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Published on 08/03/1998 All articles from this issue

Coaches are in demand at local public high schools

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By Vincent Tsai

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Ten years ago, finding a coach for a high school sports team was a walk in the park. With short seasons and long lists of zealous coaches, coaching vacancies didn't last long.

But in recent years, those lists have shrunk. Local public high schools like Los Altos, Mountain View, Homestead and Gunn have been hit by a coaching shortage. This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors.

"Finding coaches is definitely a problem. In the past few years, more and more coaches have been needed," said Homestead High athletic director Paula Weismann.

For one, many individuals are unwilling to commit so much time for such a small amount of pay. Especially now that the seasons are longer than they once were.

"Most of the time, people just don't want to work for so long and get paid so little," Weismann said. "Also, people are burned out, and there isn't enough money to pay them."

Gunn High athletic director Steve Ames agrees.

"Coaching a team really does not pay well," he said. "I wish that the state would give coaching in athletics a higher priority. With no rewarding incentive, many coaches are initially turned away."

Ames also believes that the shortage of coaches is directly related to the popularity of a specific sport.

"For some reason, the more popular sports such as basketball, football, and volleyball never face such a problem," Ames said, "while sports such as water polo and track and field always have a need for more and more coaches."

Weismann said another problem is that many faculty members are too busy with other extracurricular activities. And faculty members not involved with other activities are often older personnel who often lack coaching experience.

"These older faculty members often feel like they have already given their time to the school," Weismann said. "On the other hand, the younger faculty members are filled with so many other things to do that they don't have time for coaching."

Ideally, athletic directors like Ames would like to see faculty members coach athletic teams.

"Teachers have invaluable insight in working with students and this advantage can affect the overall success of an athletic team," Ames said.

The money factor also influences the coaches' decision to commit to a school. Especially for walk-on coaches who aren't part of the school faculty.

"Walk-ons always make less money than a faculty member who is coaching because they are not considered to be affiliated with the school. And this should change," Weismann said.

One possible solution to this coaching dilemma is returning to the past. That is, shortening the seasons and practices.

"In the past, when coaching a high school team was exceedingly popular, there used to be competition for coaching jobs. The seasons were shorter and coaches didn't have to commit day in and day out to the team," Weismann said.

The lack of coaches may also have an affect on a team's success. When a sports program undergoes changes every year or two, the continuity and chemistry of the team can interrupted.

"Way too many people are flaky about coaching, and the end result is often hurting the team," Weismann said.

The athletic directors concur that one of the keys to a successuful team is having the same coach year in and year out.

"If you look at all of our sports, you will see that the teams will get progressively better when the coach stays whereas if we replace coaches often, the team's performance is erratic. Consistency is definitely the key," Ames said.

Teams with committed, long-term coaches can build upon the success or failure of the previous year, while new coaches usually implement new strageties that the athletes must adjust to.

"The bottom line is that coaches that have been here for awhile develop a formula, a gist with the team," Ames said. "And they can use their experience from the previous year to channel their team to success. Otherwise, it just doesn't work."