesnt take this attitude towards the common man,I would hate to know that I couldnt question the decisions of doctors or lawyers if their actions directly affected my family of myself.


Maybe the coach was telling you to go to school and get a degree so you could become a coach and try to do a better job of coaching the kids, 15portsfan. If that was the coach's intent, then it is not nearly as insulting as implying that you are inferior because you do not have a degree. I remember in my political life as a city councilman, I would always try to listen to dissent and advise an unhappy citizen why I had voted a certain way on any given issue, and if they still were unable to accept my explanation and remained upset with me, then I would advise them that, respectfully, their best remedy would be at the polls during the next election.