 - The Lander School Board is exploring the possibility of developing a conflict of interest policy for coaches who oversee teams that include their own children.){kind=link}
(Lander, WY) – The Lander School Board is exploring the possibility of developing a conflict of interest policy for coaches who oversee teams that include their own children.
The conversation arose when the school board reviewed a separate policy proposal this month prohibiting varsity head coaches from “serving as head coach (or similar role) with any club sport that includes students of the same age who participate or wish to participate in the same sport on the school-sponsored team.”
During that discussion, Trustee Jared Kail asked whether the district should also bar coaches from overseeing teams that include their own children.
“I understand that it would be controversial and difficult,” he said. “But I just think that it would be something that we should consider (for) team sports: If you have a child that is going to participate in your sport, you’re not allowed to coach. …
“I just think it creates a tremendous conflict of interest.”
Board Chair Taylor Jacobs agreed that “a lot of issues have stemmed from perceived or real issues with bias” when coaches manage their own kids’ sports teams – but she also wondered how the policy would play out in a situation where, for example, a varsity basketball coach has been growing a team for five years and has to step down because their child wants to join the roster.
“That seems unfair to me,” she said.
Trustee Mara Gans said she was concerned that the policy Kail proposed would affect the district’s ability to hire “qualified coaches,” suggesting that an alternative, “middle ground,” policy could require head coaches to serve at the assistant level instead while their own children are part of their team.
Trustee Aileen Brew also talked about hiring later in the meeting, noting that the pool of coaches available to FCSD 1 is already “very limited.”
“I’m reluctant to take the step of prohibiting that (parent-as-coach) relationship through policy,” Brew said. “That seems like (a) big step.”
Instead, Brew said she “would hope that, through the vehicle of education and communication, our activities director and our administrators would be able to communicate with our coaching staff and be clear about expectations” when coaches coach their own children.
The trustees decided to seek feedback from district administrators about Kail’s idea before proceeding further.