Coaches Uncommitted Coaches - What to do?

[JBS]

To all of you out there that work in an environment that allows uncommitted coaches. What type of position do they hold at the gym?

• Coaches that get unqualified subs or no sub to cover their classes or teams.
• Coaches that not only have a "real" job...but make sure that everyone knows...including the kids. Coaches that constantly have to miss practices and competitions due to their "real" job...and then still expect the club to to give them "VIP" status.
• Coaches that constantly walk in late putting their work on other quality staff.

Assuming these coaches know what they are doing...would you find a place for them in your program...or send them packing?

 

[iwannacoach]

Coaches want the kids they work with to "want it," and so too should the coaches. If someone feels they've been placed with a class below *their* ability to coach, they really aren't a coach, certainly not a good one because the most challenging kids are the ones at the bottom.... and the top. That's the way I feel about it.

The only time I'd listen to a coach who wants to "move up," short of a vacant position, is when they can tell me exactly what they would do for the kids that isn't already being done, and have proven they have the energy and commitment to "git-er-done."

I've mentored a few coaches, and I learned from the process is that an "off the street amature" with nothing more than desire, wits, good health, and guidance, can turn into a pretty good instructor in a few months, and become a pretty decent L6 coach in a year..... as long as they're willing to "drink the koolaid" out of the same pitcher I do. On the other hand, an uncommitted coach with still be an uncommitted coach a year later.

 

[PalmTree]

Never never NEVER!!! I learned my lesson when I started being in charge of hiring coaches - I will now hire a person with no gymnastics experience BUT loves learning and children over someone with loads of experience who is "uncommitted" or bad character. If you hire someone like what you mentioned above, you will be ruining the entire culture of your gym! Your good coaches will start to go bad because of the influence, you will go mad from trying to cover for them, the parents will not like them, etc. It is far better to have NO coach at all (and have to cancel classes for a while) than to have a coach who is not fully committed to the job. Believe me!! You can always teach gymnastics but you cannot teach CHARACTER.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I actually find that the coaches with "real" jobs are more committed. For them to work a full day and still want to coach after it generally means they are active people, not the type that have to collapse on the sofa after a 9-5 days work. It also generally means they just love the sport, and despite working full time still want to be a part of it.

i find the coaches who just coach and that's all are less energetic people. Most only work a few hours a day. As outside of school hours there aren't that many hours they can coach. Many sleep until noon each day.

 

[CoachGoofy]

I don't understand the problem with sleeping til noon each day if everything that needs done gets done-some people's circadian rhythms are just like that. Early bird tendencies are not morally superior.

I want nothing, NOTHING, to do with coaches who don't care, can't be bothered to show up on time, always missing practice for other things, etc. I'd rather train a newbie from the ground up than deal with all the "Coach Whoever isn't going to make it today!!!" crises.

 

[wgagym]

I agree, you can always train the skill but you cannot train the personaility. If they are not being a productive positive member of your staff send them packing. They will infect your staff and bring down the moral of the place.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I don't understand the problem with sleeping til noon each day if everything that needs done gets done-some people's circadian rhythms are just like that. Early bird tendencies are not morally superior.

I want nothing, NOTHING, to do with coaches who don't care, can't be bothered to show up on time, always missing practice for other things, etc. I'd rather train a newbie from the ground up than deal with all the "Coach Whoever isn't going to make it today!!!" crises.

i don't mean they actually sleep until noon each day, I have no idea when they wake up. Just a figure of speech meaning they are less energetic, more likely to sit around when coaching etc.

 

[JBS]

I actually find that the coaches with "real" jobs are more committed. For them to work a full day and still want to coach after it generally means they are active people, not the type that have to collapse on the sofa after a 9-5 days work. It also generally means they just love the sport, and despite working full time still want to be a part of it.

i find the coaches who just coach and that's all are less energetic people. Most only work a few hours a day. As outside of school hours there aren't that many hours they can coach. Many sleep until noon each day.

