Am I An Ethical Coach?

Article reprinted with permission of the author: Coree Reuter http://coreereuter.com/

Coree grew up in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest, where she played in mud puddles, rode horses and kicked soccer balls throughout her childhood. After graduation from Centenary College (NJ) in 2008, she relocated to Virginia where she works as a journalist. Even as an adult, she combines her passion and zest for life with a determination to make a difference, seeks to inspire others and encourage young and old to dream big every day. Currently, she is pursuing a semi-professional career in soccer coaching, with hope that she can pass on the values and lessons she herself learned from The Beautiful Game. She’s also passionate about travel and is looking forward to spending three weeks in Europe with her family this December, as well as climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2011 with her brother, Justin.

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This weekend, I attended the NSCAA’s Junior Level VI course, and one of the topics that I found interesting (and a new idea to me) was ethics.

Of course, this debate could go on for hours, and it was quite fun listening to the coaches debate certain topics. For example, one coach was adament that he would pull his players off the field for deliberate fouls.

If I felt one of my players deliberately tried to hurt someone, I would absolutely yank them off the field. But at the same time, am I going to punish a player for making a decision to foul someone instead of giving them a clear shot at goal? Maybe, but maybe not. I know as a player, that there were certainly situations that I chose to to foul. Like in my co-ed leagues for instance.

I know I am not faster than the men I play with, so when faced with certain situations I know I will be beat, and therefore put my team in jeopardy of going a goal down, I am willing to take the risk of fouling my mark if the need arises to slow down the game and interrup the flow of play so my defense can get reset.  Does that make me an unethical player or an intellegent player? It’s definitely a grey area, isn’t it?


So, let’s take a look at the NSCAA’s Code of Ethics and how I feel, personally, that I follow this code.

1. Soccer is the players’ game. The paramount concern of coaches is the holistic development, welfare, enjoyment and safety of their players. I absolutely believe this, but at the same time “the players’ game” is something I didn’t quite understand until I attended these past two coaching courses. Now, I’ve always instinctively  known this to be true, but the connections were definitely made in the courses. But has my approach been all about the holistic development? I believe so. The welfare and safety of the players? Without a doubt. The enjoyment? Absolutely. One of the things we talked about was our coaching philospy. My philospy is all about finding your soccer joy.
2. Coaches bear responsibility for teaching their players to strive for success while playing fairly, observing the Laws of the Game and the highest levels of sportsmanship. I absolutely believe this, too, but….. I once had a coach who spent one whole session teaching us how to commit fouls without getting caught by the referee. Would I do that as a coach? No. But I will teach my players how to drop their shoulder and push back. I will teach my players to be strong, physical athletes who aren’t afraid of drawing a foul, and I will teach my players to play the game with passion. Does this make me unethical? Here’s the gray area. Fouls are part of the game, but I would never teach a player to slide cleats up or step on the back of another player’s heels while they’re running so they lose a shoe, etc., etc.
3. Coaches shall treat officials with respect and dignity, and shall teach their players to do the same. One of the first things I told my parents and my girls is that I never want to hear them argue with or yell at a referee. If there’s a problem with the official, it’s my job to address it. I think I get a point for this one.
4. Our opponents are worthy of being treated with respect. Coaches will model such respect for opponents and expect their players to do likewise. Of course they are, but soccer is a battle, isn’t it? I expect both teams to play hard, to throw their heart on the field and do everything they can to try and come out of the war victorious. However, I also believe that when the game is over, you leave it on the field. When the final whistle blows, you are no longer opponents, but comrades in arms who love the game equally.  I believe in shaking my opposing coaches’ hands before the game. Introducing myself. Wishing them good luck. Because at the end of the day, this is just a game we all play, and if we can’t treat each other with respect, then what’s the point?
5. In both victory and defeat, the behavior of a coach shall model grace, dignity and composure. Of the points listed so far, I think I understand this one the most. While winning is wonderful and we all strive to win as much as we can, I’ve always maintained that the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned as a player was from the losses. The hard times. I believe there is always something to be learned, and that, in my eyes, means that you never truly lose.
6. Coaches shall adhere to the highest standards and the regulations of the institutions they represent: clubs, schools, sponsoring organizations and sports governing bodies. Professionalism is such a huge part of the coaching game these days, isn’t it? While I try my hardest to be the best representative of my club that I can, I know I’ve slipped once or twice this past season. However, as I mentioned above, learning from your mistakes makes them so much more valuable. And it is only through our mistakes that we become better.
7. Coaches have a responsibility to promote the interests of soccer, including treating media with courtesy, honesty and respect. Well, considering I am in the media world, I fully support this statement!
8. Coaches shall model inclusive behavior, actively supporting cultural diversity while opposing all types of discrimination, including, but not limited to, racism and sexism, at all levels of soccer. One of the most beautiful things about the game of soccer is the way it brings so many people, cultures and religions together. The game has no stereotypes. It has no racism. The game doesn’t care what you look like or where you come from, and as coaches, neither should we.
9. Coaches are responsible for taking an active role in education about, and prevention and treatment of, drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, both in their own lives and in the lives of their players. I absolutely believe and support this. The role of a coach is more than just teaching our players about the game. It’s teaching our players about making decisions, and solving problems and becoming a leader in their lives. Our players look to us to be an example to them. They view us as what they want to become in many cases. We should always strive to provide them with an example we, and the club, and our parents, and their parents, would be proud of.
10. Coaches shall refrain from all manner of personal abuse and harassment of others, whether verbal, physical, emotional or sexual, and shall oppose such abuse and harassment at all levels of soccer. See above seems to be an appropriate response.
11. Coaches shall respect the declared affiliations of all players, and shall adhere to all guidelines and regulations on recruiting established by the governing bodies having oversight of their teams and leagues. See #6 and #9 .. if we cheat the system, then what kind of example are we setting for our players? Those that rise to the top do so because of hard work and desire, not because they cut corners.
12. Coaches shall seek to honor those who uphold the highest standards and principles of soccer and shall use appropriate protocol to oppose and eliminate all behavior that brings disrepute to the sport – violence, abuse, dishonesty, disrespect and violations of the Laws of the Game and rules governing competition. Sums it all up, doesn’t it?

So, am I an ethical coach? Do I fulfill this Code of Ethics?

I believe I do. I believe that I have the best of intentions in coaching this game — that the players, making a true difference in their lives, on and off the pitch, is what is important. As long as we keep sight of that. As long as we remember that the game is the greatest teacher, and we give the game back to the players who make it so special, and make the players so special, we are doing our job as coaches.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t the most technically talented coaches, or the team I had the most success on  winning wise that made the difference in my playing and personal life. No, the coaches that truly impacted me were the ones who cared about Coree the person, not Coree the player. If we stick true to that, we’re all on the right track.