**Coaching Challenges: Setting Boundaries and Job Security**

*Welcome to our latest newsletter! In this edition, we'll be discussing the challenges that coaches face when it comes to setting boundaries and job security. Let's dive in.*

**The Story of a Swim Coach**

In our previous newsletter, we shared the story of a swim coach who faced challenges with their superiors in the city program. They were asked to do tasks that were not in their job description, leading to frustration and a lack of job security. This story highlights the importance of understanding boundaries and job expectations in coaching roles.

**Setting Boundaries**

The swim coach's experience raises the question of where the boundaries lie in coaching roles. Coaches are responsible for motivation, training, health, and education, but how far does their role extend? It's essential for coaches to have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and to communicate effectively with their superiors to avoid overstepping boundaries.

**Job Security in Coaching**

The swim coach's experience also brings up the issue of job security in coaching positions. Many coaches feel insecure in their roles and lack support when facing challenges with their superiors. This lack of job security can lead to coaches feeling undervalued and ultimately leaving their positions, which is a loss for both the coaches and the teams they serve.

**Support for Coaches**

It's crucial for coaches to have support and resources to address job security concerns. Coaches associations and other support networks can provide valuable guidance and assistance when coaches face challenges in their roles. Additionally, creating a dialogue within the coaching community about job security and support can help address these issues and provide a sense of solidarity among coaches.

**Moving Forward**

As we continue to navigate the complexities of coaching roles, it's important to advocate for clear boundaries and job security for coaches. By addressing these challenges, we can create a more supportive and sustainable environment for coaches to thrive in their roles.

We hope this newsletter has provided valuable insights into the challenges coaches face and the importance of setting boundaries and job security in coaching positions. Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to continuing the conversation in our next edition.

*Stay tuned for more coaching insights and tips in our upcoming newsletters!*

"Empowering Coaches: Setting Boundaries and Ensuring Job Security"

- The speaker was hired as a swim coach for a city program
- The swimming development officer, who is in charge, had concerns about the coach's approach
- The coach disagreed with the officer's micromanaging and felt it wasn't part of his job description
- The coach felt that motivation, training, health, and education are all part of a coach's job
- Many coaches feel insecure in their jobs due to micromanaging and lack of support from associations
- The speaker suggests that owning the team or facility can provide more security and autonomy for coaches.

All right, so I'm hired as a swim coach for this city program, right?

Above me is a post called the swimming development officer, right?

So her job is to look after the lessons and hire people and everything else, right?

She really doesn't know a lot about competitive swimming but she knows a lot about lessons right.

So anyway I'm there for the first 6 months and we're doing okay and everything else and she calls me and she says I have to have a meeting with you coach.

So I go in and they put me in this little room it's not much smaller than my office here of course and I sit down and she goes you should be doing this every session.

Welcoming everybody asking them if they've had a good day I go I've got like 25 to 30 athletes I do that in 1 go no I want you to do it individually right just just go around make sure that all the kickboards and the pole boys are out for everybody.

And she's got this book and she's going through and she's going, can we go to the next point?

And I'm listening to this stuff and I'm sort of starting to get a little frustrated, right?

And there's a union person, there's a union person in the thing.

My job is to develop these young people into being adults and functional.

And they have responsibilities and an athlete to the rest of the team, right?

Oh no, I know I think we should do it this way and do it this way.

I go well you know I really don't understand why you've got all these things and she goes well this is my tick list you know we need to do these things all the way through.

So after about 45 minutes, I'm starting to get frustrated.

And I'm going, there's not much I can really do with the union rep and the city rep also sitting in here.

But I go, I don't really agree, but I, you know, thank you for your time.

And I stood up, I stood up and leaned across the table and just folded a book.

And I left the room, right, I left the room.

And everybody is eyes are just like, and I walk off and I'll say nothing.

I got a letter saying, you know, I was now on level 1 of this interior thing, right?

And I go, I'm going like, no, it shouldn't be like that.

Your role is this, you hire me to do the job.

None of that stuff that we've mentioned is in my job description.

It says I should go and try to produce and do this and do that.

And oh, wait, she was never very happy with me after that day.

And I don't know why she was happy and Cheryl said was it the closing of the book that really upset like I should have not touched the book or at that point Cheryl said it seemed like you closed the meeting yeah I definitely closed the meeting

I just didn't want to walk out and I said, we're done now.

But it's hard in those positions, I think, you know, it's like, where are the boundaries?

If we look at coaches in general, the job is motivation, the job is training, the job is health, the job is education of all different type of things, right?

Motivation is also linked to the club on where it's going to raise its funds, what's it going to do?

So I think sometimes as coaches, we get it not get into trouble.

We we cross paths when the club doesn't think motivation has nothing to do with travel or Motivation has nothing to do with give everybody a kickback.

Or motivation has nothing to give with, we're gonna give them all a camp, right?

And it was quite interesting talking to a lot of the coaches that have been either.

