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Send us a text Twenty-two coaching vacancies in one county—without scandal, without losing streaks—just a wave of veteran leaders saying, “Enough.” We sit down with Mansfield News Journal sports reporter Jake Furr to unpack the forces driving high school coaches out: parents bypassing the chain of command, school boards overruling athletic directors, and an expectations spiral fueled by travel ball spending and the D1-or-bust myth. Jake walks us through the stories behind his three-part seri...
Twenty-two coaching vacancies in one county—without scandal, without losing streaks—just a wave of veteran leaders saying, “Enough.” We sit down with Mansfield News Journal sports reporter Jake Furr to unpack the forces driving high school coaches out: parents bypassing the chain of command, school boards overruling athletic directors, and an expectations spiral fueled by travel ball spending and the D1-or-bust myth.
Jake walks us through the stories behind his three-part series on Richland County, Ohio, where seasoned coaches with championships on their résumés stepped away after years of late-night emails, social media outrage, and meetings where reason lost to volume. We talk about the real cost of that erosion—fractured team culture, confused athletes, and a revolving door of new coaches tasked with rebuilding from scratch. Along the way, we dig into what meaningful administrative support looks like: a clear chain of command, scheduled conversations about playing time, consistent policies, and school boards that hire competent ADs then let them lead.
We also face the sidelines. From irrational crowd behavior to direct confrontations with officials, the officiating shortage is accelerating. Jake shares practical solutions communities are testing—officiating classes for students, firm ejection policies with real consequences, and incentives for positive parent conduct. For coaches, we share templates for transparent standards: how roles are earned, what development pathways look like, and why merit-based playing time is non-negotiable. For parents and athletes, we offer a healthier scorecard: being coachable, owning your role, celebrating team success, and seeing sports as preparation for life, not just a scholarship chase.
If you care about youth sports—coach, parent, player, or administrator—this conversation gives you language, policy ideas, and perspective to start fixing the environment today. Listen, share with your athletic community, and tell us: what accountability step will your program adopt first? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more programs find this conversation.
- Follow: Twitter | Instagram @Athlete1Podcast
- Website - https://www.athlete1.net
- Sponsor: The Netting Professionals
- https://www.nettingpros.com
Chapters
00:00 - The Coaching Exodus Set Up
01:39 - Sponsor Message: Netting Professionals
02:51 - Meet Reporter Jake Furr
05:15 - Tracking An Unusual Wave Of Resignations
07:27 - School Boards Bypassing ADs
09:16 - Open Letter To Parents
10:56 - Why Coaches Enter And Why They Leave
13:25 - When Admin Support Disappears
16:18 - Irrational Crowds And Abuse
18:19 - Enforcing Accountability In The Stands
19:58 - What Real Admin Support Looks Like
22:10 - One-Year Contracts And Easy Outs
24:13 - The Vicious Cycle Of Firings
25:48 - Resetting Parent Expectations
27:38 - Travel Ball, Money, And Entitlement
30:17 - Officials Shortage And Burnout
31:56 - Solutions: Classes And Consequences
33:06 - Role Clarity And Merit Playing Time
35:03 - Respecting Players’ Roles And Growth
Transcript
WEBVTT
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Today on Baseball Coaches Unplugged, picture this more than twenty high school coaching positions vacant in a single county.
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Not because of scandal, not because of poor records, but because parents went around coaches straight to ADs and even board members demanding more playing time for their kids.
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In Richland County, Ohio sports reporter Jake Fur documented what he's called a coaching mass exodus.
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Legendary coaches with decades of experience in championship rings walking away from programs they built, their tired-than-me emails, the complaints, and fighting battles that they can't control.
00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:53.520
Today we're diving into why some of America's best high school coaches are saying enough is enough and what it means for the future of youth sports.
00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:08.000
This is the Ultimate High School Baseball Coaching Podcast, Baseball Coaches Unplugged, your go-to podcast for baseball coaching tips, drills, and player development strategies.
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From travel to high school and college, unlock expert coaching advice grounded in real success stories, data-backed training methods, and mental performance tools to elevate your team.
