INTRODUCTION
One of the primary purposes for interscholastic activities in the school curricula is to prepare
young adolescents for the challenges of adult life. Students are being short-changed if all they take
from the interscholastic programs are the skills related to playing the sport. We must offer the student
things that will last them a lifetime and help them to be a better person and better equipped to deal with
the challenges of life. If it’s done right, participation in activities, win or lose, can become one of the
most powerful and influential educational experiences that can accrue to young adults.
A good activities program will make a concerted effort to teach, but not confined to, good
sportsmanship, the importance of persistence, perseverance, commitment to excellence, the want and
desire to be the best you can be at every pursuit, learning how to achieve and commit to a goal, pride,
devotion, dedication, respect for those in authority, honesty, trustworthiness, the ability to work with
others in a team setting, caring about others, self-discipline, respect for rules and regulations, stick-toitiveness in developing a strong work ethic are but a few examples of the lessons for life that should be
taught, developed and nurtured through activity participation.
CODE OF SPORT ETHICS FOR COACHES
High school interscholastic sports are unique in their mission to provide educational opportunities for
students through athletic programs sponsored by their schools.
As a coach, you carry the primary responsibility to teach students how to reason, make choices and
understand the impact of their decisions on others. These opportunities to teach occur throughout your
sport season. The students hear your words as you talk to them and their teammates. They see how
you treat their opponents and observe your respect for the letter and spirit of the rules.
The lessons you teach must be compatible with the educational mission of your school district. They
must support and ensure fair play and honorable competition, treating people with dignity and respect,
ensure equity, fairness and justice and activities which enhance healthy lifestyles.
As a coach, you are expected to model positive sport ethics based on the moral guides of justice,
honesty, responsibility and beneficence/producing good.
Remember, the most important thing about coaching: You will probably
never get rich doing it, but you are more important to these students
than you will ever know. Please make this a positive experience.
A good coach improves your game. A great coach improves your life.
Michael Josephson.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH
The coach bears the greatest burden of responsibility for sportsmanship. She/He has the strongest
influence upon the attitudes and behavior of the players, the student body and the community. In order
for good sportsmanship to become a reality, it is essential that the coach subscribe to the values of
sportsmanship and teach its principles through word and deed. Specifically,
1. As a head coach, it is your responsibility to lead all the athletes in the program, not just the
varsity team. The only way to build a team is to encourage all athletes to do their best. It is also
up to you to communicate with the assistant coaches by letting them know what you expect
from them and their role on the coaching staff. If you don’t work as a team, you can’t expect the
students to be a team.
2. As an assistant coach, it is your responsibility to follow the direction of the head coach by asking
what roles and duties the head coach wants you to do, what plays/drills to teach and constantly
seek to improve on technical and tactical knowledge of the sport. Assistant coaches should
make sure they understand what the head coach wants to accomplish and use their initiative
and resources to help get things done.
3. Always set good examples for others to follow by modeling effective habits.
4. Instruct the players in their sportsmanship responsibilities.
5. Discipline students who display unsportsmanlike behavior. If necessary take away their
privileges of representing the school.
6. Be a good host to opponents. Treat them as guests.
7. Provide opportunities for social interaction among coaches and players.
8. Endorse or recommend only officials who have demonstrated the highest ethical standards.
9. Respect the officials’ judgments and interpretations of the rules.
10. Publicly shake hands with the officials and opposing coach before and after the contest.
11. Don’t pour it on, the margin of victory is not an educational objective.
ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY POLICY
1. A student cannot be failing more than one class.
2. Eligibility will begin the 3rd week of each quarter.
3. All work must be turned in by Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. Academic eligibility will be determined at 8:20
a.m. on Wednesday of each week. The list will be emailed to the staff, coaches and advisors.
4. The period of ineligibility will run from Wednesday until the following Wednesday.
5. If a student is ineligible, that student will be notified by an administrator and must meet with the teacher in
order to improve the grade. A parent will also be notified by administration.
6. The student remains ineligible to participate in or travel with his/her team or organization until passing
grades are achieved at subsequent grade checks, which are performed weekly on Wednesdays.