We do have many coaches who have other jobs that are very committed...I'm not speaking of them.


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[Jenny]

We do have many coaches who have other jobs that are very committed...I'm not speaking of them.


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I think then you didn't need to mention the 'other jobs' thing. You have a problem with uncommitted coaches some of them happen to work other jobs (and boy do they let you know it) and some don't. It is not the 'other job' that is the problem it is the attitude of the problem coaches.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I think then you didn't need to mention the 'other jobs' thing. You have a problem with uncommitted coaches some of them happen to work other jobs (and boy do they let you know it) and some don't. It is not the 'other job' that is the problem it is the attitude of the problem coaches.

==
my kids and parents all know I have another job and that I coach because I absolutely love it. I guess that would be the difference.

 

[JBS]

I think then you didn't need to mention the 'other jobs' thing. You have a problem with uncommitted coaches some of them happen to work other jobs (and boy do they let you know it) and some don't. It is not the 'other job' that is the problem it is the attitude of the problem coaches.

I didn't mention "other jobs"...I said "real" job...as if my job is not "real". The attitude is NOT always the problem...sometimes it is the "other job"...like when you have to miss the State meet due to the "other job".

Don't ever tell me what I need to mention and what I don't...this website is for open gymnastics discussion.

EDIT: Sorry...but I have an issue with the "real" job thing.

 

[Jenny]

Perhaps I didn't explain that very well. What I meant was the problem is the attitude of those people who don't consider coaching a real job but consider their other job a real job which obviously you and I don't agree with. The way they talk about coaching is reflective of their attitude towards it. These people would be missing the state meet for some other reason if they were not using the 'real job' reason believe me. Does that make more sense it is kind of hard to explain.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i would have them man the vacuums or toilet brushes...

 

[Jabba]

I have that "real job" in an office. Not because id rather be doing it, but because it allows me to pay the rent where I live and coach. I've worked many different jobs in manhattan and elswhere- coaching is BY FAR the most difficult, time consuming, and stressful "job" I've ever had. It is also the most rewarding. Job is a relevant term. I can never think of gym as my job, because it never feels like a "job." But id love it if I could afford to lose that "real job" in the office and coach all day!

Weigh your options. Lose your uncommitted coaches if you can. Bad attitudes can be infectious. So can good ones.

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[JBS]

Perhaps I didn't explain that very well. What I meant was the problem is the attitude of those people who don't consider coaching a real job but consider their other job a real job which obviously you and I don't agree with. The way they talk about coaching is reflective of their attitude towards it. These people would be missing the state meet for some other reason if they were not using the 'real job' reason believe me. Does that make more sense it is kind of hard to explain.

Yes...I agree...this whole subject just makes me mad.

 

[BlairBob]

Hey, in my coaching days I was generally up by 1130 and preferably 10ish. More so when I was in my young 20 to mid 20's (and something of an insomniac).

Honestly, I would only use them as an assistant coach at best, an extra spotter or floater. You don't want them especially in your rec classes aka your bread and butter classes. As a team coach, some parents may understand but it will get old fast. Sometimes it works out if they get there by event time versus missing warmup time (as they are getting off work or in transit to the gym or waiting on their SO to get home to swap the kids).

 

[gymdog]

Don't ever tell me what I need to mention and what I don't...this website is for open gymnastics discussion.

Whoa, don't have a dog in this fight (I coach full time and didn't really care about the "other jobs" issue in the original post) but I respectfully submit this is a break in your usually measured posting style. And the other post clearly was just suggesting that the other jobs weren't the main issue to address, which is a very valid point.

To that end, if you have people who have to miss important meets more than maybe one time (things could come up) then they are not well-suited for coaching that level and should be placed in developmental perhaps or assigned as an assistant to a lead coach who can reliably be at the meets.