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Tune in for bite-sized coaching wisdom, situational drills, team culture building, great stories and proven strategies that turn good players into great athletes.
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The only podcast that showcases the best coaches from across the country.
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With your host, Coach Ken Carpenter.
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Baseball Coaches Unplugged is proud to be partnered with the Netting Professionals, improving programs one facility at a time.
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Coaches are helping to get one more season out of your batting cages and all screens.
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Check out Netting Pros on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for all the latest products and projects.
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Please be sure to tune in every Wednesday where I sit down with some of the best baseball coaches from across the country.
00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:56.960
Today's guest is Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal sports reporter.
00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:11.039
He's located in North Central Ohio and he is going to share some information that if you're a coach, I'm sure you can relate to some of the things he says today and have your own stories.
00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:26.560
If you're a parent, think about what he has to say today and do your best to let your son or daughter experience the sport they're playing without interfering with them.
00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:35.840
If you're an athlete, know that 99% of the coaches involved in high school athletics are there for the right reasons.
00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:42.400
It's to make you a better person and help you prepare you for later on in life.
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And yes, winning is great, but know that they are there for the right reasons.
00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:54.560
And yes, there are some coaches who make mistakes, some who even make big mistakes.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:57.439
I'm not going to make an excuse for all of them.
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But the ones that are coaching today or that are leaving, it's becoming more and more difficult for them to do something that they love.
00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:20.160
Next is Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal sports reporter on the mass exodus of coaches from his small county in Ohio.
00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:24.079
Jake, thanks for taking time being on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
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Yeah, man, not a problem.
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I'm glad you asked me.
00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.439
Well, this is a first on the podcast.
00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:35.199
I've had somebody that's written a book and uh but I've never had an actual reporter on it.
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:51.040
So you just recently did a feature, a three-part series on something that uh is you know, I think it's just crazy some of the stuff that's going on in the coaching world in high school sports.
00:04:51.199 --> 00:05:04.240
And you know, just for context here, you're in Richland County, which is a I guess say north central Ohio um area of the state, I guess.
00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:05.120
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:15.040
We're we're kind of right right in the heart of it, right in the like we're directly in between um, you know, Toledo and and Cleveland and almost like Columbus area.
00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.519
So it's like everything kind of funnels to us a little bit.
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But I have uh I have 12 schools in my coverage area.
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Um we have nine football playing schools, 12, you know, with everything else.
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Um and yeah, just just kind of seeing some crazy things in the in the coaching industry over here in the coaching business.
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And um I decided to to do a three-part series just kind of looking at looking at everything from you know why coaches got to get into it, what's getting them out, and what we can do to kind of change things.
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Um, you know, in in Richland County alone, we went into this this upcoming this season, you know, the 2024-25 athletic season, we have 22 new coaches across all of our sports.
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And um that just kind of blew my mind.
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:06.639
Um so I reached out to some of my most veteran coaches and uh just kind of picked their brains a little bit.
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:13.600
And man, the the things I've I've heard, the things they tell me is is kind of mind-blowing a little bit and kind of scary, to be honest with you.
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:27.759
Yes, I I always have wanted to bring someone on it because every coach has a story, and probably every coach could write a book of all the stories that they've had had over their coaching careers.
00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.959
But like you said, 22 coaches going into the 25-26 season.
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And was there like a moment or a conversation that that made you realize this wasn't just normal turnover, but something bigger and worth investigating?
00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:57.600
Yeah, I mean, there was, you know, there's you're always as a reporter, you're always like, you know, you look for the the new hire stories, like introducing new coaches, and then you look for the stories of coaches stepping down and and you know, talking to them about it and why they stepped down and everything.
00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:01.040
And you know, people were asking, you know, hey, why aren't you doing these stories?
00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:07.439
And I'm like, if I did a store on every single coach that stepped down, it would take me months to to complete everything.
00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:15.519
It was it was literally there was there was a day where I think I broke the news of like maybe six coaches stepping down in one single day.
