What makes a good coach?

If you would ask a hundred different coaches at a hundred different schools you would most likely get numerous more different answers than the same. One thing is for sure, the number of wins and loses are just a small factor in weighing in for a successful coach, or at least in my opinion.

Coaching is an art as well as a science. An effective coach understands how to communicate with players in a way that gets results. Can't the goal of a coach be defined as to guide, inspire and empower the athlete to realize and develop his or her potential?

It seems like high school athletics are starting to become more like the collegiate and pro levels where our coaches are ultimately judged on the number of wins and loses. One of the many differences among the three is at the high school level coaches are not allowed to recruit athletes from different areas, although some may have been accused of such, and you can't trade this athlete for that athlete and so on and so on.

Having been a coach and now a sports writer, I would like to make a comparison to high school athletics with a couple different professional organizations.

It has been over a week now since the hotly debatable "non-motion" to rehire two girls varsity coaches for next season at a local school board meeting. There will be a special meeting to re-address these two issues Wednesday at 7 p.m.

After talking with numerous people within the community and some of the athletes on both teams, it seems apparent that one coach's win/loss record would be a major issue while the other is a personal issue with a member of the board.

From my understanding, and I have been wrong a time or two, both issues stem from unhappy parents. These unhappy parents, are not satisfied with the coaching efforts for various reasons. One would be playing time or lack there of.

Now my reference to the high school athletics to that of the professional ranks has to do with parents of the athletes. After all the commotion I can't help but link parents and coaches to the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League and the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is publicly known for having a hand in how the head coach runs the team, decisions that should be solely on the coaching staff and not from higher-ups. And the same goes for long time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

At a lot of schools, parents seem to be the one's that feel they know what is best for the team that their child happens to play for. Now I am not trying to single out one parent or group of parents at one particular school but the mess that has come about has definitely played a role in the purpose of this column.

If I'm not mistaken, Little League baseball has a rule for all coaches that each player on their team must see action in each game or the team must forfeit that particular game. Such rules DO NOT APPLY to high school athletics. Coaches are paid to put how they feel are best to compete in every game/event.

In a perfect world, every athlete on the team would be on an even keel as far as athletic abilities and coaches could give equal playing time to each athlete. But that is in a perfect world, which apparently many people still live in.

When in reality, when athletes first start competing, they may be close to an even keel on ability, but some take the higher road and put more time in for bettering their athletic abilities. Such is done by participating in open gyms, practicing at home and playing summer ball and camps.

A coach can teach an athlete everything they know about the game, but determination and dedication is not something that can be taught. That trait has to come from within.

Also coaching has to do with more than just the X's and O's. Life lessons are taught from coaches. Coaches can play an instrumental part of our lives far beyond what was taught inside the lines. Coaches are role models and can influence those around them with life decisions that go beyond sports.

Respect also plays a large role with a successful coach. A coach that does not have the respect of his or her players will not have any chance at succeeding. Respect from coach to player is also a must, and must be earned.

After talking with some of the players of the two local teams that could be affected by coaching changes, respect has most certainly been earned on both parts and a family has been established.

And shouldn't the bottom line be about the athletes, and not what the parents think? The parents are not the ones affected by such changes. Once a comfort zone is established, why take that away from the athletes. In some instances change may be needed, but in such circumstances the majority of the athletes will agree that a change is needed, which is not the case here. Athletes are the only winners and losers by such change, not parents and certainly not school board members.

I have only been around both coaches for a short time, but passion about the game and caring for their players does not fall short of their main priority. You would have a hard time finding two coaches that are more dedicated to their team and who has the respect from their players and give it back two fold.

Travis David is a sports writer at the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached at (812) 847-4487, ext. 20 or at tdavid@gcdailyworld.com