Communication key in coach concerns

Every few years, parents appear before the Baker School Board to express concerns about a high school coach.

The prep coach who isn't, at some point in his or her career, the subject of such complaints is a rare breed indeed.

No coach can satisfy every player's parents all the time, and for the simple reason that it's impossible, in a team sport, to ensure every player receives equal amounts of attention and playing time.

What is possible, though, is that the lines of communication between coaches, players, administrators and parents be clearly drawn, and expectations clearly expressed, from the outset.

The parents who came to the school board last week pointed out that while parents and players receive detailed packets listing those expectations, there is a deficiency on the reciprocal side: The district's job descriptions for coaches did not include the expectation that they will show respect for players.

We're confident that the district has always expected its coaches to be respectful of players, even though that wasn't listed in job descriptions.

But we applaud the parents for pointing out the omission. Baker Superintendent Don Ulrey said much the same, and the school board revised coaches' job descriptions last month.

The more obvious issue is that apparently these parents did not feel that their concerns had been heard, although they had talked to school board members earlier in the year, and had gone from coach to athletic director to principal and superintendent.

Not every complaint can be satisfactorily resolved — especially when it comes to coaching. But when a parent's level of frustration climbs the scale to public expression at a school board meeting, it's time to take a look at how that escalation occurred — and how the communication could be improved to avoid another complaint to the school board.

For the next few years, anyway.