Weird question about public school athletics

[EKS]

If a coach (who also happens to be a teacher, if that makes any difference) at a public high school is out sick on a day his/her team has a game, is a substitute coach provided?  

 

Does anyone know how this works?

[MorningGlory]

In most situations there is an assistant coach to take the reins temporarily. I taught in a public school for a while, and every team (except for maybe tennis) had assistant coaches. Even the cheer squads had assistants. 

[MinivanMom]

I think this would depend on school district policy. Our high school has a strict rule that students must be present the entire day if they want to participate in sports practices or games after school, but I don't think there is any kind of rule for coaches. Theoretically, a coach could be out sick during the day, but then show up to the game. If they were too sick to make the game, nearly every team at our high school has an assistant coach or a JV coach who could step in instead. In an emergency, a school administrator could accompany and supervise the team. There has to be a school employee, who is in charge of the students, present at all games for liability reasons.

[Library Momma]

Usually the assistant coach or athletic director will step in

[EKS]

Thanks all!

[FaithManor]

Most of our schools have an assistant coach plus some parent volunteers approved to chaperone and pitch hit coach. So if a coach was out the game would go on.

[Tap]

Last year, the JV cheer team at my daughter's school, cheered for 3 1/2 games. It is a $1000 sport (camp, uniforms, fees, shoes, poms etc) and that is all they were allowed to do. Fees were paid, uniforms bought, and camp is over before the game dates are determined, so It was too late for girls to change sports once they found out about the lack of games/coaches.  

 

It was partially due to a disproportionate number of away games vs home games (JV only cheers at home games) and partly due to the cheer coach having other obligations.  No cheerleaders (jv nor varsity) preformed at the homecoming pep rally either, due to lack of coaches.  The Varsity and JV coach (the assistant coach) both have other jobs, so they told the girls they weren't allowed to perform without a coach on site.

 

So, yes, we have seen this happen.  Not as a one-off exception either.  Multiple times. The 1/2 game was also due to the coach not being available to be there until half time. 

[Dmmetler]

For cheer, usually coaches have to have had specific safety training. In my experience, if a coach can't be there, and there isn't a trained assistant, sometimes a coach from a different team will step in (we once had our level 4-7 head coach step in to coach a level 1 team for competition, literally at the competition-the coach had been on the way when she was in an automobile accident. Since we had a coach who didn't have a team in that level, she was able to become their coach of record so the girls could compete). I could easily see this being an issue for sideline cheer if most of the programs have their games on Friday night.

 

DD's coach is currently pregnant and is training two assistants and sending them to all the required trainings so they will be able to step in in the Spring. She's hoping to be able to continue from the sidelines through most of the season, but that way practices and competitions can go as scheduled.

[LLMom]

My husband is a head tennis coach and it is the assistant who takes over.

[Caroline]

We either have the assistant or the JV coach (if it's varsity or varsity of its JV) take over.

[EKS]

Thanks everyone!  

[zimom]

Last year, the JV cheer team at my daughter's school, cheered for 3 1/2 games. It is a $1000 sport (camp, uniforms, fees, shoes, poms etc) and that is all they were allowed to do. 

 

Do public and/or private school sports normally cost this much????

 

Picking my jaw up off the floor.

Edited September 20, 2016 by zimom

[Spy Car]

In my experience, there is often more than one coach who is a credentialed teacher. Maybe co-coaches, or head and assistant. Or maybe a head coach from a different level (JV vs Varsity, as Caroline mentioned).

 

Someone would step in. If a team had a non-credentialed assistant coach and there were no other coaches then a credentialed athletic director would take the helm (at least as figurehead).

 

Worst case someone (department head?) from the PE department would step in.

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Tap]

Do public and/or private school sports normally cost this much????

 

Picking my jaw up off the floor.

It was a little less at private school because they re-used uniform shells.  For cheer, the tight shirt (liner), shorts, socks, bow, shoes, poms are all required and are personal gear and are bought by the cheerleader.  If the uniform is one of the newer tight uniforms, then the cheer shirt and skirt are personal use also. That means that the cheer leader is responsible for the purchase of it.  We pay about $300 for clothing and $100 for shoes.  When she was in private school, they wore a liner and shorts, but the more traditional shell and skirt were loaners from the school, so that reduced the cost about $200. Warm up jackets are another $100 and personalization is extra and required. 

 

Both schools went to cheer camps that were a long weekend and were $350. Optional, but highly encouraged.

 

Then you add in all the game day shirts, pink socks for breast cancer, misc team items, ASB fees, sport fees etc.  And a repeat of sport fees if they want to cheer more than one season (football/basketball). 

 

The coaches try to keep it under $1000, but by the end of the year, we have usually spent more than that.  Even in private school where they provided the shell and skirt, we were still close to $1000 by the end of 2 seasons. 

 

Ohhhh, also cheerleaders drive themselves to games here.  Buses are for the 'athletes' only and not the girls, so that adds more cost too.  Especially when they go to District or state, when they are driving a hundred miles each way.  LOL  (we are in Washington)

 

It may be cheaper in other areas especially with ASB support.  Our school has zero financial support for the cheer team. 

 

Football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, are a couple hundred dollars for the sport and then usual personal costs like shoes (camp is subsidized and about half the price of cheer camp).   They have ASB support to offset some costs.  

Edited September 21, 2016 by Tap