We've sent letters to our local high school athletic director and our high school's board of education. We have also sent a letter to Nina Van Erk, the Executive Director at the NYSPHSAA. We are still waiting for responses from them.
Next up, we will be sending letters to the Executive Staff, Association Officers, and the Central and Executive Committee Members of NYSPHSAA. All of this in hopes of finding an advocate within the system that can help change the current policies.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Feedback
We have received a lot of positive feedback from parents, players, and coaches. Thank you to everyone who has shown their support in verbal conversation and by e-mail. We have changed the comments setting so you can leave an anonymous comment on the blog. The following comments are copied from e-mails we received but the senders names have been removed:
-"What a beautiful letter. As a (person) who works with troubled juveniles I second your call for athletics to be run for the benefit of the kids as opposed to adult coaching or spectating interests. Putting the interests of our children above the "winning at all costs" philosophy of coaches and spectators is long overdue. As a parent whose daughter was involved in year-round sports for about 5 years I have seen some atrocious displays by coaches, spectators , and even referees. The coaches and referees that I admired during this period were the ones who were sensitive to the children's needs. [I have often wondered what would happen in women's school sports if only women coached and refereed. Perhaps its time to float the idea. I would guess that the male coaches would be a bit more sensitive as a result]. Your call is well overdue and I support your efforts. Let me know if there is any assistance I can provide."
-"WOW!!!! I was totally blown away by your letter. I think you've touched on every point there was to touch on, and if this doesn't change things for players all across the board in every sport, I truly don't know what will. In my wildest imagine I never could have written anything so powerful yet so basic and simple.
Being one of the many parents who have suffered through watching their child sit the bench and cry afterwards, I thank you so much for taking the time and caring enough to appeal to the "higher ups". If it changes nothing then that says alot about the real ideals and goals of our athletic department/coaches. I will be very surprised though if that is the case."
-"Well done. If there is anything I can do to help support your initiative please let me know.
.....Your proposed plan is sound and I believe that AAU basketball has proven that. Every player, every game...."
-"What a beautiful letter. As a (person) who works with troubled juveniles I second your call for athletics to be run for the benefit of the kids as opposed to adult coaching or spectating interests. Putting the interests of our children above the "winning at all costs" philosophy of coaches and spectators is long overdue. As a parent whose daughter was involved in year-round sports for about 5 years I have seen some atrocious displays by coaches, spectators , and even referees. The coaches and referees that I admired during this period were the ones who were sensitive to the children's needs. [I have often wondered what would happen in women's school sports if only women coached and refereed. Perhaps its time to float the idea. I would guess that the male coaches would be a bit more sensitive as a result]. Your call is well overdue and I support your efforts. Let me know if there is any assistance I can provide."
-"WOW!!!! I was totally blown away by your letter. I think you've touched on every point there was to touch on, and if this doesn't change things for players all across the board in every sport, I truly don't know what will. In my wildest imagine I never could have written anything so powerful yet so basic and simple.
Being one of the many parents who have suffered through watching their child sit the bench and cry afterwards, I thank you so much for taking the time and caring enough to appeal to the "higher ups". If it changes nothing then that says alot about the real ideals and goals of our athletic department/coaches. I will be very surprised though if that is the case."
-"Well done. If there is anything I can do to help support your initiative please let me know.
.....Your proposed plan is sound and I believe that AAU basketball has proven that. Every player, every game...."
Monday, February 23, 2009
The original idea
Many parents and fans sit and watch a high school sporting event and wonder why some players are left on the bench while others are shown more playing time. Parents and players are afraid to ask those types of questions to coaches or Athletic Directors because they are afraid to have a negative influence on their child’s playing time. So they sit there each game and become more frustrated, feeling that there is nothing they can do about it, or just accept it as “the way it has always been done.” We are beginning a grass roots effort to change the way high school sports are played and coached.
The ‘Every Player, Every Game’ campaign has as its’ basic premise that every player, in every sports program, should get the opportunity to play in every game. We would like to establish a minimum playing requirement that would require all coaches, on all teams to get ALL of their players in the game for a preset minimum amount of playing time. Teams are formed for the players, and each player should be rewarded for their hard work in practice and contributions to the team. Therefore, every player on every team should be allowed to play.
