Week 7 Assignment-Leadership in Sports Coaching

Question One: Athlete Student Scholarship Offers Considerations

Talented athletes about to complete high school studies receive multiple scholarship offers from different universities looking forward to tapping into emerging talent. With multiple scholarship choices coming from D-I universities, most of these athletes are spoilt for choice when selecting a preferred university. Since the student is looking forward to balancing academic and sporting activities, they must carefully consider scholarship offers that advance their talent while allowing them to achieve their academic goals.

According to Pauline (2010), one of the leading considerations students who have received scholarship offers need to consider is how much they are willing to commit to a sport. D-I universities require at least two practices a day, which implies that much of their time will be taken up by athletics. Although a student may get time to do other activities, their free time is significantly limited. Secondly, the student should consider whether the university aligns with their academic goals. The fundamental goal of attending university is academic pursuits; hence, there is a need to consider whether the university’s programs align with individual academic goals. Also, the student should consider the athletic program and whether it aligns with personal sporting goals.

On the other hand, the least important factors to consider are a university’s size and reputation. While attending a big and reputable university is appealing, considering academic and athletic fits should take precedence (Pauline, 2010). Another factor that emerges that should not affect decision-making is the university’s location. The US is a diverse country, and one should select the best university regardless of its location (Pauline, 2010). The third factor that should not affect decision-making is other co-curricular activities offered by the institution.

In summary, selecting the most suitable D-I university scholarship offers for a student cum athlete should be based on balancing academic and sporting interests. Top considerations include commitment to practice and athletic and academic alignment. On the other hand, the least important factors include a university’s size and popularity, other co-curricular programs, and the institution’s location.

Question Two: Nine Legal Duties of a Coach

Any coach occupying a position that may affect minors has a legal and rightful responsibility to ensure a safe experience for their athletes. Coaches who act irresponsibly or fail to act appropriately contravene responsible coaching. Such coaches risk legal suits and possible indictments for negligence.

Proper Planning

Proper event planning is crucial to ensure developmental and age-fit requirements are attained. Coaches are discouraged from adopting advanced practice skills as this may prove dangerous. In the same breath, coaches should adapt training regiments to align with the team’s conditioning.

Provision of Proper Instructions

This duty is based on the objective of preventing injury among athletes. Based on judgments issued against some coaches, there is a need to avoid tactical strategies that could potentially lead to injuries. For instance, in football, teaching youth teams spear tackling is discouraged.

Warn of Inherent Risks

The duty to warn athletes and parents about the potential risks involved in sports is crucial. Most parents may not have much information about their children’s sporting activities, and it is the role of a coach to warn them about potential risks. If a coach fails to provide such information, they may be sued.

Provision of a Safe Environment

Coaches are responsible for ensuring playing grounds are safe and devoid of hazards. Objects, holes, and broken glasses are some of the potential risks unsafe playing grounds pose. As such, coaches should regularly inspect the playing ground to ensure safety.

Provision of Safe and Appropriate Equipment

Sporting activities such as hockey, football, and baseball involve the usage of equipment such as masks, boots, and bats. A coach should, among others, ensure the equipment is up to standard and is correctly fitted. Courts have previously emphasized the need for due diligence.

Matching Athletes Appropriately

In contact sporting activities like football, caution should be taken to avoid injuries. Coaches should avoid mixing larger, stronger, and physically skilled with weaker players. However, this requirement does not apply to non-contact sports.

Injury Evaluation

Coaches should also pay attention to athletes’ health and previous injuries. Without proper physical examination, such injuries may deteriorate. Coaches should leverage pre-season to conduct medical and physical evaluations before the onset of a new season.

Activity Supervision

Coaches act as lead supervisors for all team activities. General supervision along hallways and dressing rooms is crucial. Besides, specific supervision is vital, especially for young athletes.

Provision of Emergency Services

Coaches should ensure emergency service providers are constantly available. However, in the absence of such services, they should provide immediate care with assistance from other players. To that end, CPR and first aid training should be provided to team members.