I am not really sure how to respond to the original post because if an employee isn't doing their job, they should be fired or reassigned. I understand that gyms often have problems with attracting "talent" - many very talented coaches eventually want to run their own program (either as an owner or head coach) for one thing, and many gyms OFTEN don't offer enough of a salary+benefits to attract well educated, ambitious employees. I am not saying this as a blanket rule, just a general trend.

For example, as I mentioned I currently do this full time. I have no trouble getting hired at a gym. I am highly educated, able to quickly produce written work such as promotional materials, etc, and equally experienced with recreational, preschool, and competitive. But I will probably not stay full time in gymnastics unless I manage my own program, because I am definitely underemployed in my current capacity in terms of the compensation package I receive. I am not looking to make very much but I think that I am, in effect, more valuable to the program than I am compensated for.

I essentially donate many, many hours of my time every year, in addition to buying almost everything "extra" that I need for successful recreational classes that recruit and maintain customers. This will cost me hundreds out a low salary, but almost every "trial" subsequently enrolls. Of course, this growth is not reflected in any way in my compensation.

So without further details I am not sure what to offer you, but perhaps performance based incentives might be one thing to consider.

 

[JBS]

Whoa, don't have a dog in this fight (I coach full time and didn't really care about the "other jobs" issue in the original post) but I respectfully submit this is a break in your usually measured posting style. And the other post clearly was just suggesting that the other jobs weren't the main issue to address, which is a very valid point.

To that end, if you have people who have to miss important meets more than maybe one time (things could come up) then they are not well-suited for coaching that level and should be placed in developmental perhaps or assigned as an assistant to a lead coach who can reliably be at the meets.

I am not really sure how to respond to the original post because if an employee isn't doing their job, they should be fired or reassigned. I understand that gyms often have problems with attracting "talent" - many very talented coaches eventually want to run their own program (either as an owner or head coach) for one thing, and many gyms OFTEN don't offer enough of a salary+benefits to attract well educated, ambitious employees. I am not saying this as a blanket rule, just a general trend.

For example, as I mentioned I currently do this full time. I have no trouble getting hired at a gym. I am highly educated, able to quickly produce written work such as promotional materials, etc, and equally experienced with recreational, preschool, and competitive. But I will probably not stay full time in gymnastics unless I manage my own program, because I am definitely underemployed in my current capacity in terms of the compensation package I receive. I am not looking to make very much but I think that I am, in effect, more valuable to the program than I am compensated for.

I essentially donate many, many hours of my time every year, in addition to buying almost everything "extra" that I need for successful recreational classes that recruit and maintain customers. This will cost me hundreds out a low salary, but almost every "trial" subsequently enrolls. Of course, this growth is not reflected in any way in my compensation.

So without further details I am not sure what to offer you, but perhaps performance based incentives might be one thing to consider.

Yes...maybe a bit different than how I normally post...but still it was how I felt at the time. I basically got mad a Jenny because she was right...but I didn't want to hear it.

No...the other job is not the main issue...the "real" job is the issue. I know an owner of a very successful club that will immediately discount any coach that comes in for an interview and mentions a "real" job. He stated this..."Coaches that have "real" jobs have no place in my imaginary world". So "yes"...I hate the attitude that comes along with the "real" job concept.

Overall...I'm just looking for everyone's responses as I do have others reading this thread. I'm hoping this thread will hit home for the others that are reading this.

A bit off topic...but what extra do you purchase for your classes that your club is not willing to provide you with...and how do you donate hours?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

JBS, i don't understand the last sentence/question. could you try again?

 

[JBS]

I essentially donate many, many hours of my time every year, in addition to buying almost everything "extra" that I need for successful recreational classes that recruit and maintain customers. This will cost me hundreds out a low salary, but almost every "trial" subsequently enrolls. Of course, this growth is not reflected in any way in my compensation.

A bit off topic...but what extra do you purchase for your classes that your club is not willing to provide you with...and how do you donate hours?