Coaches too often feel that their job is to provide a winning program for their school and they are often judged by that standard. But the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics clearly states “that an athletic contest is only a game........not a matter of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state or nation.” Coaches can be influenced by external factors, just like anyone else. Sometimes those outside influences lead to bad decisions about players and their time in the game. If there are minimum playing time standards, then coaches will have to give every player the opportunity to play. It will make coaches responsible for coaching the entire team, not just a select few. It will mean that coaches must learn to more effectively manage their players during each game and play them when each player could be most productive.
We encourage you to contact your school’s Athletic Director and tell them that you support the idea of “Every Player, Every Game”. Furthermore, you can also contact the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) board members, whose email addresses are listed on their website cited below, and let them know you want Every Player in Every Game. The NYSPHSAA board sets all the rules for all high school sports programs in New York State. They have the ability to change the way high school sports operate and can help us to get the rules changed. Please read the attached 2008-2009 Code of Ethics from the NYSPHSAA website, http://www.nysphsaa.org/, and see how well your high school athletics program meets these ideals. Comments can also be sent to the board’s executive director, Nina Van Erk at nvanerk@nysphsaa.org
Your high school athlete will thank you for it.
The following is the introductory paragraph from the NYSPHSAA Handbook.
“We are pleased to present you with the 2008-2010 edition of the HANDBOOK of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. Clarification of, and changes in, the regulations and standards are indicated by shading.
We encourage you to supply copies of the HANDBOOK to all your coaches. Knowing only the game rules of a sport is not enough to protect student eligibility. We also recommend again that rule reprints be made available at preseason meetings for athletes and their parents to ensure knowledge of the rules.
We cannot emphasize enough that the rules and regulations in the HANDBOOK are your standards, developed as the result of your input. We ask your support in the partnership of enforcing these rules and regulations. Each of us must take that responsibility seriously. We know that by working together we can ensure that our students will experience equitable and safe athletic participation.”
Listed below is the Code of Ethics from the NYSPHSAA Handbook.
CODE OF ETHICS
IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL CONCERNED WITH
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS:
1. To emphasize the proper ideals of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and
fair play.
2. To eliminate all possibilities which tend to destroy the best values of
the game.
3. To stress the values derived from playing the game fairly.
4. To show cordial courtesy to visiting teams and officials.
5. To establish a happy relationship between visitors and hosts.
6. To respect the integrity and judgment of the sports officials.
7. To achieve a thorough understanding and acceptance of the rules of the
game and standards of eligibility.
8. To encourage leadership, use of incentive, and good judgment by the
players on the team.
9. To recognize that the purpose of athletics is to promote the physical,
mental, moral, social, and emotional well-being of the individual players.
10. To remember that an athletic contest is only a game........not a matter
of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state
or nation.
The ‘Every Player, Every Game’ campaign has as its’ basic premise that every player, in every sports program, should get the opportunity to play in every game. We would like to establish a minimum playing requirement that would require all coaches, on all teams to get ALL of their players in the game for a preset minimum amount of playing time. Teams are formed for the players, and each player should be rewarded for their hard work in practice and contributions to the team. Therefore, every player on every team should be allowed to play.
Coaches too often feel that their job is to provide a winning program for their school and they are often judged by that standard. But the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics clearly states “that an athletic contest is only a game........not a matter of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state or nation.” Coaches can be influenced by external factors, just like anyone else. Sometimes those outside influences lead to bad decisions about players and their time in the game. If there are minimum playing time standards, then coaches will have to give every player the opportunity to play. It will make coaches responsible for coaching the entire team, not just a select few. It will mean that coaches must learn to more effectively manage their players during each game and play them when each player could be most productive.
We encourage you to contact your school’s Athletic Director and tell them that you support the idea of “Every Player, Every Game”. Furthermore, you can also contact the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) board members, whose email addresses are listed on their website cited below, and let them know you want Every Player in Every Game. The NYSPHSAA board sets all the rules for all high school sports programs in New York State. They have the ability to change the way high school sports operate and can help us to get the rules changed. Please read the attached 2008-2009 Code of Ethics from the NYSPHSAA website, http://www.nysphsaa.org/, and see how well your high school athletics program meets these ideals. Comments can also be sent to the board’s executive director, Nina Van Erk at nvanerk@nysphsaa.org
Your high school athlete will thank you for it.
