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Ideas For Athletic Directors |
1. |
Make it clear to all coaches that they must ensure that the
schools' athletic program emphasizes the importance and essential elements
of the six core principles of Pursuing Victory with Honor: trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship. |
2. |
Ensure that the athletic program enhances the academic,
emotional, social, physical and ethical development of the student-athletes. |
3. |
Demand scrupulous integrity and observe and enforce the
spirit as well as the letter of the rule from all coaches, members of
the athletic department and students-athletes. |
4. |
Communicate to their student-athletes and parents that
athletic participation is a privilege, not a right. To earn that privilege,
student-athletes must abide by the rules and conduct themselves, on and off
the field, as role models who exemplify good character. |
5. |
Enforce with coaches, athletes, parents and spectators the
district-approved codes of conducts for coaches, athletes, parents and
spectators. If the district hasn't adopted such codes, urge that this be
done. |
6. |
Emphasize in all communications directed to
student-athletes and parents the importance of character, ethics and
sportsmanship. |
7. |
Ensure the "message" that is communicated to all coaches,
student-athletes, parents and the community is that the first priority of
the student-athletes is a serious commitment to getting an education and
developing the academic skills and character to succeed. |
8. |
Ensure that the desire to achieve sport performance goals
and the pressure to win is not placed above education, character
development, academic, social, emotional, physical and ethical well-being of
the student-athlete. Athletic Directors shall not allow any staff
member to compromise the school or the character development, and ethical
well being of the student-athletes in order to win. |
9. |
Plan pre-season meetings for coaches, parents and students
wherein the school's educational philosophy and expectations regarding
athletics, academics, character, ethics and sportsmanship are communicated
clearly to all. |
10. |
Demand brief, pre-game, meetings with team captains,
coaches and officials wherein playing with honor is the message and
its clear that taunting and trash-talking are not to be tolerated. |
11. |
Ensure that all coaches, whether paid or voluntary, gain
the skills to be a competent coach. These minimum competencies must include
basic knowledge of 1) the character-building aspects of sports, including
techniques and methods of teaching and reinforcing the core values
comprising sportsmanship and good character; 2) the physical capacities and
limitations of the age group coached, as well as first aid; and 3) coaching
principles related to educational philosophy, adolescent psychology,
nutrition, risk management and the rules and strategies of the sport. |
12. |
Ensure that coaches and all members of the athletic
department model respectful behavior and demand that their athletes refrain
from disrespectful conduct, including verbal abuse of opponents and
officials, profane and belligerent trash-talking, taunting and inappropriate
celebrations. |
13. |
Safeguard the integrity of the athletic program by
continually monitoring to ensure that no undue interference or influence of
commercial interest or inappropriate exploitation of the school name or
reputation. This should include avoiding undue financial dependency on
particular companies or sponsors. |
14. |
Always remember that the profession of coaching is a
profession of teaching. Ensure that in addition to teaching the mental and
physical dimensions of their sport, coaches shall through words and
examples; strive to build character of their student-athletes by teaching
them to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring and good
citizens. |
