Photo: Washington Commanders
The following article was originally published in the Aspen Institute’s State of Play Washington D.C. report. The report assesses the opportunities and barriers for more children to access sports and physical activity in our nation’s capital.
Simply finding coaches is increasingly challenging in D.C. Less free time, longer work hours, limited pay for coaches and hassles with parents are among the reasons it’s hard to find coaches, who are the backbone of youth sports. The best coaches are mentors, role models and inspirations for generations of young athletes — some of whom will grow up to coach as well.
Unlike other educators, youth sports coaches are often unpaid or underpaid volunteers, with little training or time to complete it beyond the mandated certifications in critical topics. Research has shown that kids who play for trained coaches have a better experience and are more likely to return.
D.C. coaches have greater incentive to work in the private athletic sector, which is generally unregulated and hit or miss on coach training, because of better compensation. Within schools, DCPS coaching stipends are lower than those in surrounding areas (Montgomery County, Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria) and most independent and parochial schools.
Parent behavior also impacts whether people want to coach. Some coaches act poorly as well. In one focus group we conducted, several parents expressed frustration that they spent significant money on tournaments only to have their child’s team disqualified due to the behavior of their coach. Two moms said their young children no longer play tackle football because of the coaches; one witnessed an opposing coach yell at a player to knock her son’s helmet off, resulting in an injury.
“Sports teaches kids morals and structure, but when the coaches implement violence and the wrong stuff, it discourages parents from even wanting to go out in the community to watch,” said a mom. “Yet you want my child to play on your team?”
For many years, coaching development in D.C. public schools was fragmented based on requirements set by each school. The shortage of well-qualified coaches resulted in DCSAA instituting a coaching-development program in 2019-20 that standardized certification across D.C. schools. Sports leagues and programs outside the DCSAA still maintain their own rules and process, but the DCSAA coaching-development program captures a large number of coaches.
DCSAA’s coach training includes first aid, CPR, automated external defibrillators, concussions, heat illness prevention, DCSAA rules, and at least five hours of continuing education every two years (two of the hours must be sport-specific). DCSAA smartly lists all certified coaches on its website so there is a public record.
It’s important to note that coach training doesn’t account for the quality of the instruction and whether it makes a difference. The best school districts and sports providers intentionally provide year-round support for coaches. Behavior change comes from a feedback loop, but the coaching field generally lacks accountability and people consistently mentoring the coaches.
“I’ve had great coaches who care about you, and I’ve had coaches who are very competitive and the fun just disappears out of their brain,” said a multisport high school female athlete. “They don’t know how to tone it down, but you could literally have fun while working hard at practice because some coaches are good at that. If you don’t make it fun, kids think, ‘Why do I keep coming to practice if I’m not getting in the game, or I’m not getting anything out of it?’”
Coaching can be stressful. Nationally, 69% of youth coaches report feeling moderately or extremely stressed, according to the Aspen Institute’s National Coach Survey.
“Youth sports has become really transactional,” said a D.C. swimming club coach. “Parents are looking for some sort of future payoff, like a college scholarship, so you’re balancing two different things — you want to help this kid become a good person through sports, but yeah, results do matter. And mom and dad don’t always want to hear about how long the process takes. They just want the result.”
Solutions
Create more oversight and mentorship of coaches
Coaches can learn from each other. Frequent and informal conversations make a bigger difference than required, one-time trainings. “As soon as we leave that room after one training, how are we then putting that in motion?” asked a D.C. basketball coach. “You would never expect a teacher to graduate and turn them loose and say, ‘Go teach whatever you want.’ The coaches are human beings just like the kids. If we want coaches to execute a task, we have to be very methodical and process-driven. Oversight is important, and there’s not enough of that.”
Schools could adopt the coaching evaluation tool used by Jennings County High School (North Vernon, Indiana), which was recognized by the Aspen Institute for its unique model. Worried that the school board would require a minimum winning percentage to retain coaches, Jennings County’s athletic director created the Deserve to Win grid. The document covers 28 areas in which coaches are evaluated, such as creating a safe environment, increasing sports opportunities for younger children, providing academic opportunities for athletes beyond maintaining playing eligibility, understanding racial and gender discrimination, and demonstrating good interpersonal relationships.
The idea is to focus on the process, not necessarily the results. It gives coaches exactly what they are being measured on, while recognizing that each athlete is a unique person. Listening is also a value of the Deserve to Win grid because it serves as a starting point for conversations between the coach and AD before, during and after the season.
Build more partnerships with coaching leaders
One example is Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), which helps coaches provide a positive, equitable and accessible youth sports experience for children. PCA has partnered with some D.C. organizations, such as DC SCORES, Fight For Children, DCSAA, Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, Washington Wizards, Little League and Open Goal Project.
Utilize existing coaching resources
Clubs, rec teams and schools don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Plenty of resources exist to help coaches, such as:
Positive Coaching Alliance Resource Zone: Explore free coaching content related to topics such as first-time coaches, athlete development, team culture, sports equity, mental wellness, parent/coach partnership, motivation, and inclusivity in sports. There’s also the Positive Youth Sports Culture Index to help assess the sports organization’s culture and create an action plan, along with free workshops to PCA partners in D.C. And PCA’s coach evaluation form allows parents to provide feedback on their child’s season.
Aspen Institute’s Calls for Coaches: Aspen partnered with Harvard University to create resources that teach coaches how and why to develop their athletes’ social and emotional skills. There’s an easy-to-follow practice checklist.
From the Huddle: Take a free coach self-assessment to measure the frequency and consistency of positive behaviors associated with developing social and emotional skills.
MOJO: Download the app and get easy-to-use practice plans by video and text for soccer, flag football, basketball, baseball and softball. Practices can be customized depending on the children’s ages and skill levels.
Center for Healing and Justice through Sport: Utilize a toolkit for coaches to create inclusive environments.
Jon Solomon is Community Impact Director of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative. Jon can be reached at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.