00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:28.800
Um, and I'm just like, you know, there's I'll just put a Facebook post up and that's that's what's gonna have to do for this thing because it it was just it was kind of becoming overwhelming with how many coaches were stepping down and and kind of getting out of the business.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:36.319
Um there was uh there was one coach in particular, uh one of my schools that was non-renewed by the school board.
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Um after he, you know, he was there for two years, I believe.
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He followed a guy that was there for uh you know almost four decades.
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So, you know, he's the guy after the guy.
00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:47.360
Yeah.
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Um, you know, and he had a bad season the the first year, but he improved the next year.
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.480
They they kind of knew they were gonna have a little bit of a lull.
00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:01.360
And then there was, you know, he there was a bunch of people that told me just some shady things that were going behind the behind the scenes.
00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:07.759
Like parents weren't even going to like athletic directors or to coaches to talk, they were just going straight to their friends on the school board.
00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:22.800
And you know, those those people on the school board didn't let the people they hired to do their job and just kind of went over top of everybody and non-renewed the guy when he had no, there was no reason why he he should have been non-renewed.
00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:27.279
Um and that prompted me to to write an open letter to parents.
00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.800
Um and you know, I kind of kind of laid into him.
00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:43.039
I laid into quite a few people, laid into school board people and and parents and and just anybody that has anything to do with why coaches are getting out of the business, um, I I really didn't hold back.
00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:44.399
It kind of kind of took off.
00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.039
It caught some fire and um you know, reached reached around the United States and stuff.
00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:56.080
I had a lot of people reach out to me, you know, thanking me for writing that, but um, you know, it it didn't really change anything.
00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:00.480
Um, you know, three, four years later, it that's still a huge, huge problem.
00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:09.360
Well, do you think that uh it was difficult to get current or even former coaches to open up about a topic as sensitive as this?
00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:15.519
Um, so what I what I did, I I sent out an email to you know, I I looked at all my most veteran coaches.
00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.360
So most of the people I talked to have been coaching for over 20, 30 years.
00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:22.960
Um, I just sent an email to them like, hey, this is an idea.
00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:27.200
Um, you know, if you're not willing to talk, that's that's completely fine.
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:29.919
Um, so I and I just kind of laid out some questions.
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I said, if you want to, if you want to put your thoughts down in an email, or if you want to call, you want to talk, um, you know, I I would love to to talk to you about it.
00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:42.559
And I just made sure, like, hey, whatever you say is is fair game.
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It's on the record, it's going to be used.
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And um, you know, I had I think I had about five coaches reach out and say, Yeah, yeah, let's let's do it.
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It's a huge problem.
00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.639
Um, and that, you know, they're willing to talk about it.
00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:03.679
There was actually a coach who was, you know, had dealing with some parental issues who who reached out to me and um you know they they were they were pretty open about it.
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:05.919
I think I think they're kind of sick of it too.
00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:14.720
Um, honestly, I think they've gotten to the point where they're they're tired of this, they're tired of you know facing all kinds of backlash when they really don't deserve it.
00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:18.000
And um, you know, I I think it's it's getting to that tipping point.
00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:22.639
It's kind of crazy to to think about, you know, high school sports really are in trouble.
00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:24.320
Yes, without a doubt.
00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:31.519
But you in part two, you wrote that the reasons to step away from coaching far outnumber the reasons to stay.
00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:32.000
Yeah.
00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:38.720
Talk about the controllable factors versus those that are completely out of the control of the coach.
00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:57.279
Yeah, I mean, the you know, coaches are, you know, first off, coaches do it because they love it, they're not doing it because they get rich off of it, they're not doing it for the individual glory, they're doing it because they they love to impact kids, uh, make difference in lives, you know, help help a village raise uh a really good member of society.
00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.480
So, I mean, those those are the top reasons to get in it.
00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:21.440
But you know, the when when it gets to a point where you're not getting administrative support, you're getting just parental harassment on a daily, nightly basis through text messages and emails on social media, just when when you're getting that and you're the the kids are actually becoming influenced by the parents just by dinner table talk.
