I've been coaching for 20 years now, 12 of which have been in the high school setting. Now that I'm not coaching high school ball, I can finally speak freely. For all the HS coaches that cant retweet this out of fear of repercussions, I get it. You can just like it instead 😉. Ive gotten countless phone calls from coaches and friends not just in the Cincy area, but all over the country offering support but also fearful of whats happening. Over the last few years, it has become apparent that parents are more than aware of how high school coaches are completely unprotected & are some of the most vulnerable employees in a school. There is no real union (this needs to change), it is a supplemental position, & administrators/board members that dont attend practices/games deem them easily replaceable. The reality is that coaches need to start demanding contractual stipulations that protect them. Coaches shouldn't have to worry about board members they've never met determining their fate, especially when the AD is supporting them. Coaches shouldn't have to explain to HR directors how certain players are better than others and thats why they got more opportunities. Just in the Ohio area alone, in the last couple of years we've had coaches get fired in the middle of the season with no scandal, coaches asked to resign bc of the opinion of board members that theyve never met, coaches having to explain to the board why they cut a kid that wasnt showing up to practices, coaches being told by HR directors that they need to change/lower expectations for the program because "it doesnt give everyone a fair shot", and the list goes on and on. These are things that coaches are subject to now. The worst parents have been empowered to take advantage of it & then create a toxic culture in high school athletics. Upset about your kids playing time? Circumvent the process by going to people that have no clue whats actually going on but still have the authority make decisions. Dont like that a kid on the team is starting and yours isnt? Spread rumors about them in the community and ruin their reputation. The lengths to which some parents will go in order to avoid the reality that their kid might not be as good as they think they are is just beyond ridiculous. The issue is that they now have the ear of the people involved in making decisions bc many of those ppl dont have the backbone or fortitude to do whats right. Its about time that we protect high school coaches. The stipends arent worth the time spent away from family and friends nor are they worth the damage it does to their mental well being. Coaches, start demanding contractual stipulations that protect you from board members on a power trip. The AD should be the only person you answer to. If schools dont want to provide that, then I promise you thats not the right place for you. These things arent exclusive to one place or one school. This is happening all over the country and it needs to stop. If you ever wonder why kids have the most fun playing baseball at the sandlot or playing football at recess, its because the adults arent there to screw it all up.