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A few days before the start of each season, we hold a preseason coaches' meeting designed to help our coaches understand their responsibilities within our program. At this "business meeting," I present an agenda consisting of 40 to 50 items covering everything from a coach's responsibilities for completing eligibility reports to sportsmanship expectations.

Prior to the meeting, the agenda is edited and revised to include the latest developments, emphasize common problems, and offer solutions. It is clearly stated on the agenda, and I point it out to the coaches, that they should keep this document on file for reference. In addition, handouts--forms, guidelines, and examples of various agenda items--are distributed as those specific topics are discussed at the meeting. These documents become the first level of guidelines detailing expectations in our program.

At this time, I also distribute the standard Baltimore County Public Schools coaching contract that each coach signed prior to their employment with us. Prepared by our legal advisors with typical contractual language, this contract was revised within the last two years to provide more coverage in areas that had proven to be problematic. It is now about one-third longer than the former contract in an attempt to more clearly detail various points and expectations for coaches.

While this standard contract covers the length of service, the salary for each position, and details related to when and how a coach can be terminated, there are numerous daily, operational responsibilities that are not included. Many years ago at a conference, I heard a colleague explain how he handled the accountability issues for those items not covered in the district-wide contract.

This longtime athletic administrator would issue a letter detailing his expectations for the position to each coach. Since every setting is unique, he said the key was to revise the letter to include the responsibilities specific to each coaching situation. For the past 15 years, I've used his idea, revising the letter continually--to the point where probably nothing remains from the first draft. It is saved on my computer, and each version is printed individually and addressed to each coach.

A coaching code of conduct can also be revised, but perhaps not as quickly as a letter of expectations. Also, perhaps it is a matter of semantics, but our coaches don't seem as resistant to a list of expectations as to being told they need to follow a code of conduct. The term "expectations" may simply be a little more palatable than "code."

Included in our letter are 16 bullet points. For example, we ask that our coaches:
• Participate in our preseason coaches', preseason parents, Baltimore Country coaches', and all postseason meetings pertaining to their sports and our awards evening.
• Have all team rules and the method of selecting the squad approved by the athletic director prior to distribution to athletes and their parents.
• Engage in professional development activities in order to improve their coaching ability. Learning is a life-long pursuit, and since coaches are guiding our young people, it is absolutely imperative that we provide the best instruction possible.

One benefit of our letter of expectations is that it allows us to easily close loopholes and address new developments as they arise. For example, it has long been a procedure in Baltimore County that at the end of a junior varsity season, the coach moves up to assist with varsity as that team enters the playoffs. This is clearly spelled out in the BCPS Athletic Policy and Procedures Manual, but it is a very small entry in a publication of approximately 200 pages. It's easy to miss.

When one of our j.v. coaches repeatedly avoided this responsibility, I added a bullet item covering this provision to our letter. Now, when the j.v. coach signs and dates his letter before each season, there is an excellent method of documentation.

As with the county contract, the letter of expectations must be returned to me after the coach signs it. This document is kept on file and the coach's signature indicates that he or she has read and understands the expectations.

In addition, for the last 10 years, we have paid our coaches' membership fees for the NFHS Coaches Association. While we want our coaches to receive the great benefits--the liability coverage, subscription to Coaches' Quarterly, and eligibility for state and national awards--membership is also a mark of professionalism, and that's definitely one of our goals.

The NFHS Coaches Association has its own Coaches' Code of Ethics. Because we want our coaches to adhere to the provisions of this code, we include a bullet item in our letter stating that our coaches are expected to do so. The coaches also get a printout of the NFHS Coaches Code of Ethics at every preseason meeting.

In addition, I have always believed that if our coaches read just one article per issue of Coaches' Quarterly, it will help them become better at what they do. And if they read more than one article, issue after issue, they are bound to learn a great deal that will directly affect our athletes and program. The end result is a better-prepared professional who understands and embodies our belief in an education-based athletic program.

The NFHS also has an outstanding coaching education component, which leads to national certification. This educational element is a major distinguishing factor from the other coaching associations around the country. And since I am a huge proponent of this program, it also plays a prominent role in our approach with our coaches.

We have been paying the tuition fee for the Fundamentals of Coaching course for the first five to 10 coaches who sign up, depending on my budget each year. In addition, I'll also cover the cost for five sport-specific courses. To be reimbursed, the coaches show me proof of completion. Within a few years, our goal is for all of our coaches to have completed at least the basic course.

Even before the emergence of the NFHS Coaching Certification program, we used the Fundamentals course as a form of remediation. This began in response to an incident involving poor interaction between one of our coaches and a player at a game, when it was requested that the coach complete the course.

These courses can be used to modify "old school" approaches and improve coaching competencies. By taking the course--and this was a provision clearly stated in the coach in question's evaluation--it was hoped that he would learn acceptable alternative approaches and understand the basis for education-based athletics.

Unexpectedly, we also got more help two years ago from our state association. The Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association started a new initiative entitled "Respect the Game." As the name indicates, it is an effort to improve sportsmanship by all stakeholders--athletes, coaches, parents, and fans.

Each member school received pamphlets and I photocopied the page dedicated to coaches for use in our preseason meetings. Obviously, this page was an agenda item and the photocopied handout was distributed and discussed at length. This became one more concrete resource to be used for education and accountability with our coaches.

Even though our preseason staff meeting and agenda, the letter of expectations, the NFHS Coaches Code of Ethics, and the MPSSAA Respect initiative are integral parts of our program, we don't wait for a problem to emerge. I constantly send e-mail reminders to our coaching staff.

With seasonal distribution lists, providing due dates or recent developments to our coaches can be done quickly and efficiently. Since most of us occasionally forget something, this is a great reminder to get our staff to refocus and meet expectations.

Too often, documentation and accountability are misunderstood and perhaps are construed as negatives. But to help coaches meet expectations, these two items play an important role. When you save a copy of e-mail messages for reference, it makes the effort of documentation and accountability easy and accurate.

Whether you utilize a document called a code of conduct, letter of expectations, or some other variation, establishing guidelines and standards for your coaches is vital. Coaches have a direct impact on your athletes and greatly influence the fan base. In education-based athletics, coaches play a major role and have to meet high standards.

Click here to view a sample letter of expectations we hand out to our coaches.

David Hoch, CMAA, is Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, Md. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management.