However, if the team is leaving for the event after 3:30 or the end of the school day, the student may still
travel with the team. Travel will be at the discretion of the coach/advisor or parent. If either party
dictates no travel, that student does not travel.
7. It is the coach’s and activity advisor’s responsibility to check the eligibility list and enforce policy.
1. Departure Times: Departure times will be given to you before your upcoming season. Any
problems should be brought to the Athletic Director’s attention; you can’t change when you want
to leave. I have to discuss changes with Mr. Lee and let all school officials, bus drivers, etc.
know the schedule.
2. School Vehicles: Anyone using a school vehicle needs to fill out a log sheet which is in every
vehicle. You must put down starting miles, date, destination, and ending miles. The gas cards
are located in the folder. Also, keys need to be returned to box in the shed along with gas
receipts in the slip box. Please make sure vehicles are cleaned after every trip. School vehicles
are to be taken only to the approved destination. School vehicles are to be used only for school
sponsored activities.
3. Damage to School Property: If something happens during your sport, please report any
damaged items to me ASAP. This includes anything in the locker room, gyms, vehicles, etc. The
school has insurance for accidents, bet we can’t file it if we don’t know about it.
4. Coach’s Dress Code: As a coach, you are expected to dress appropriately at all school events
in which you are involved. You represent our school every time you coach an event.
5. Equipment/Uniforms: It is the coach’s responsibility to hand out uniforms and equipment.
Please keep an inventory of who has what. You will be responsible for collecting all equipment
and uniforms.
6. Media Coverage: You are required to keep all stats and information pertaining to your sports.
Also, you will need to send this info to the local papers, as well as our school newspaper. It is
your duty as a coach to give your kids as much coverage as possible.
7. JH Coaches: You need to understand the importance of your job as a JH coach. It is not
necessarily about winning at that level, it is about development. You need to be working on
fundamentals, as well as working on the things set forth by the HS head coaches. Good
programs have consistency throughout. Also, you need to lay off the officials at any JH games
both home and away. Most of the time these officials are volunteers form the community.
8. Sportsmanship: Again, it is your duty as coaches to make sure that your athletes are
projecting the right image that we want for the Howard School District. It is your program, and
anything that happens in the public eye, reflects back on you. It is up to you to discipline any
misbehavior that occurs during your season. If you let things slide, you will have problems later.
9. Video Taping: you are not allowed to use cameras or taping devices at any sporting events that
you are not involved in; You can tape any of our own events or exchange tape with other
coaches, but it is a direct violation od SDHSAA policy to be at other schools taping their games.
10. Athletic Supplies: All athletic supplies, including tape, pre-wrap, etc. will be given out by the
Athletic Director only. I have ordered all requests that were given to me in the spring. If
something comes up that needs immediate attention, please let me know. I will attempt to get it
for you either through the athletic budget of the booster club.
11. Booster Club Requests: If you have something you would like to request from the booster
club, you will need to fill out a request form, which is in my office and return it to me. I will take it
to the meeting and work on getting it passed through. You are also required to work in the
concession stand with your team at a couple of sporting events throughout the year. Kay
Kramer will get in touch with you on availability.
12. Practice and Game Schedules: It is up to the coach to let parents/students know what the
schedules are. Please email or use the “Teamup” calendar.
13. List to Staff: A list of students traveling to an event should be sent out to all staff two days prior
to the event. This will allow for changes in lesson plans if necessary.
14. Parent Involvement: Keep in mind that you probably will never make everyone happy in your
coaching profession. But, you never want to have a confrontation with a parent. You need to be
a professional and request to the parent to schedule a meeting with the Athletic Director at a
later date. I am here to help all coaches with any problems and I will do that as long as you
follow school protocol. Keep in mind it is very difficult to take back something that is said in a
moment of heated frustration or anger.
15. Teacher Support: We need to make sure we fully support the classroom teachers in their
efforts. If an athlete has detention or needs to stay after school, they must fulfill that
requirement. Communication with the staff member is important.
16. Eligibility: Athletes grades are checked every week, but it is up to you to make sure your
players are getting their schoolwork done and abide by school policy. Students should not be
pulled out of a class to make up missing assignments for another class.
