As schools across America meet the growing number of challenges in keeping interscholastic sports afloat (i.e. fiscal concerns, attracting good coaches and officials, etc.), now might be a great time to take a closer look at what schools in our country should look like in the future? If a more broad-based, holistic growth model is still priority #1, then we need to really look at how sports can remain a big part of the educational experience moving forward. If, however, philosophies are changing and sports are viewed as a disposable cost that’s not part of a straight “education” model, then maybe it doesn’t matter if 10 years from now there are no longer school sports. Personally, I hope that’s not the case.
Why education philosophy is so important
Sure, it’s easy to see why we teach kids in American schools today traditional subjects like math and science, but what about the rest of the educational curriculum where experiences and their relevancy to child development becomes more murky? For example, I am on the side the believes things like theater, music, and other applied life experiences really help deliver a holistic experience for kids. I also believe that interscholastic sports are invaluable for kids, and help in countless ways, including the following:
- Physical activity and conditioning.
- Social, especially as this applies to friendships.
- Learning teamwork, especially as this will help with future career.
- Learning countless athletic transferable skills, including — but not limited — to time management, goal setting, focus, communication, and resiliency.
- Plus much more!
Unfortunately for kids today, finding (and keeping) great school coaches has become not only challenging, but darn near impossible in some parts. Since schools generally pay coaches on the low end, and coaches are regularly expected to work nights and weekends, it should be no surprise at all that fewer and fewer people are seeking these jobs today. How much can we expect from coaches when about the only thing they really get from the job is the ability to work with kids, but is that enough to offset the poor pay and crazy hours?
When potentially good adults steer away from coaching positions, it leaves schools two basic choices:
1.) Eliminate the program from the school, or
2.) Hire from whatever applicants you get, even if it’s just one person.
Revisiting the original question, schools really do need to closely examine the educational “product” they serve, and the extent that the learning experience broadens to include interscholastic sports for holistic development. If we say school sports really compliment the traditional coursework kids are learning in the classroom, then shouldn’t we prioritize coaching positions in more authentic ways than simply saying “coaches are important!”?
Yes, there are costs associated with paying coaches a more modern wage, but isn’t this an invaluable investment? Most kids enjoy competing in sports, and school and community spirit is often driven by the success of school sport teams. With all that the sport experience offers, doesn’t it make sense to better prioritize coaching positions, and to pay and empower coaches appropriately? Challenging? Sure. But worth it? Absolutely!!!
Final thoughts
Are we serious about providing kids a holistic educational experience with a real emphasis on quality coaching, or are we going to continue struggling to grab anyone we can to run our school sports? Before answering that, questions need to be answered about the modern-day value of school sports, and if we still prioritize them in schools today? One thing we cannot continue doing is offering school sports, but paying coaches so poorly that we no longer receive the number of quality applicants that we once did. Without good coaches, kids lose out on what could be the best outside-of-the-classroom growth experiences of their young lives.
drstankovich.com
