In today’s post I want to share with you the seven biggest problems facing high school coaches.

High school coaches work hard to train their players so they can compete and win championships. Never has there been a smooth, drama free season. In fact, all coaches will face a major issue, problem, or concern during their season.

The best way to keep issues, problems, and concerns off your desk is to be proactive, educate yourself, meet with the parents, talk with your players, and make sure your administration is on board with everything in the handbook.

7 Problems Facing High School Coaches

1. Attitudes of Athletes

2. Discipline

3. Parents

4. Alcohol

5. Drugs

6. Social Media

7. Officiating

Based on my experience, one or all of these issues will need to be addressed during the school year by every head coach. The best way to keep these problems in check is with crystal clear communication with all stakeholders. A stakeholder is someone who directly or indirectly affects your program. This includes your players, parents, school administration, district support services, local community, social community, and officials.

Let's take a quick look at the seven problems facing high school coaches and some ideas on how to educate or prepare for each.

1. Attitude of Athletes

NBA Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley’s book The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players is an insightful book on the development of a team and the issues that a coach faces. Even though coach Riley is a basketball coach, the book is written for any sport or business leader.

In chapter two, Riley discusses how the player’s selfishness, poor work ethic, lack of dedication, and lack of self-discipline all lead to “The Disease of Me.” This chapter title summarizes what all coaches have to deal with. The player thinks about “I” instead of “Us” or “Me” instead of “We.”

Athletes also think they can do what they want, when they want, and how they want. NEVER let this happen. Don’t let anyone get bigger than the team. Once you let one player get “bigger” than the team, the team will slowly but surely implode.

Keep a pulse on the team and be fair, firm, and consistent with all players.

2. Discipline

This one word can make or break a team. From experience, the best way to lead a disciplined team is to make sure everyone knows the standard of excellence and the consequences of not meeting the standards.

When you decide to create your standard of excellence handbook it is vital to include topics in the classroom, locker room, weightroom, and team activities.

Anytime a situation came up that needed to be addressed with a player I would ask these questions:

• What were you doing?

• What were you supposed to be doing?

• What are you going to do to fix this?

When I approached a team issue, I would always use this quote:

Coach discipline is tough! Not torture, not punishment; just a manner to get some physical exercise in repeated fashion to get a point across. It is important to monitor all athletes at all times during this time. We do not want anyone to over-exert and injure themselves. But the team will get the point.

Self discipline is easy! Here is another quote I used which would lead to the creation of leadership habits.

Here is a nice article about self-discipline.

3. Parents

Gotta love them!

If you coach basketball, they want you to play the best 4 plus their child. If you coach football, they want you to play the top 10 plus their child. Parents will always want and advocate for their child.

This is why it is important to have a pre-season meeting setting the parent expectations, how playing time will be earned, how parental meetings will be held, as well as practice times and schedules.

You will also need a post season meeting to discuss awards, letterman jackets, off-season expectations, playing a second sport, academics, and college recruitment.

Finally, have one more parent meeting mid year just to catch up on issues, concerns, and problems.

NCAA Hall of Fame Coach Bobby Knight always hated boosters. He used to say, “Never Organize the Enemy.” In my work history, boosters were always helpful but it is important to keep them in check. They are there to help the program, not lead it.

I encourage you to consider sharing this will your parents:

• NFHS video The Parent Seat

• NFHS Pre-Season Meeting Handbook

4. Alcohol

Need I say more.

Some athletes are drinking more and at a younger age. The best way to approach this is by educating the team. This should also be addressed in the District, Campus, and Team Handbooks. All handbooks need to say the same thing with the same words in order to be consistent.

Players today always want to know why?

So here is a great article on the effects of alcohol on athletes written by a certified strength and conditioning coach.

5. Drugs

End of discussion?

The #1 issue hurting my campus as an assistant principal is “vaping.” It all started with tobacco vape which then leads to vaping with THC cartridges. If you do not know what I am talking about, I seriously recommend you get involved and learn about this new drug consumption. Make sure you make the students aware that THC is a felony and can ruin their life forever. (Depends on the state you live in).

Here is a nice presentation on the myths and facts of drugs on athletes.

6. Officiating

The number of officials is getting smaller and smaller each year. They are also getting older and slower. The reason for this decrease is the men and women who would call our games are getting older and the younger people do not want or need to take the verbal abuse some coaches dish out.

As a coach, we all get heated when we believe our team is being cheated and we might be animated and raise our voice. But no time should we belittle, use inappropriate words, or demean the official to the team. This topic needs to be addressed in a player and parent meeting. The fans too can get out of control.

It’s time for our profession to recruit young people to officiate.

Take a look at what Fort Worth Football Officials and Brad LaPlante, Hutto High School Head Football Coach and Athletic Director is doing to get younger people involved in officiating:

7. Social Media

OMG!

This is a hot topic in society. It is important that this be addressed with the team and parents. This also needs to be a written policy in the District, Campus, and Team Handbook. All writings should be the same and consistent.

Remind the players that pictures don’t lie. Some pics can be altered - no doubt. But if there is a consistent pattern of behavior seen on social media, then this is a concern that will be addressed according to the handbook.

Watch out, because there are some players that will “set up” another player on social media simply to take their position.

BTW - be sure to follow @CoachRonKretz to get daily nuggets of coaching topics.

Basic Roles in Sports

• Players Play.

• Coaches Coach.

• Official Officiate.

• Parent Support.

If we can get these 4 roles in check, the profession and sport would be in a better place.

In Summary

Educate yourself.

Have a written plan/approach on how you will talk to parents, players, and administration on the 7 problems facing you as a coach.

1. Attitudes of Athletes

2. Discipline

3. Parents

4. Alcohol

5. Drugs

6. Social Media

7. Officiating

Newsletter Recommendation

If you are having daily talks with your team about discipline and want resources, ideas, and written guidance then read what Brian Kight has in his Daily Discipline email newsletter.

Brian Kight worked directly with Urban Meyer and created ideas such as:

• “No BCDs””

• “E+R=O”

• “DMGB”

• Many More

Want to know what these are?

Then you can click the link below and get daily emails with all of this plus more.

If you found this newsletter helpful, I encourage you to take 15 seconds and share with other coaches using this link.

Follow me on Twitter @CoachRonKretz to get daily nuggest of coaching information.