The following is the introductory paragraph from the NYSPHSAA Handbook.
“We are pleased to present you with the 2008-2010 edition of the HANDBOOK of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. Clarification of, and changes in, the regulations and standards are indicated by shading.
We encourage you to supply copies of the HANDBOOK to all your coaches. Knowing only the game rules of a sport is not enough to protect student eligibility. We also recommend again that rule reprints be made available at preseason meetings for athletes and their parents to ensure knowledge of the rules.
We cannot emphasize enough that the rules and regulations in the HANDBOOK are your standards, developed as the result of your input. We ask your support in the partnership of enforcing these rules and regulations. Each of us must take that responsibility seriously. We know that by working together we can ensure that our students will experience equitable and safe athletic participation.”
Listed below is the Code of Ethics from the NYSPHSAA Handbook.
CODE OF ETHICS
IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL CONCERNED WITH
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS:
1. To emphasize the proper ideals of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and
fair play.
2. To eliminate all possibilities which tend to destroy the best values of
the game.
3. To stress the values derived from playing the game fairly.
4. To show cordial courtesy to visiting teams and officials.
5. To establish a happy relationship between visitors and hosts.
6. To respect the integrity and judgment of the sports officials.
7. To achieve a thorough understanding and acceptance of the rules of the
game and standards of eligibility.
8. To encourage leadership, use of incentive, and good judgment by the
players on the team.
9. To recognize that the purpose of athletics is to promote the physical,
mental, moral, social, and emotional well-being of the individual players.
10. To remember that an athletic contest is only a game........not a matter
of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state
or nation.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
that's the way it's always been
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result, that all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs. Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his suprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, and then a fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not?
BECAUSE AS FAR AS THEY KNOW, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE AROUND HERE!!!!
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result, that all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs. Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his suprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, and then a fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not?
BECAUSE AS FAR AS THEY KNOW, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE AROUND HERE!!!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
more contact info
If you live in NYSPHSAA Section 2 area, you can follow this link to their website. It provides contact information for every league, sub league, and council in Section 2. Then you can send a letter to those people that you feel will have the most influence for your sport.
http://www.section2athletics.org/content/directory-2008-2009
http://www.section2athletics.org/content/directory-2008-2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
sample letter to NYSPHSAA
If you would like to send a letter to Nina Van Erk, the Executive Director of NYSPHSAA, we have a sample letter that might be helpful or feel free to create your own.
Date:
To: Ms. Nina Van Erk, Executive Director
NYSPHSAA
Re: Every Player, Every Game
Dear Ms. Van Erk,
We are writing to you as concerned team parents and supporters of school sports in hopes of alerting you to and asking for your help in solving some problems common in high school sports. One affects many high school athletes directly, namely, getting virtually no playing time in their varsity or junior varsity sport. The other is an attempt to ensure that the coaches and their respective staffs, whom you oversee, are familiar with, accept and practice the Code of Ethics, as stated in the NYSPHSAA manual.
Students try out to become players on their respective teams because they love playing their sport and wish to contribute to their team. Making the team indicates that they already possess most of the required skills necessary to be an active participant in their sport. Granted, there are different levels of players on any given team, and everyone realizes that it would be impossible for each player to play the entire game every time. However, even if someone is not the strongest team member, they should still be given an opportunity to play in each game, for at least a small percentage of the time. For a true player, just being on a team is not enough. True players want to play the game, win or lose. But all too often, players have a coach or coaching staff that denies them playing time, rarely or never giving them an opportunity to play.
We believe that by being accepted onto a high school sports team, every player should be guaranteed a minimum amount of playing time in every game, with obvious exclusions for illness, injury or disciplinary action. Just exactly what that number should be is up for discussion, but we feel that 10% of the each sport’s total game time would be a good starting point. For example, in basketball, each player could expect to play in every game for a minimum of about 3 minutes. For high school football, that would translate to roughly 4-5 minutes per player per game. In baseball, each player would see about one inning of playing time, and so on. Giving every player a chance to participate can boost the players’ confidence and self-esteem, teach leadership skills and other valuable life skills. Having a positive and supportive coach, as well concrete and realistic expectations about one’s playing time, will almost always lead to better quality performance and a more cohesive team…a win-win situation. Please refer to No. 10 in the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics: “…Remember that an athletic contest is only a game….not a matter of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state or nation”.
