It wasn’t that long ago that youth sport coaches and officials were well trained, disciplined, and really good at helping kids enjoy an amazing sport experience. It also used to be common for teachers to coach, and while they may not have always been the best with X’s and O’s, they were trained and educated to work with kids. Today, few teachers coach, and schools regularly comb surrounding communities searching for adults willing to coach with conditions of long (odd?) hours, and low pay. While some of these coaches work well with kids, others bring a hyper-intensity to the job that can leave kids vulnerable to injuries and sport burnout. The same challenges exist with sport officials — years ago, more applicants applied than there were jobs available, but today state high school athletic associations regularly struggle attracting the number of officials needed. Additionally, when lesser officials are hired, more problems arise by means of confusion over rules, lacking knowledge of safe play, and methods to diffuse budding, hostile situations. While there are many reasons why we have seen a quality (and quantity) decrease in coaches and officials, low pay, strange working hours, and even safety concerns (especially true for officials) are the biggest factors for the change. Youth sports don’t have a kid problem. They have an adult recruitment and retention problem. What should we expect from coaches and officials today, and how do we begin to work toward future improvements?
Examining today’s changes in youth sport coaches & officials
Today’s youth coaches face expectations and responsibilities that previous generations rarely encountered — and for relatively low pay while working odd hours. Today’s coaches are expected to:
- Teach sport-specific skills and strategy, and adequately prepare talented kids for future college athletics.
- Promote sportsmanship and character while actively modelling those very same behaviors to kids.
- Communicate effectively with parents, including in-person, electronically, and often at non-work times (i.e. late in the evening).
- Prevent injuries and recognize safety concerns, which includes attending continuing education courses to keep up with new concerns (i.e. concussions).
- Manage playing time fairly, and respond to kids and parents who are not happy with how the coach is allocating playing time.
- Teach kids life skills, including communication, goal setting, decision making, leadership skills, and resiliency.
- Win games while keeping everyone happy, and build a winning climate that helps maintain a healthy athletic department.
That’s a difficult job description for someone working evenings and weekends for relatively modest compensation.
The same is true for sport officials. In addition to enforcing the rules, officials are increasingly expected to manage emotional situations involving coaches, parents, and players. Unfortunately, many also face criticism that extends well beyond the final whistle. Verbal and physical abuse, public criticism, and even social media attacks have made officiating far less attractive than it once was.
A simple reality
When fewer qualified adults are willing to coach or officiate, organizations often have no choice but to lower their standards simply to fill vacancies. This is not meant as criticism of those who step forward to help. Many volunteer coaches and beginning officials work extremely hard and genuinely care about young athletes. However, experience, education, and mentorship cannot be replaced overnight.
Parents also play an important role in shaping the future of youth sports. While the vast majority are supportive and respectful, it often takes only a handful of negative interactions to convince a coach or official that the job is no longer worth the stress. If we want quality adults to remain involved, appreciation and respect must become part of the culture.
Improving youth sports requires more than simply recruiting additional volunteers. Communities should strive to:
- Recruit and mentor new coaches and officials.
- Increase education and training opportunities.
- Offer competitive compensation whenever possible.
- Publicly recognize outstanding coaches and officials.
- Hold adults accountable for creating respectful environments.
- Refocus the emphasis on the importance of youth sports on how the investment in good coaches and officials provides for the best physical, mental, and emotional growth for student athletes!
Final thoughts
The youth sport landscape has changed a lot, especially as it applies to coaches and officials. Schools today regularly struggle filling coach openings with quality coaches, and state sport organizations are doing all that they can to attract more officials to the profession. The challenge is that coach and official jobs generally don’t pay a lot, the hours are odd, and threats of physical harm and/or negative social media attacks always loom. If communities hope to attract and retain high-quality adults, they must also create conditions that make coaching and officiating rewarding rather than exhausting. The future of youth sports depends not only on developing better athletes, but also on supporting the dedicated adults who make those opportunities possible.
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