From the two coaches' perspective it seemed innocent enough. The boys on their ice hockey team were in their hotel rooms for the night and the coaches stopped by another room where parents were playing board games. The coaches had a few alcoholic drinks while they relaxed.

From an administrator's perspective, of course, such actions are not so innocent. Several school documents stated that coaches may not consume alcohol until their supervisory duties are finished. An anonymous letter to school officials alerted them to the incident, and the coaches offered their resignations.

The team, a mixture of students from Greece Athena High School and Greece Odyssey Academy, both in the Greece (N.Y.) Central School District, was in the midst of an undefeated season and looking forward to postseason play. The coaches were well-liked, responsible role models. They admitted their mistake, explaining that they believed their supervisory duties were complete once the kids were in their hotel rooms for the night.

"It was unclear to me exactly what the rules were," Head Coach Dan Webb told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. "If I had known exactly what they were, I would never have had any [alcohol]. But if someone like myself can make that mistake, I think a lot of people could."

The school board did not accept the coaches' resignations, instead suspending them for two games and putting them on probation for the rest of the year. The team went on to win the Division I state title. Athletic administrators in the district, meanwhile, started taking a closer look at how they educate coaches on policy and what might be unclear.

"The incident opened our eyes to the fact that the current documents aren't as clear as they need to be," says Kim Henshaw, Athletic Director at Greece Olympia High School. "Sometimes you don't realize what needs to be evaluated until a situation arises. We didn't think there was any gray area, but obviously there was."

Henshaw says policy in her coaches handbooks disallows any use of alcohol during supervision. Human resources documents and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association handbook contain similar rules. The confusing area, she says, is in the wording.

"The question that came up is, 'When are supervisory roles done?'" Henshaw says. "Is it when the kids are in their rooms for bed? Or only when the trip is over and they've been picked up? It wasn't clear to all coaches that you are in a supervisory role even while they are asleep and even if parents are present."

To clear up such questions, administrators decided to develop a code of conduct for coaches, which was put in place for the spring sports season. "By asking coaches to sign a code of conduct, it ensures that they have read and understand the policy, just like our student-athletes do, and that they are interpreting the rules correctly," says Henshaw.

To develop the code, a committee was formed that included the district's four high school athletic directors, the district director of health and physical education, and two coaches from each school. The group discussed what was already in their handbooks, what needed to be added, and what it means for a coach to supervise his or her student-athletes. "We wanted to define when supervision starts and when it ends, and to make that distinction very clear to all our coaches," says Greece Odyssey Athletic Director Josh Lacy.

By involving coaches in the process, administrators were able to develop an open, informative dialogue. "We wanted to find out where coaches don't understand their roles," says Lacy. "We found that it was mixed. The newer coaches were unclear on their responsibilities and the veterans thought everything was very clear. But everyone agreed that it was a good idea to be as specific as possible."

Another step Greece athletic directors are taking is opening lines of communication. "Hopefully I've already been very clear with my message, but if not, I want my coaches to share with me any questions they may have," Henshaw says. "I think each of the athletic directors is having that dialogue with their coaches."