St. Mary’s School
Policies and Guidelines for Volunteer Coaches
Preface
St. Mary’s School appreciates the athletic volunteers who devote so much time and energy to the students. Without the dedication of this special group of people, St. Mary’s would not be able to have such a fine athletic program. Hopefully, the following policies and guidelines will help to align the objectives, goals, and behavior of all who help with the various sports that are included in this program. It will also be useful to people who volunteer in the future.
General Rules
1. Coaches are appointed by the Principal of St. Mary’s School.
2. All expenditures must have the prior approval of the Athletic Director and the Principal.
3. No adult other than an appointed coach and his/her assistant(s) should be working with the students at any time. This includes practices and games. Assistants must be approved by the Athletic Director and/or the Principal before being assigned coaching duties. Parents are welcome to attend practices as well as games but should remain in the areas reserved for spectators. They are not to stand on the sidelines with the coaching staff or interfere with practices or games.
4. Diocesan guidelines require all volunteer coaches to help create and maintain a “safe environment” for children by submitting to a background check and attending the Keeping Children Safe training once every three years. For the next new volunteer training or volunteer update training, coaches should contact Annette Fuhrmann at 665-5395, ext. 104 or email her at afuhrmann@sbcglobal.net.
5. When students need to be transported, the Diocesan guidelines that are attached to this document must be followed.
6. Before a communication is sent to the parents, it must be shared with the Athletic Director, the Principal, and the Office Manager.
7. Coaches are to develop the skills of all of the players on a team. It is not appropriate to focus only on those who show a greater amount of skill or potential at a particular time because this does not allow for the growth and development of all of the children.
8. Coaches need to make an effort to avoid “running up” the score. Putting in team members who usually receive little playing time and pulling the strong players is one strategy that can be used to try to even up the game.
9. Coaches are responsible for the students until they are picked up by an adult. This applies to practices as well as games.
Coach-Player Interaction
1. The coach’s job is to teach the skills of the sport, team play, and sportsmanship. Winning is good but not the primary mission. Coaches should strive to make practices and games fun for all players.
2. Use positive words with all players and avoid negative comments, open criticism, or offensive language.
3. Be aware of age-appropriate skill levels and only expect the students to master skills that they are capable of mastering.
4. Only address or refer to the players on the other team with acknowledgements of good play.
5. Require all players to be respectful of their opponents, their own teammates, and the referees. Be mindful of any “trash talking” during the game or during the post-game handshake. Each student should understand that this type of behavior will have an associated consequence.
6. The locker rooms are to remain locked until a member of the coaching staff unlocks them. Students are to be monitored in the locker rooms before and after all practices and games. Each student should understand that inappropriate behavior in the locker room will have an associated consequence. The locker rooms should be checked before they are locked for the day to be sure that they are neat and tidy. If the students wear their practice or game uniforms home, they must remember to take their uniform clothing with them as well. There should be a consequence for students who leave items in the dressing rooms that should not be there.
Coach-Parent Interaction
1. Remember to treat all parents with respect and recognize that they want to be involved in the
activities of their children.
2. Have a practice schedule as well as a game schedule. Adhere to the times on the schedule so
that parents know exactly when an activity starts and when it stops. Keep changes to a minimum.
If a change must be made, be sure that the information is communicated to all of the parents
involved. Make sure that the Athletic Director, Principal, and Office Manager know of all
changes as well.
3. Let the parents know what your expectations are as a coach and how you select teams. This
would include sharing the criteria you have set for choosing the “A” team and the “B” team.
You should also include what they can expect their children to accomplish during the athletic
season.
Coach-Official Interaction
1. Treat the officials with respect at all times. Remember that they are human and will make mistakes. This does not give the coaches or players a reason to be rude or disrespectful to them.
2. Introduce yourself to the officials at the beginning of the game and shake their hands at the end of the game.
3. If there is an issue with a call or the performance of an official, talk to that person discretely in a normal voice that is not angry. Shouting at an official during the game is never appropriate. Serious issues should be reported to the Athletic Director or the Principal for further investigation.
Coach-Coach Interaction
1. Introduce yourself to or greet the other coaches before the beginning of the game.
2. Work together with the other coaches to make sure the game or event runs smoothly.
3. Deal calmly and directly with the other coaches.
4. If there were issues during a game that you feel weren’t resolved properly, report those issues to the Principal or Athletic Director for further investigation. Do not confront the opposing coach after the game to try to resolve an issue.
5. Any post game emails or communications should be positive in nature. Controversial issues should not be discussed.
Behavior of Coaches
1. As representatives of a Christian school all coaches must demonstrate Christian values at all times.
2. Regardless of the outcome of a game, the coach should recognize the efforts of all players.
3. Serious discipline issues should be referred to the Athletic Director or Principal for resolution.
4. As representatives of St. Mary’s School, coaches will need to dress conservatively and appropriately.
5. After reading the guidelines stated above, each coach and his/her assistant(s) must sign the form on the next page and return it to the Athletic Director.
Acknowledgment Form
*Date:__________________________________________________________
*Name of Coach/Assistant Coach (Please Print):___________________________________________
*_______ Yes, I have attended the Keeping Children Safe training which includes a background check.
*Date of Training:____________________________________________
*_______ No, I have not attended the Keeping Children Safe training but intend to participate on:
________________________________________________________________.
*I have read the Policies and Guidelines for Volunteer Coaches. I agree to abide by these policies and
guidelines.
*Signature of Coach/Assistant Coach:_____________________________________
*Date Signed:_______________________________________________________