Coaches' Guide to Team Policies: Codes of Conduct for Creating A Positive Environment

Abstract

If you’re like most who have joined the coaching ranks, establishing team policies may not be as exciting or come as naturally as planning and conducting practices, drawing up new plays, or coaching on competition day. But out of everything you do as a coach, it may have the greatest impact on your program. Your policies reflect your expectations for behavior and ramifications for misbehavior, the values you promote in your sport programs, and who you are as a coach. It’s a task not to be taken lightly. So where do you start? Coaches’ Guide to Team Policies provides you with everything you need to create a comprehensive and fair set of policies that address players, coaches, parents, support staff, and others in your sport programs. The nearly 200 policies presented are organized around six moral values: respect, responsibility, caring, honesty, fairness, and good citizenship. Two variations of each policy are presented, one taking a strict stance and one taking a more general approach. An ancillary Web site http://www.humankinetics.com/CoachesGuideToTeamPolicies/ serves as a companion to the book, allowing you to efficiently create your own policies without having to reinvent the wheel. You’ll also enjoy reading coaching tips from your peers highlighted throughout the book. Even if you’ve been coaching for years, reconsidering your team’s policies and rules is time well spent to ensure they are up to date and reflect your team’s needs. With Coaches’ Guide to Team Policies, you will go into your next season confident that your policies match the philosophy of your program and foster a positive sport environment for your athletes.