Volunteer coaches can be a great asset for any sport team. But they can also fly under the radar and create havoc if you don't have guidelines in place for them.

By David Paling

David Paling is the Director of Athletics, Health, and Physical Education for the Middleboro public schools in Middleboro, Mass. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management.

Last fall, after a hard-fought football game here at Middleboro (Mass.) High School, our players filed out to midfield for the customary post-game handshakes. Despite having lost, our players sought to congratulate their opponent and share in the bond that the competition had wrought.

Then routine turned bizarre. A volunteer assistant coach from our side charged across the field and verbally confronted the opposing team's coaches. An emotionally charged and volatile situation ensued. Voices were raised and some of the coaches began squaring off. Were it not for the intervention of our head coach, and eventually the police, the confrontation probably would have escalated from verbal to physical.

In that moment, all the work we do to promote our coaches as role models and teach our student-athletes the values of sportsmanship went out the window. The volunteer was dismissed immediately from his role as an assistant with the team. And we began to reassess the whole idea of using volunteer coaches.

CAN IT WORK?
Volunteer coaches have been on the playing fields for some time now in high school athletics. They are generally viewed as assets, especially at cash-strapped public schools. What athletic director doesn't want the free services of someone willing to make a commitment to better the program?

Mike Horne, Athletic Director at Mashpee (Mass.) High School, says he has reaped the benefits of many different types of volunteer coaches. "We've had college runners assist with our cross country team," he says. "We've had a youth football coach volunteer with our sub-varsity football team—the fact that he knew the young kids coming up helped us out a great deal. We have had retired teachers and coaches return to lend a hand in various programs."

At Rockland (Mass.) High School, Athletic Director Gary Graziano finds that when trying to get teachers into coaching, initially assigning them volunteer status works very well. "If a new teacher wants to coach, but there aren't any paid positions available, then volunteering is a great way for them to get a foot in the door and be ready when a paid position opens up," he says. "The new teacher-coach puts in some time and has a chance to be mentored by veteran coaches before he or she actually assumes this responsibility."

But caution is the byword. The incident we had at Middleboro is not uncommon, and it underscores the need for developing guidelines and communicating expectations. Volunteers can't just sign up and head out to the playing field. They need to be screened, receive some sort of orientation, and clearly understand their defined roles within the structure of a coaching staff.

HIRING PROCESS
When we think of asking someone to volunteer, it may seem odd to put them through a "hiring process" as they are not really being hired. But it is an important step toward warding off potential problems.

"I would attribute the successes we have had with volunteers to the selectivity we bring to the recruiting process," Graziano says. "Many of our head coaches have been with us a long time, and they definitely know what we are looking for in volunteers and whom they should ask."

The first step Graziano and his coaches take with a prospective volunteer is to perform a background check. In most cases, state law or school district policies preclude the involvement of volunteers with criminal backgrounds. But even if your district has no restrictions on volunteers, it is absolutely essential that the requisite paperwork be processed to determine if there are any prior convictions and what they entailed.

"In the days preceding background checks," says Glen Field, Athletic Director at Martha's Vineyard (Mass.) Regional High School, "we actually had a soccer coach with a questionable history and it took parent comments to bring this to our attention. That situation certainly does not happen now."

Many athletic directors also suggest performing a formal interview with candidates. Key questions include: What is their motivation for volunteering? Do they understand that they will be a subordinate to the head coach? Are they ready to work within the role(s) given them? Weigh responses carefully and ask follow up questions.

"Our head coaches find the volunteers," says Graziano. "But I take the time to sit with each one and discuss the parameters of their duties."

The key is to assess whether the potential volunteer clearly understands that his or her role is to follow the head coach's lead. If the candidate talks about what should be changed in the program or has big ideas on new initiatives, they are probably not suited for the role. If they don't sound eager to learn and follow instructions, that is another red flag.

Is it appropriate for a parent of a child on the team to become a volunteer coach? This type of situation can work as long as the parent clearly understands and embraces his or her role as defined by the head coach. In this situation, it's critical to find out more about the parent's past involvement in his or her child's sport and to ask additional questions during the interview about the parent's motivations for volunteering.

"When a parent offers to help, I do some homework to make sure they are right for our program," says Middleboro Head Baseball Coach Bill Lawrence. "If a parent comes to us with a bad reputation from something that has happened, say, at the youth level, then I won't invite them to join our team."

ORIENTATION
The next step is to provide volunteer coaches with some type of orientation into your athletic department. Thom Holdgate, Athletic Director at Duxbury (Mass.) High School, discovered the ramifications of neglecting this step the hard way.

"We had a team win a state championship," he explains. "The night of the championship game the town police got a call to go to a local residence. When they arrived, there was a loud party going on. An adult male introduced himself to the police as the homeowner, and as such, indicated that the police shouldn't be worried or concerned about the proceedings. But there were numerous kids at the party, and alcohol was being consumed.

"As it turns out, the homeowner was one of our volunteer coaches," Holdgate continues. "Underage drinking was taking place in his home. The incident served as a wake-up call to our school."

As a minimum, volunteers should be required to read your athletic department's coaches handbook. Then, give them an informal quiz on its content. Make sure they understand what may be obvious to employed coaches, such as issues in sportsmanship, working with teens, and being a role model.