17. Armory Weight Room: We need to make sure that if you have students lifting, they MUST be
supervised. Keys are not to be given to students.
18. Online Tests, Rules Meetings and Roster: Tests are due by August 31. Rosters need to be
put on the SDHSAA Website before your first event. They must include full names, year in
school and position. Also give the office the roster.
19. Wednesday Practices: The school will attempt not to schedule activities after 6:00 p.m. on
Wednesday nights, thus leaving the students free to participate in activities held by their
respective churches. There are a few state controlled activities held on Wednesday night over
which we have no control and must ask the cooperation of all involved.
20. Weather: If school gets canceled due to the weather, there will not be any activity practices.
The activity coach may not have an “open gym”.
21. Sunday Practices: There will be no school related activities or practices held on Sundays,
unless first approved by the Superintendent.
22. Suspension: Students who are suspended (in school or out of school) from school are also
suspended from attendance or participation in all school activities until the day following the end
of the suspension.
23. Keys: Keys are not to be given to students.
24. Student Activity Handbook: It is your responsibility as a coach/advisor to read the Student
Activity Handbook.
25. Year-End Requirements: You will need to make sure you file any stats, scores, etc. in the
yearly record book in the office. Also, you will not get paid for your sport until all equipment is
checked in, and I receive a copy of your uniforms and equipment sheet. You need to make sure
all uniforms are washed and completely dry before storing them away. You are responsible for
putting away anything you may have brought out for your sport. I will also need award winners
and lettermen from each of you in April for the Athletic Awards Banquet.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD COACH?
1. The very best coaches GET THEIR ATHLETES TO BELIEVE in themselves - good coaches
inspire their players to do more than they think they can. In fact, all good teachers do this. They
get their students to entertain possibilities that stretch the limits of their beliefs. Part of this
involves building the athlete up rather than knocking him down. Good coaches always build selfesteem rather than undermine it. This self-esteem building is not a gimmick nor is it done
artificially. In other words the coach doesn’t praise a mediocre effort. He/she simply makes it a
practice to catch his/her athletes doing things RIGHT. The good coach doesn’t get caught up in
playing head games that leave the athlete questioning his/her abilities.
2. The really effective coaches DO NOT USE EMBARRASSMENT & HUMILIATION AS
“TEACHING TOOLS” – they understand that embarrassing or humiliating a young athlete for a
mistake, failure or short-coming is an aggressive assault on that athlete that doesn't build
mental toughness or enhance performance! There is NOTHING educational or constructive
about it. It tears down that athlete and grossly undermines his/her self-esteem and creates
performance problems.
3. Great coaches are GREAT LIFE TEACHERS – a good coach understands that what he/she is
teaching goes far beyond the X’s & O’s. This kind of coach does not just teach the skills,
technique and strategy within the narrow confines of the sport. Instead he/she looks for
opportunities where the more important life lessons can be taught such as mastering hardship,
handling and rebounding from failures and setbacks, trusting your teammates, sacrificing
individual needs for the benefit of the group, emotionally dealing with winning and losing, good
sportsmanship, fair play, honesty, integrity, etc.
4. The best coaches KEEP THE GAME IN PERSPECTIVE – they do not get distracted by how
big any one game is in relation to their job as a teacher. Similarly, they understand that sports
are just games and are merely a vehicle to teach their charges other, more important life
lessons. They understand that what they teach and how they teach it will have an impact on the
student that goes far beyond the sport.
5. Great coaches DO NOT LET THEIR EGOS AND SELF-WORTH GET TIED UP IN THE
OUTCOME - the best coaches are mentally healthy enough to know that they are NOT their
performances, regardless of what others around them may say. They do not feel diminished as
an individual when their teams fail nor do they feel that much better about themselves when
their squads succeed. These individuals understand that coaching is only one thing of many that
they do and therefore they do not let this one thing solely define themselves as a person.
Coaches who get into trouble with their athletes do so because they are emotionally more
vulnerable and tend to feel threatened by a loss or failure. Their egos are on the line whenever
these individuals compete and therefore they feel like they have much more to lose. Many
blatant coaching mistakes come directly from the coach’s overemphasis on the game’s outcome
because that individual self-esteem is too caught up with this outcome.