In summary, the nine legal duties of a coach represent the ethical and safety responsibilities. Complying with these guidelines is crucial for a team’s success and individual athletes’ well-being. Non-compliance with these guidelines may lead to a legal indictment for coaches.

Question Three: Defense Coordinator Recruitment Interview Questions

Head coaches face the difficult task of selecting appropriate assistant coaches for various roles. Parents, athletes, and other coaches rely on a coach’s decisions to drive team and individual success. The interview questions should be designed to allow the annual evaluation to ensure the recruits align with team objectives.

Interview Questions

1. Can you describe and justify your defense system?

Regardless of the style of play, a coach needs to align with a specific philosophy. Even though circumstances may change, a fundamental system is crucial to guide effective coaching. Without a proper system, athletes may be confused, leading to a lack of proper coordination.

2. What is your preferred pace of Play?

A successful football team requires a standardized pace for team consistency. Even if an agreed pace backfires, and in some games, it will certainly backfire, coaches require unified messaging. The defense coordinator’s opinion will eventually impact the team’s training regimen.

3. Describe your experience when defenders in your previous coaching experience failure. How did you turn your fortunes around?

Challenges in coaching are inevitable. Asking a candidate about their previous experiences will give insight into their problem-solving skills. A coach who proves competence in correcting problems can better help the team defensively.

4. If your team lags in a match, how will you proactively utilize the defense line to supply balls forward for a potential score?

This question is crucial in this age where football has been revolutionized, with the entire team collaborating. Unlike in the past, when every player was required to maintain their position, the defense players may overlap to help strikers press forward. This question will help determine whether the defense coordinator is proactive.

5. Do you align with a specific philosophy for training and conditioning defenders? If so, what is it?

This question will help determine whether the incoming coach may require special equipment for training defenders. In most cases, all field players apart from the goalkeeper largely train together. By asking this question, the rest of the coaching staff will determine if a candidate’s philosophy aligns with the team’s objectives.

Conclusion

A successful interview should incorporate all parties relevant to attaining team success. In this case, the team captain, sports director, and the team’s general manager should accompany the head coach to the interview room. A pre-determined criteria based on team culture will be used to successfully narrow down the candidates. Besides, the views of other interview panelists will come in handy. If no candidate fits the team’s requirements, the position should be re-advertised as a temporal defense coordinator is appointed from the team’s ranks.

References

Gentry, W. A., Manning, L., Wolf, A. K., Hernez-Broome, G., & Allen, L. W. (2013). What coaches believe are best practices for coaching: A qualitative study of interviews from coaches residing in Asia and Europe. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(2), 18–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21285

Mirsafian, H. (2016). Legal duties and legal liabilities of coaches toward athletes. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 69(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1515/pcssr-2016-0002

Pauline, J. (2010). Factors influencing college selection by NCAA Division I, II, and III lacrosse players. ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, 5(2), 62-69.

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Week 7 Assignment-Leadership in Sports Coaching

Students should complete three (3) essay questions from the list provided below. Essay answers should be fully developed with an introductory paragraph that previews the answer to the item, a body that analyzes and answers all relative arguments, and a conclusion that explains and advances the arguments (rather than simply summarizing them). Avoid the use of bullet points and direct quotations or citations from references/sources (unless the question requests them). Graduate level writing, grammar, and spelling are obviously expected. Clearly identify and separate your answers by typing the question heading in bold font.

Please answer the following:

1. You are coaching a big-time high school basketball player. The player has good grades and has received scholarship offers from a number of D-I universities. The player’s parents have asked you to help in choosing a college. List and explain the three (3) most important factors that you will impress upon the athlete and parents. List and explain the three (3) least important factors in the decision
2. Name and describe the “Nine Legal Duties” of a coach.
3. As head football coach, you must hire a new defensive coordinator. You have narrowed the search to five (5) candidates to interview. List and justify the questions you will ask in the interviews, and detail who will accompany you during the interview process. Be sure to include how you will narrow the search after the interviews and what you will do if none of the candidates meet your approval.