00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:31.600
You know, whatever is set, whatever is set inside the house, you know, that kid is going to absorb that and and just kind of develop an attitude without even giving it a shot.
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:40.639
Um, so yeah, just the reasons to to leave the profession is really far outweighing the reasons to stay.
00:11:40.799 --> 00:12:00.960
And um it's it's a very sad thing because we have some in high school sports all over the place, but in Richland County, I I know personally we have some really, really great coaches, some really great people who love what they do and love making an impact on kids, and and uh you know, they're just kind of tired of it all.
00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:07.679
Um, you know, if you get if they get parental complaints, there's a lot of places where the administrative support just isn't there.
00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:27.360
Um, you know, the administrators are are kind of siding with parents, so they just kind of keep the peace with that, and then um, and then a lot of times those administrative administrations are being you know kind of going above that people are just going straight to the their school board friends, um, and and that's just that's just not the route to go.
00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:35.440
Um school boards hire athletic directors and stuff for a specific reason, and uh it's it's just not happening.
00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:53.039
Well you you know, going back to the open letter that you wrote to the parents, um how much of the exodus is directly tied to parental behavior and what are some of the most disturbing trends that you witnessed or or heard about?
00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:55.279
Yeah, I'm I think there's a lot.
00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.559
Um I I I do.
00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:59.919
I think there's uh that's a lot to do with why coaches are leaving.
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:11.279
Um, but we're also kind of in an era where you know the coaches who who've been in their spot for a long time are are retiring and kind of cycling out of their teaching profession and all that stuff.
00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:20.720
So we are kind of at that that point where the you know kind of the older generation is getting out of coaching, just just aging out, kind of.
00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:30.639
Um uh and then you know, I I think that has a lot to do with it, partially because you know they're they're kind of tired of dealing with it all too.
00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:49.360
Um but you some of the most disturbing things um you know I I've seen there was there was a place over here that had um a school board president was uh his his job was directly his regular job was directly tied with um a parent of a of a player.
00:13:49.600 --> 00:14:02.720
Um and it there was a a better business arrangement if this this uh this school board member voted to get rid of said coach.
00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:08.480
Um and and that was kind of the it was kind of a backdoor deal kind of thing.
00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:28.240
Um yeah, just and you know parents complaining about foul language and and um just you know normal things that probably you and I grew up dealing with as a coach, like in our coaches, um and then and then the parents would just go back home and use that same foul language.
00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:34.639
So um, you know, they just it there was a lot of lot of people on high horses that need help down.
00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:46.159
Um and it was it it was just kind of a you know, just an eye-opening thing that how many people would release their their stories to me and say, hey, this is what I dealt with.
00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:48.639
Um it's just it's sad, man.
00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:51.600
Nobody really has to, nobody deserves to go through that.
00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.440
Yes, I totally agree with you.
00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.240
I you know, I a couple things that jumped out to me.
00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:02.320
I recently attended a high school football game, you know, and what you hear in a crowd is just mind-blowing.
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:11.120
Yeah, you know, luckily for the football coaches, they have headsets on and don't get to hear it, but you know, that the officials were just taking the brunt of it.
00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:32.399
But you know, even in another story, I remember attending a regional uh baseball tournament game, and a close call is made, and you know, it was a tough call, and you know, I believe the umpire got the call right, but there were a section of people sitting near me that were yelling for the game to for the play to be reviewed.
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:36.559
And I'm like, no TV or radio.
00:15:37.039 --> 00:16:02.480
I'm like it's like the it's to that point where people just get out of hand with it, and yeah, you know, you're someone that's been covering high school sports, and what do you see just sitting out in the crowd or or you're just being among the people when you know there's a heated game, you know, and you know, I'm a baseball guy and this is a baseball podcast, but I'm sure you've seen it all for high school sports.
00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:03.279
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:13.679
I mean, I usually, you know, I'm I'm sitting, I'm standing on the sidelines for football games, for soccer games, and I'm kind of sitting front row for basketball and and volleyball and that sort of thing.
00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:22.080
And um it's just it it doesn't feel like I don't know if common sense is the word, but just people aren't rational anymore.