6. Great coaches UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THEIR ATHLETES – the best
coaches have a basic understanding that each athlete on their team is different in attitude,
personality, response-ability, sensitivity and how they handle criticism and adversity. These
coaches take the time to get to know each athlete’s individual differences and styles. They then
hand-tailor what they say to, and how they treat this athlete to achieve maximum coaching
effectiveness. They know that while one athlete may respond well to a hard edge and raised
voice, this approach may totally shut another one down.
7. The best coaches COACH THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE ATHLETE – really effective
coaches take the time to get to know the athlete as a person. They take an interest in the
athlete’s life off the field, court or track. They don't see personal, academic or social problems
as a distraction to the job of coaching. They view “outside problems” as opportunities to further
build a relationship with the athlete. This kind of caring is never lost on the athlete. Coaches
who take an interest in the athlete’s total life are more trusted and respected than those who
don’t. As a result, coaches who really care about the athlete as a person find that their athletes
are more motivated and work harder. You can’t ever separate the athlete as a performer from
who he/she is as a person.
8. The best coaches are FLEXIBLE –they approach their teaching by continuously looking for a
better way to reach each athlete. When an athlete struggles to learn something the better
coaches do not look at this as a “learning disability” and blame the athlete for their
incompetence. Instead they approach it as a “teaching opportunity” and therefore change how
they are presenting the material to that athlete. If one approach doesn’t work, then they try
another until they figure out the best way to reach that particular athlete. Just because that
athlete may not be responding to your coaching does not mean that he/she has an attitude or
commitment problem. Coaches who are rigid, who continually adopt the attitude that “it’s my
way or the highway” are far less effective than those coaches who have mastered the fine art of
being flexible. Understand here that flexibility does NOT mean being wishy-washy. You can be
flexible and strong at the same time.
9. The great coaches are GREAT COMMUNICATORS - they understand that communication is
a two-way street and involves a back and forth between coach and athlete. Bad coaches think
that communication is a one-way street. You talk and the athletes listen. Instead, effective
communication entails that you as a coach carefully listen to what your athletes are saying.
When your athletes talk you must BE QUIET INSIDE SO THAT YOU CAN LISTEN. Unless you
carefully listen to them when they talk then you won’t have a clue as to what your athletes are
really saying or how to best help them. Far too many coaches are too busy countering in their
head what their athletes are saying to actually hear them. If you can’t learn how to listen then
you will never truly be effective in reaching your players.
10. Good coaches TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO AND EDUCATE THEIR ATHLETES’
PARENTS – they make it a regular practice to communicate with the parents and educate them
about the sport and the role that they need to play on the team. Your success as a coach often
depends upon getting parents to work with you, not against you. The only way to make this
happen is if you take the time to talk to and train your parents. This means that you must learn
to listen to their concerns and questions. Take a proactive role with them. Do NOT wait for a
problem or crisis before you decide that it’s time to actually approach your parents. Do so right
from the beginning of the season and do it often. Let them know about their support role on the
team. Help them understand that their job is NOT to motivate or coach their child. Teach them
appropriate and inappropriate behaviors at games and on the sidelines. Educate them about the
sport and what it takes to excel. Explain your philosophy about competition and playing time. Be
open to feedback in a non-defensive manner.
11. GOOD COACHES “WALK THE TALK” WITH THEIR ATHLETES AND PARENTS - good
coaches know that what you say and how you act are congruent. YOUR MOST POWERFUL
TEACHING TOOL IS MODELING. They operate on the principle that their actions and how they
conduct themselves will always speak much louder than your words therefore they actively
model the behaviors and attitude that they want their players to adopt.
https://www.competitivedge.com/special-what-makes-good-coach
Coach’s Agreement Form
I, ______________________________ hereby confirm that I have read and
understand the contents of the Howard School District Coach’s Handbook,
Student Activity Handbook and Howard School District Student Handbook.
I promise to follow all the rules and regulations of the Howard Athletic
Department, South Dakota High School Activities Association and the Howard
Board of Education.
Coach Signature__________________________________________________
Date ___________________________________________________________
This form must be signed and returned to the
Athletic Director by August 11, 2016 or prior to the first practice.