Some coaches might feel that recording each player’s time would become problematic. Each sport and each team tracks stats for everything, from points scored to turnovers committed, so keeping track of minutes (time) played should not be a burden. Each team would track players in the game and then compare books to verify that each player got into the game for the minimum amount of time required. Any coach that does not get his/her players into every game would then be subject to progressive disciplinary actions (e.g., first time a warning, second time cannot coach for one full game, third time cannot coach for three full games). This will reinforce that coaches pay attention to all the players they select for a team. This change, when instituted, could mean that coaches would need to become more selective in their choice of athletes when making up their roster. But we feel that it would be better for a player to know up front that they have not made the team and suffer one disappointment, rather than have them show up for each game hoping for some playing time and be repeatedly disappointed.
We are not trying to single out a specific sport or coach, because this problem exists in virtually every high school sport. The conversations that go on behind the scenes at the games and social gatherings indicate a high disapproval rating among players and team parents regarding how much time individual players are given. Yet, there are few complaints voiced, because both the players and their parents are afraid of the repercussions of such actions. They fear that their child’s playing time and/or the coach’s attitude toward their student athlete will be negatively affected. And this leads into the second issue of having coaches abide by the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics. There is no fair grievance process for addressing concerns about a coach’s conduct or decisions. Unfortunately, in some cases, where coaching has become too powerful, there is no accountability to the players and the team parents, and no clear policy for identifying and addressing problems or ways of coming to a fair resolution. A stated policy, by which coaches, players and team parents must abide, would greatly improve communication, cooperation and satisfaction.
We realize the huge commitment made on the part of the coaches, all for minimal pay and recognition. Their dedication to expanding students’ skills, maturity, athleticism, leadership and responsibility is commendable. We also acknowledge that the vast majority of coaches perform their coaching duties in a professional and ethical manner, teaching their athletes valuable life skills. But, when players and parents are afraid to approach their coaches because of negative repercussions, the system is broken. When coaches play favorites, to the exclusion of other perfectly capable players, the unfairness breaks down the players’ spirit. When coaches apply inconsistent rules regarding rewards for good performance or negative reinforcements for poor performance, the result is divisiveness for the team. When coaches allow themselves to be influenced by certain parents, affecting every team member’s playing-time, the players lose respect for the coaches. When coaches give their players hope about increased playing-time, and then do not follow through with their word, honor and respect for the coaches are lost. It is divisive for a team to have individual players that receive unearned and unequal amounts of playing time. Behavior such as this contradicts both the first and ninth listings of the Code of Ethics: “ to emphasize the proper ideals of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and fair play” and “to recognize that the purpose of athletics is to promote the physical, mental, moral, and emotional well-being of the individual players”.
A coach or coaching staff can make or break a player. It is their opinion that determines how much playing time a team member gets. Often, players try out for high school level sports after having come through other programs, such as an AAU league or a travel program, where they had a proven record, one that would make a positive contribution to the high school team. If they then are selected for the high school team and are not given the opportunity to play, because of the coaches’ biased opinion, the players’ self-esteem and confidence are shattered. This begs the question: Are coaches teaching all of our student athletes to become better team players, or are they only coaching a select few? Are the players there to secure a legacy for the coaches? Has the glory of a school’s winning record taken precedence over the ideals of hard work, overcoming obstacles, and learning leadership and life skills? Do they even realize that this type of attitude is a complete contradiction of the Code of Ethics, which should guide them in their decision-making?