00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.559
Um they they are just so irrational.
00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:28.960
Uh, if a call goes against their team, it's it's the wrong call.
00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:32.720
And and you know, we it's that's kind of how it's been forever.
00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:39.360
Um, yeah, you know, the officials are the most hated and most loved people on the court, usually.
00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.159
Um, and it just depends on which way the call goes.
00:16:42.240 --> 00:17:03.600
Um, but this lately has been just kind of tenfold um of the reaction of people coming out of the stands and coming onto the court and trying to confront uh an official or a coach in the middle of a game and just screaming obscenities and just the the language they use is unbelievable.
00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:11.359
And you know, and it's I don't I don't think it's things they would necessarily say to a to a person, you know, face to face.
00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:18.880
If they if they ever saw them, they wouldn't just they wouldn't say that they like to stand behind the the crowd and and just kind of yell whatever they want.
00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:24.480
But yeah, it has it has gotten the the verbal abuse has gotten gotten way out of hand.
00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:30.480
Um and I don't the only way to fix it is is to just hold hold them accountable.
00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.480
Like administrators need to recognize, oh, that person said this.
00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:38.559
I don't care if they got kicked out of the game or not, ban them for a few games.
00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:39.519
Don't let them in.
00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:42.880
Don't I mean there's there's just no accountability.
00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:53.359
And if they do get ejected from a game, I I think I wrote in in my open letter, if you got ejected from a game, you need to take some anger management before you can even come back.
00:17:53.440 --> 00:18:05.599
Like there is just there's no reason to get that angry about a sporting event to the point where you're saying something, doing something so bad that you're no longer allowed to attend the game.
00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:16.640
Like you should there that there's just anger management needs to be a regular part of their lives, then um, and you know, until we see that, I think we're just gonna see the problem continue to grow.
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:18.319
Well, that leads into my next question.
00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:24.480
In part three, you mentioned administrator support as the first solution to this problem.
00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:33.359
And can you explain what meaningful administrative support looks like from a coach's perspective?
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:40.160
I I think it's all about kind of the chain of command um in and making sure people follow that chain of command.
00:18:40.240 --> 00:19:02.240
If you have a problem with the playing with playing time, then you come come talk to the coach, set up a meeting with the coach, don't just barge into a practice or try and talk to him after a game about playing time, like set up a meeting um and and you know, do it in a professional way instead of kind of going above and beyond of just irrational behavior.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:08.000
Um, and if if that doesn't satisfy it, then you know get athletic directors involved and get principles.
00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.960
Like it kind of has to go that route.
00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:15.519
And all the all those administrators have to back you up as a coach.
00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:20.880
I mean, there's there's just you you're hired to make those coaching decisions.
00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:32.799
Athletic directors are hired to to make those coaching hires, let people do their jobs instead of just going over to your you know school board friends and and trying to make changes that way.
00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:42.160
Um, but it's you know that's also a slippery slope because you have administrators with with kids in sports too, and and sometimes they don't understand.
00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:57.279
Like I was I was told a story of um a principal at a school um setting up a meeting with the athletic director and and a coach, and the coach was like, okay, you know, this is kind of normal, let's see what this is about.
00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:02.079
And it was the principal actually complaining about playing time of of their kid.
00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:12.640
Um, and and the the principal was a you know, former coach knows the coaching business, knows what it takes to get playing time, and and that's kind of where we are with it too.
00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:30.880
Um, you know, it but as soon as a coach can kind of get that that support and parents know kids, even the kids know the the stipulations and know how to get playing time, what they have to do, um, then then I think we can turn this thing around.
00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:34.240
But it it's it's pretty good at most of my schools.
00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:47.680
Um, I'll say that there's there is a lot of administrative support, but there's also a lot of rogue school boards that you know administrators are afraid of because that's who determines if they have a job this the next time around.
00:20:47.920 --> 00:21:16.480
So um, you know, I think it it really does start with with the school board letting the people they hire do their jobs, trusting them to do their jobs, don't over not overstepping, um, and and then letting the making sure that coaches make everybody aware of you know, these are the stipulations, this is what the program is built on, get with it or get out of it, and don't worry about what anybody else has to say.
