COACHING CERTIFICATION

WHEREAS, any student/athlete entering a school sports program has the right to expect quality coaching and instruction; and

WHEREAS, parents are very concerned about the credentials of the educator coaching their children; and

WHEREAS, professionals involved in athletics agree the coach is the single most important factor as a role model affecting values and attitudes of the athletes; and

WHEREAS, the need for qualified coaches is constantly increasing; and

WHEREAS, many states, due to difficulty in filling positions, are being forced to drop or make exceptions to their standards; and

WHEREAS, dropping standards has allowed nonprofessionals to enter the coaching field, bringing with them questionable training methods, lack of organization, resulting in opportunities for serious injury and litigation:

RESOLVED, that the AFT take a leadership role by forming an ad-hoc committee to develop guidelines for developing selection procedures to ensure fully qualified coaches. This will help to protect the safety and development of the student/athlete and the profession.