Penalized or taken to task on some issues, right over the weekend, it was going like, what's up and they go, I have no backup, Barry, nobody is backing me up, I can't go to our coaches association because it says just get a lawyer that's all they're getting told just get a lawyer and you're going you don't need a lawyer for an answer on that goal yeah I do when they've taken me to task all right so it is quite interesting it's I don't know it might be a good thing to put out to the membership at some point and going, you know, do you feel secure in your job or what else do you need in your job to be secure?

There's a lot of coaches just walking and saying, I don't need it anymore, right?

Yeah, that's where it's really advantageous to own the team,

If the people are coming in and paying their, they're going to vote with their feet and their dues and memberships and you don't have to report to some micromanager that's going to be over top of things and ask you to make sure that everybody gets their own pool boy.


Speaker 0: All right, so I'm hired as a swim coach for this city program, right? Above me is a post called the swimming development officer, right? So her job is to look after the lessons and hire people and everything else, right? She really doesn't know a lot about competitive swimming but she knows a lot about lessons right. So anyway I'm there for the first 6 months and we're doing okay and everything else and she calls me and she says I have to have a meeting with you coach.

We've got some concerns. I go okay what what are the concerns? So I go in and they put me in this little room it's not much smaller than my office here of course and I sit down and she goes you should be doing this every session. I go what? Welcoming everybody asking them if they've had a good day I go I've got like 25 to 30 athletes I do that in 1 go no I want you to do it individually right just just go around make sure that all the kickboards and the pole boys are out for everybody.

I go, no, they can grab him. No, no, that's your job. Make sure everybody is welcome. Right. I go, OK, all right.

And she's got this book and she's going through and she's going, can we go to the next point? And she's going over me. And I'm listening to this stuff and I'm sort of starting to get a little frustrated, right? And there's a union person, there's a union person in the thing. Do you agree?

I go, no, I don't really agree. Right. My job is to develop these young people into being adults and functional. And they have responsibilities and an athlete to the rest of the team, right? Oh no, I know I think we should do it this way and do it this way.

I go well you know I really don't understand why you've got all these things and she goes well this is my tick list you know we need to do these things all the way through. So after about 45 minutes, I'm starting to get frustrated. I haven't said anything bad. And I'm going, there's not much I can really do with the union rep and the city rep also sitting in here. But I go, I don't really agree, but I, you know, thank you for your time.

And I stood up, I stood up and leaned across the table and just folded a book. I go, now we're finished. And I left the room, right, I left the room. And everybody is eyes are just like, and I walk off and I'll say nothing. That's the end up.

But the following day, I got a letter. I got a letter saying, you know, I was now on level 1 of this interior thing, right? And I go, I'm going like, no, it shouldn't be like that. Your role is this, you hire me to do the job. I know what my job description.

None of that stuff that we've mentioned is in my job description. Right? There's my job. It says I should go and try to produce and do this and do that. Right.

And oh, wait, she was never very happy with me after that day. And I don't know why she was happy and Cheryl said was it the closing of the book that really upset like I should have not touched the book or at that point Cheryl said it seemed like you closed the meeting yeah I definitely closed the meeting

Speaker 1: right

Speaker 0: I just didn't want to walk out and I said, we're done now. Thank you. But it's hard in those positions, I think, you know, it's like, where are the boundaries? Where can we work together? And where do we step back?

But I think you have a good point. If we look at coaches in general, the job is motivation, the job is training, the job is health, the job is education of all different type of things, right? But they're all linked, right? Motivation is also linked to the club on where it's going to raise its funds, what's it going to do? Every part is linked.

So I think sometimes as coaches, we get it not get into trouble. We we cross paths when the club doesn't think motivation has nothing to do with travel or Motivation has nothing to do with give everybody a kickback. Or motivation has nothing to give with, we're gonna give them all a camp, right? Or even reduce fees. They're all crossing, right?

They're all crossing. And it was quite interesting talking to a lot of the coaches that have been either. Penalized or taken to task on some issues, right over the weekend, it was going like, what's up and they go, I have no backup, Barry, nobody is backing me up, I can't go to our coaches association because it says just get a lawyer that's all they're getting told just get a lawyer and you're going you don't need a lawyer for an answer on that goal yeah I do when they've taken me to task all right so it is quite interesting it's I don't know it might be a good thing to put out to the membership at some point and going, you know, do you feel secure in your job or what else do you need in your job to be secure? There's a lot of coaches just walking and saying, I don't need it anymore, right? Which is really sad to see.

It really is.

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's where it's really advantageous to own the team,

Speaker 3: own the facility, you're your own boss.

Speaker 1: If the people are coming in and paying their, they're going to vote with their feet and their dues and memberships and you don't have to report to some micromanager that's going to be over top of things and ask you to make sure that everybody gets their own pool boy.

Speaker 0: Yeah.

Speaker 1: You know, you give it to him. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: ♪♪♪

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