NFHS Coach Education Committee Discusses Five-year Strategic Plan

By Emily Cerling

Development of the newly formatted NFHS Coach Education Program Strategic Plan and the implementation of an award to recognize coach educators were the main topics of discussion at the annual NFHS Coach Education Meeting held October 1-2 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.

Thirteen committee members, along with several NFHS staff members, discussed the five-year strategic plan and a multi-level certification program, along with the strategic approaches that would enable them to meet their goals. Product development, marketing strategies and financial projections were all key issues addressed by the committee in order to launch a successful program.

According to Tim Flannery, NFHS assistant director and director of the Coach Education Program, the changing landscape of athletics in this country is the driving force behind the NFHS Coach Education Program.

"In the past several decades, the culture of sports has really changed," Flannery said. "You risk losing athletics and activities when pay-to-participate programs are implemented. The challenges of parents, club programs and state legislatures also threaten the future of athletic programs."

In today's world, professional sports are centered around entertainment, youth sports focus on fun and recreation, and club sports are driven by skill development and getting to the next level. 

In interscholastic athletics, the role of athletic programs is to provide an educational experience. The purpose of the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course is to reinforce those values in the coaches and teachers who serve as role models and mentors to the students who participate.

"At this point, there are no national requirements to certify coaches," Flannery said. "However, state associations are helping establish and enforce those requirements at a local level."

Currently, 36 states have adopted the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course to satisfy their requirements or have agreed to endorse and promote the course. Eight states are reviewing the course for adoption and six states have their own programs. It should be noted that the remaining states that follow their own guidelines are not opposed to the NFHS program, but have contracts with other coaching education providers.

One component of the NFHS Coach Certification plan is to develop sport-specific techniques and tactics courses.

"In high school athletics, there are about 45 sports, but the NFHS writes rules for only 17 of them," Flannery said.

Presently, the NFHS is exploring partnerships with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the American Volleyball Coaches Association and USA Volleyball, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, USA Football, and the Spirit of Golf Foundation and the United States Golf Association.

At the meeting, NFHS Educational Consultant Dr. Darren Treasure discussed exposure opportunities for the NFHS Coach Education Program. These include the major conference of the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance to be held in April 2008; articles in professional journals; and endorsements from professional organizations.

The committee also discussed a new initiative that is being developed in conjunction with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals to provide a DVD by February 2008. This 10-minute video covers the mission and purpose of interscholastic athletics, sportsmanship, the legal duties of coaches, the relationship between the principal and the athletic director, as well as how to interact with parents.

In addition, a 45-minute communications module will be created that is designed to provide teacher/coaches, principals and athletic administrators with more tools to use in interscholastic athletics. This learning device is based on the athletic triangle, paying particular attention to the relationship between parents and coaches. This module is to be finalized by June 2008.

While discussing the five-year agenda, Flannery reviewed the missions and goals of the NFHS Coach Education Program and how the objectives would be achieved. To stay on track, some of the courses and modules are scheduled for completion by August 2008. The NFHS hopes to launch the NFHS Coach Certification program sometime in 2009. The NFHS' targeted goal is to reach 100,000 teacher/coaches per year by 2012, with hopes of changing the culture of coaching.

NFHS Director of Marketing Judy Shoemaker introduced the marketing strategy to the committee. To reach the desired market, the NFHS must reiterate the organization's most important initiative - to promote the mission and purpose of educational athletics in the nation's high schools. The NFHS also reinforces that a student's education in the classroom extends to the playing field with education-based athletics.

According to Flannery, the five-year financial projections are difficult to predict. However, he suggested that a potential source of revenue can be derived from various sponsors.

 "We've had phenomenal reactions to the online program so far," Flannery said. "As of now, almost every state is offering, promoting or reviewing a coach education program, and that has never happened before." 

UIL Council mandates NFHS Coach Education policy

By Emily Cerling

At its October meeting, the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) Legislative Council decided that all coaches who have been ejected from a contest and have not had the ejection overturned by the UIL State Executive Committee must complete the National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) Fundamentals of Coaching Course. In addition, the course must also be completed by all first-year coaches and any coach who is not a full-time employee of the school district. 

Currently, 36 states are using the NFHS Coach Education Program and eight states are considering it. The remaining states either have their own programs or have contracts with other coach education providers.

Emily Cerling is a fall semester intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. She is a senior at Butler (Indiana) University, majoring in integrated communications.