Profile of a Coach

by Bob Ferraro, NHSCA Executive Director

Posted on January 13, 2006

From the first day that you officially become a Coach, there is a tremendous responsibility that goes with the title. Like it or not, you immediately become a tremendous center of influence with athletes, parents, and yes, sometimes even administrators. You have an obligation to serve athletes, parents, and administrators to the best of your ability. It requires many different skills to serve all three groups.

Administrators would like you to be professional at all times. They would like you to be a person of good character and for you to provide leadership to your staff and program. They would like you to become as educated about your sport as possible. They would like you to have good organizational skills and many times be able to raise finds. Marketing and promotional skills would be a real plus. They would like you to represent the school with honor. They will measure your success by the number of complaints they receive from parents and the number of negative articles they read in the newspaper.

Parents would like you to treat their son or daughter with fairness and kindness. They would like their child to have an enjoyable experience as well as to reach their athletic potential in your program. They would also like you to communicate with them about their son or daughter and would like to hear the good news as well as the bad news. They will measure your success by the reports they receive from their son or daughter.

Athletes would like you to make them feel like an important member of the team. They would like to have a great relationship with you regardless of wins and losses. They would like you teach them the skills and techniques they need to be successful. They will measure your success based on their personal experience with you as well as their observations of you interacting with others.

Coaches would like to conduct their program without any involvement from administrators, parents, or athletes. They would like to focus on preparing the wrestlers to the best of their ability as well as conduct their administrative duties. They know that society judges them on wins and losses, however, they would like to be judged on the total program.

A coach has numerous responsibilities, however, the most important one is to make sure that everyone in your program has an enjoyable experience. There are many things that a coach can do to enhance their program that will take the attention off wins and losses. Encouraging and rewarding academic achievement as well as sending a large number of senior wrestlers to college each year are a good start. Below are some ideas that will assist you in program enhancement. If you have any questions please contact me at rferraro@nhsca.com. Good luck in having an enjoyable experience. Enjoy the journey and remember that success is measured by improvement and not wins and losses.

Marketing and Promoting Your Wrestling Program
Build the infrastructure of your program and expand your wrestling family to include the middle and elementary school coaches.
Establish a wrestling booster club that involves the parents, faculty, administrators, and community businesses.
Establish a wrestling alumni club and ask all your alumni for donations
Form committees and appoint your best people as committee chairs.

Wrestling Booster Club Duties
Saturday morning wrestling club breakfast, highlights, honoring the wrestler of the week
Local Cable TV, one hour Weekly High School Wrestling Show with guests
Main Event Format, 20 minute half time, half time entertainment, concessions, 7th and 14th match are the 2 best match ups
Faculty Assistant Coach Program, wrestlers recruit faculty members to serve as an assistant coach for one meet
Alumni Meet – invite former wrestlers to compete against your varsity, junior varsity, or each other
Wrestling Hall of Achievement, honor career success of your school’s wrestling alumni
Wrestling Hall of Fame, honor best wrestlers from the first year the school had a wrestling program

Publications
Event programs, ads from community businesses, parents, and alumni
Monthly newsletters to all booster and alumni club members
Newspaper ad featuring the main event matches and half time entertainment
Main Event Posters in school

Post Event Socials (booster club)
After the match or tournament

Post Season (booster club)
Awards banquet that honors wrestlers, managers, coaches, faculty assistants, and supporters
Summer picnic, invite all people affiliated with your program as well as people that could help your program
Fund raisers, golf outing, basket bingo, night at the races
Tournaments and camps, booster club should assist in off setting the expenses
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To meet the needs of coaches, athletes, and administrators, the NHSCA offers the most comprehensive online educational programs for coaches and athletes in the country. You can receive a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree in coaching through the NHSCA. The NHSCA also offers Coach’s Certification, Character, Leadership, as well as Professional Development programs.

The National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) was founded in 1989 and operates as a 501c3 non-profit organization under the IRS laws. The national office is located in Easton, Pennsylvania.

The mission statement of the NHSCA is to provide leadership and support to coaches and their programs.

The national staff conducts the daily business of the NHSCA as outlined by its bylaws and is overseen by a Board of Directors. The national staff consists of a full time Executive Director, Assistant Director, and Office Manager. Several others also help conduct business and are employed as independent contractors.

The NHSCA publishes Coach's Quarterly (CQ) Magazine which is mailed to every head high school coach in the country four times a year.

The NHSCA sanctions all of its events and provides medical coverage for all of its participants, coaches, officials, and volunteer workers as well as the venue.

The NHSCA derives its income from the following sources:

1. membership
2. insurance programs
3. events
4. sponsorships
5. merchandising
6. advertising
7. coach's certification program

The NHSCA conducts events that meet the eligibility requirements of most state and national organizations involved in athletic competition. The NHSCA sponsors an Academic All-American Team as well as naming the National High School Coach of the Year.

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