A possible solution for the coaches who have broken the Code of Ethics would be to have them attend awareness or sensitivity-training programs to educate them in teen psychology and what the consequences of their coaching decisions may have on each of their players. Coaches may not realize how much power and influence they wield, how it affects the players’ performance in the game, but also in their life skills. This power can enhance or destroy a player’s performance in their sport, affect their future prospects for college, and shape their self-esteem and confidence. Less playing time signals that the player is not good enough. Giving a favored player too much playing time without having earned it, gives the privileged player an unjustified sense of entitlement. Coaches need to be reminded of the difficult, emotional stage of life that our players are going through. Teenage players need to make decisions on everything from peer pressure, selecting colleges, sports, social relationships, and even drugs and sex. Sports has always been promoted as the safe haven that helps keep kids on the right track. But if a player is discouraged from their chosen sport because of a coach’s poor influence, then they may have forced that player to look at potentially dangerous alternative choices.
We are appealing to you, as the Executive Director of NYSPHSAA, to take up this challenge and implement an “Every Player, Every Game” program in New York State, to promote fairness in coaching and to give all players the right to participate in their sport without being coerced by other players or coaches. We stand ready to do whatever it takes to make this necessary change. We need an advocate who believes that a well-run sports program with transparent, systematic, codified and enforced policies can profoundly change the lives of everyone who participates. The players are ready to play, but they need an advocate that will help them meet their goals. We strongly urge you to become a leader in implementing such a plan in our state. Please consider becoming the example for other states to follow. Now is the time to show our student athletes that even though problems have existed in the past, a true leader can face difficult challenges and make improvements for the benefit of all.
Respectfully yours,
Date:
To: Ms. Nina Van Erk, Executive Director
NYSPHSAA
Re: Every Player, Every Game
Dear Ms. Van Erk,
We are writing to you as concerned team parents and supporters of school sports in hopes of alerting you to and asking for your help in solving some problems common in high school sports. One affects many high school athletes directly, namely, getting virtually no playing time in their varsity or junior varsity sport. The other is an attempt to ensure that the coaches and their respective staffs, whom you oversee, are familiar with, accept and practice the Code of Ethics, as stated in the NYSPHSAA manual.
Students try out to become players on their respective teams because they love playing their sport and wish to contribute to their team. Making the team indicates that they already possess most of the required skills necessary to be an active participant in their sport. Granted, there are different levels of players on any given team, and everyone realizes that it would be impossible for each player to play the entire game every time. However, even if someone is not the strongest team member, they should still be given an opportunity to play in each game, for at least a small percentage of the time. For a true player, just being on a team is not enough. True players want to play the game, win or lose. But all too often, players have a coach or coaching staff that denies them playing time, rarely or never giving them an opportunity to play.
We believe that by being accepted onto a high school sports team, every player should be guaranteed a minimum amount of playing time in every game, with obvious exclusions for illness, injury or disciplinary action. Just exactly what that number should be is up for discussion, but we feel that 10% of the each sport’s total game time would be a good starting point. For example, in basketball, each player could expect to play in every game for a minimum of about 3 minutes. For high school football, that would translate to roughly 4-5 minutes per player per game. In baseball, each player would see about one inning of playing time, and so on. Giving every player a chance to participate can boost the players’ confidence and self-esteem, teach leadership skills and other valuable life skills. Having a positive and supportive coach, as well concrete and realistic expectations about one’s playing time, will almost always lead to better quality performance and a more cohesive team…a win-win situation. Please refer to No. 10 in the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics: “…Remember that an athletic contest is only a game….not a matter of life or death for player, coach, school, official, fan, community, state or nation”.
Some coaches might feel that recording each player’s time would become problematic. Each sport and each team tracks stats for everything, from points scored to turnovers committed, so keeping track of minutes (time) played should not be a burden. Each team would track players in the game and then compare books to verify that each player got into the game for the minimum amount of time required. Any coach that does not get his/her players into every game would then be subject to progressive disciplinary actions (e.g., first time a warning, second time cannot coach for one full game, third time cannot coach for three full games). This will reinforce that coaches pay attention to all the players they select for a team. This change, when instituted, could mean that coaches would need to become more selective in their choice of athletes when making up their roster. But we feel that it would be better for a player to know up front that they have not made the team and suffer one disappointment, rather than have them show up for each game hoping for some playing time and be repeatedly disappointed.
