Do You Have Your Game Plan in Place?

Did you here the one about the 40-year old Cross Country Coach who married his 16-year old start athlete? Sounds like a bad joke, but instead it’s a stark reality - http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3305652&page=1. No wonder coaches come under the microscope so much these days. That means even coaches with the best intentions must be careful of how you are perceived by parents, players and the community.

What do you do to protect yourself? Just like you have a game plan for your games and practices, you should develop a game plan for yours and your coaches own protection from false allegations.

It can be little things that make a difference. I remember one year I was hosting a team dinner at my house. All of a sudden, about two hours before the dinner, I found out my wife had to work late and wouldn’t be there on time. Even though my two children would be present, my game plan said that if there was not at least one other adult, there would be no dinner at my house. Especially coaching girls, it was important to have a female there. In order to make it work, I called upon the aid of two very gracious team mothers who volunteered to come take part in the event. It’s a win-win for everybody – the players get the team dinner they love and the parents feel part of the team.

Sticking to your game plan may sometimes be challenging, but it’s always worth the extra effort. Just like any good planning, it takes time and effort to put together. That’s why I developed my workshop called “Sex, Lies and Violence: Protecting Yourself from Liability for Coaches”. Its three one-hour workshops spread over three months. You will learn strategies to develop your own game plan for protecting yourself, your coaches, and your program. To learn more, contact me at 360.271.1592 or dan@danweedin.com. The ability to register online is imminent at www.danweedin.com/store.php.