One of the most important topics to discuss is the coach's level of autonomy on the team. For example, if the volunteer is serving as the throws coach on the track and field team and he is having trouble getting the athletes to follow his instructions, should he be allowed to discipline the kids on his own? Or should he first talk to the head coach before handing out punishment?

Medical procedures should also be reviewed. At Rockland, volunteer coaches are not allowed to get involved when an injury occurs. Mashpee requires volunteer coaches to be trained in CPR. It's important that volunteer coaches clearly know their role in injury protocol.

Here in the Bay State, Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules require new coaches to become certified prior to coaching a second season at the high school level. This regulation also applies to volunteers. The training presently calls for passing a "Coaches' Principles" course. In future years a "Sports First Aid" course and "Sport Specific Technical and Tactical Skills" course will also be required.

Even if your state does not have a similar requirement, it's still a good idea to encourage your volunteer coaches to take some type of beginning coaching education course. If the cost is a problem, address the issue at budget time. Introduce line items that support a coaching education requirement—which is still less expensive than paying the coach a salary.

MENTOR THEM
Randolph (Mass.) High School Athletic Director Al Smith recalls his experience with a volunteer at a school where he was employed earlier in his career. "The school I worked at then didn't have a wrestling program and I had spent some time with a gentleman who expressed his interest in the sport and his desire to volunteer to help get the program up and running," Smith explains.

"But almost instantly, it went from simply being an idea to teams showing up at the school for scrimmages," Smith continues. "These scrimmages were arranged by him without our school's knowledge or consent. And it got worse from there. One day my principal asked me why our teachers had received a letter from the volunteer coach dismissing kids from school early to compete in a tournament. This, too, was done without our knowledge or consent.

"To say he was overly exuberant would be putting it mildly. This was basically a rogue volunteer who did things as he pleased," adds Smith. "But there were lessons to be learned from this very bad experience."

The first lesson is that volunteers should not be head coaches. "I now never allow a volunteer to operate independent of a head coach in charge," says Smith.

Here at Middleboro, we are even stricter. A volunteer is not allowed to be unsupervised when performing any team-related tasks. They are always under the watchful eyes of the employed coaching staff. This approach ensures the most qualified personnel are readily available to step in should a situation arise.

At Duxbury, Holdgate requires his head coaches to take total responsibility for their volunteer coaches. He even has a written agreement that must be signed by the head coach. It reads, in part, "I [head coach] understand that I am responsible for mentoring and observing the actions of [volunteer coach]. As head coach of the program, I take direct responsibility for any actions of the volunteer coach."

Along with supervising the volunteer coach, the head coach also has the responsibility of mentoring this person—just as they would with a paid assistant coach. To start, the volunteer should be asked to spend a great deal of time observing, listening, emulating, and following explicit instructions from the head coach. As the volunteer expands his or her base of knowledge, he or she should be encouraged to eventually take on greater responsibilities.

For example, a volunteer coach in football might start by handling well-defined tasks, like leading a small group in a very structured drill and working the down-distance markers during home contests. If that goes well, the volunteer may be offered a specific role that interests him or her, such as scouting other teams or being a position coach. That can lead to even more responsibility. Here at Middleboro, for example, our Head Girls' Basketball Coach, Mike Perry, relies on a longtime volunteer to call the defense during games.

Mentoring a volunteer coach also means providing that person with some type of postseason evaluation. While it may not be necessary to conduct a formal assessment, it is important to let the coach know where they stand at the conclusion of a season. If the head coach feels that the volunteer's presence has been less than ideal, the reasons for it should be clearly stated so that misunderstandings can be avoided. If, on the other hand, the volunteer was an asset, the head coach should communicate what the volunteer did well. The more specific the head coach can be during the informal evaluation, the better.

RECOGNIZE & REWARD
"As long as care is taken to check the backgrounds of volunteers, and they are included in any training that might take place, we have found volunteer coaches to be very helpful in a number of different ways," says Field.

Which is why it's important to thank them and include them in all you do. For example, at Middleboro, we formally thank volunteers at our end-of-season functions. We will honor them with plaques or apparel or whatever the head coach feels will best recognize the valuable contributions they have made to the team.

Horne does the same at Mashpee. "A jacket is a typical reward for a volunteer," he says. "They've certainly earned it if they have helped make a difference in the lives of kids."

Sidebar: HELP WITH TRYOUTS
Baseball is a popular sport here at Middleboro High School and we typically get a lot of students trying out for the team. During team selection, Head Coach Bill Lawrence uses volunteers, along with his paid staff, to help evaluate the talent.

"We have to cut a lot of kids," Lawrence explains. "And we want to make the process as fair as possible. So, our decisions are made as a committee, and this includes the volunteers.

"Doing it this way, the onus of responsibility is not on just the paid coaches," he continues. "No parent can complain that their son did not make the team because one coach has favorites."

Volunteers include a longtime Babe Ruth coach, a man who has been the team scorekeeper for a number of years, and a parent whose older son is a former player, whose second child is now on the team, and who has a strong commitment to the program. Before the tryouts, the coaches and volunteers meet to discuss the team's needs. During tryouts each contributes his opinion of each player, then they make a group decision on who makes the team and at what level.

"I've done it this way for many seasons and I don't recall ever receiving any complaints," Lawrence says. "It's worked really well for us."—D.P.