Commitment.

It continues to amaze me how an issue will come to my attention from multiple sources in the same general time frame, but such is the case with commitment issues concerning coaches this fall.

In one case a head coach failed to show for a match without forewarning or explanation?

In another case an assistant with stated desire to be the head coach repeatedly fails to show up for practices or games.

In yet another case I have repeatedly heard an assistant identified in pre-game introductions but have never seen him present.

A fourth case involves an assistant who shows up periodically at his own convenience and is then upset when he is not included in pre-game introductions.

I understand that people often underestimate the commitment required to coach. The hours are long and the pay is miniscule. I once tracked the hours I put in as a high school coach and then figured out my hourly wage.  $.35 / hour. When I factored in gas & oil for my car I actually lost money that season.  So, yeah, I get it.

I also understand that people who are hired on as a "volunteer assistant" may not feel as obligated to be fully committed.  Well, no, I actually do not understand this at all, but that is me.  I was a volunteer assistant at Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio for a number of years and never missed a an open field, a summer camp session, practice or game in all the years I was on staff.  Never. I can remember being sick with a cold, standing in a torrential downpour for both the JV and Varsity games at Van Wert and still showing up for stretching practice the next day.  I suppose that's just the "old school" in me coming out.

I fired an assistant for missing practices, missing games and going to the concession stand during games among other reasons.

Seriously folks, how can you expect student athletes to be committed to the team if coaches are setting examples like this?

If you are going to accept a coaching position, you owe it to the players to be fully committed to them. They deserve that from you.  And you have absolutely no right at all to expect let alone demand anything more of players than what you give to them.