We are not trying to single out a specific sport or coach, because this problem exists in virtually every high school sport. The conversations that go on behind the scenes at the games and social gatherings indicate a high disapproval rating among players and team parents regarding how much time individual players are given. Yet, there are few complaints voiced, because both the players and their parents are afraid of the repercussions of such actions. They fear that their child’s playing time and/or the coach’s attitude toward their student athlete will be negatively affected. And this leads into the second issue of having coaches abide by the NYSPHSAA Code of Ethics. There is no fair grievance process for addressing concerns about a coach’s conduct or decisions. Unfortunately, in some cases, where coaching has become too powerful, there is no accountability to the players and the team parents, and no clear policy for identifying and addressing problems or ways of coming to a fair resolution. A stated policy, by which coaches, players and team parents must abide, would greatly improve communication, cooperation and satisfaction.
We realize the huge commitment made on the part of the coaches, all for minimal pay and recognition. Their dedication to expanding students’ skills, maturity, athleticism, leadership and responsibility is commendable. We also acknowledge that the vast majority of coaches perform their coaching duties in a professional and ethical manner, teaching their athletes valuable life skills. But, when players and parents are afraid to approach their coaches because of negative repercussions, the system is broken. When coaches play favorites, to the exclusion of other perfectly capable players, the unfairness breaks down the players’ spirit. When coaches apply inconsistent rules regarding rewards for good performance or negative reinforcements for poor performance, the result is divisiveness for the team. When coaches allow themselves to be influenced by certain parents, affecting every team member’s playing-time, the players lose respect for the coaches. When coaches give their players hope about increased playing-time, and then do not follow through with their word, honor and respect for the coaches are lost. It is divisive for a team to have individual players that receive unearned and unequal amounts of playing time. Behavior such as this contradicts both the first and ninth listings of the Code of Ethics: “ to emphasize the proper ideals of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and fair play” and “to recognize that the purpose of athletics is to promote the physical, mental, moral, and emotional well-being of the individual players”.
A coach or coaching staff can make or break a player. It is their opinion that determines how much playing time a team member gets. Often, players try out for high school level sports after having come through other programs, such as an AAU league or a travel program, where they had a proven record, one that would make a positive contribution to the high school team. If they then are selected for the high school team and are not given the opportunity to play, because of the coaches’ biased opinion, the players’ self-esteem and confidence are shattered. This begs the question: Are coaches teaching all of our student athletes to become better team players, or are they only coaching a select few? Are the players there to secure a legacy for the coaches? Has the glory of a school’s winning record taken precedence over the ideals of hard work, overcoming obstacles, and learning leadership and life skills? Do they even realize that this type of attitude is a complete contradiction of the Code of Ethics, which should guide them in their decision-making?
A possible solution for the coaches who have broken the Code of Ethics would be to have them attend awareness or sensitivity-training programs to educate them in teen psychology and what the consequences of their coaching decisions may have on each of their players. Coaches may not realize how much power and influence they wield, how it affects the players’ performance in the game, but also in their life skills. This power can enhance or destroy a player’s performance in their sport, affect their future prospects for college, and shape their self-esteem and confidence. Less playing time signals that the player is not good enough. Giving a favored player too much playing time without having earned it, gives the privileged player an unjustified sense of entitlement. Coaches need to be reminded of the difficult, emotional stage of life that our players are going through. Teenage players need to make decisions on everything from peer pressure, selecting colleges, sports, social relationships, and even drugs and sex. Sports has always been promoted as the safe haven that helps keep kids on the right track. But if a player is discouraged from their chosen sport because of a coach’s poor influence, then they may have forced that player to look at potentially dangerous alternative choices.
We are appealing to you, as the Executive Director of NYSPHSAA, to take up this challenge and implement an “Every Player, Every Game” program in New York State, to promote fairness in coaching and to give all players the right to participate in their sport without being coerced by other players or coaches. We stand ready to do whatever it takes to make this necessary change. We need an advocate who believes that a well-run sports program with transparent, systematic, codified and enforced policies can profoundly change the lives of everyone who participates. The players are ready to play, but they need an advocate that will help them meet their goals. We strongly urge you to become a leader in implementing such a plan in our state. Please consider becoming the example for other states to follow. Now is the time to show our student athletes that even though problems have existed in the past, a true leader can face difficult challenges and make improvements for the benefit of all.
Respectfully yours,
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