00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:18.400
If you if you get out, then you're out.
00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:51.759
So well I had a a friend of mine who's a former athletic director, and he said that the mentality of athletic directors and administrators, I guess you could say, is that it's easier to move on from a coach who's on a one-year contract than it is to deal with that mob mentality of parents that are either going to come to you, and if they're not happy, they're going, like you said, to a board member, to the superintendent, whoever it may be.
00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:57.039
And there's even some instances where people get sued.
00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:07.920
And an athletic director, I think if you're at a school where the AD has your back, you're golden.
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:20.480
I don't care what your talent of players rolling in or whatever it may be, but if you got an AD that's gonna back you and support you the whole way and not back down to things, you're gonna be in a great situation.
00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:33.839
But ADs are in a situation where they they want to keep their job that they they're making pretty good money, and they have to you know, this guy's on a one-year contract.
00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:34.319
Right.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:46.079
Let's just non-renew him, and then you know, tell the coach, say, hey, just say you're getting out for parent read uh for for for some reason, spend time with your family, and that's really not what the coach wants to do.
00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:46.640
Right.
00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:50.079
Yeah, and I mean I you know, I I can see it over here too.
00:22:50.240 --> 00:23:09.519
Um, you know, if you know, athletic directors, uh they they're in a tough spot, and what parents don't understand is if you kind of go above anybody to to get a coach fired or get them now renewed or what have you, you're just you're not doing anything good for your your kid.
00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:15.839
Like you're gonna have another coach come in trying to implement new philosophies, new everything.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:19.680
Everything's gonna be completely different, and it's not gonna turn around overnight.
00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:30.480
So you're just putting you know your child back into a bad situation, and then they're gonna lose, you're gonna be unhappy, you're gonna blame the coach, you're gonna want the coach to get rid be getting rid of.
00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:34.799
They get rid of the coach, you bring in another one, and it's just a vicious cycle.
00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:47.599
And by by the time you know it, your coach has four your kid has four different coaches in four years and hadn't won more than five games a season, and and you're just you're unhappy, and gonna have yourself to blame for it.
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:48.160
Yeah.
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:57.759
Well, what are some systemic culture shifts in today's uh society that need to happen beyond the athletic department level?
00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:08.880
I think it's the first thing is parents need to understand that Division I scholarships are not like the end goal here.
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.720
Like every single parent is uh not every single parent.
00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:19.279
There are a ton of parents out there that is just they're just obsessed with their kid getting a division one scholarship.
00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:28.960
And there's only two less than two percent of of high school players in Ohio, even in the entire country, get division one scholarships.
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.000
Let's let's just have fun with sports again.
00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:43.039
Like whatever happened to you know, being a great teammate, like winning championships are you know, I I was I was on the very first district championship basketball team at my school.
00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:44.799
I didn't go on to play college.
00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:52.720
I mean, I was absolutely thrilled with with the time I had in in basketball, time I had in baseball.
00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.759
Um, you know, and it has set me up for for life.
00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.640
Like I'm I I believe I'm a hard worker.
00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:05.039
Um, you know, my time management skills are pretty good, and that's all things that I've learned playing high school sports.
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:12.960
Um, and and something that I think carried me on further in life than if I would have gotten a Division I scholarship.
00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:24.240
Um so yeah, I just I think we just need to get over this idea of you know, you're not successful unless you get a Division I scholarship and you're playing in college.
00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:28.960
Um or and we need to change the instant gratification.
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:36.960
Um kids, parents, like the the only thing they want is just to be so satisfied right away.
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:45.759
Um they want their kid to score 20 points a game, and you know, and half the time they don't care if they win or lose as long as they get their points.
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:48.079
And we need to get get rid of that whole thing.
00:25:48.240 --> 00:26:00.000
That whole mentality is is so toxic um and and just unbelievably terrible for the future of of their kids, for the future of you know humans in general.
00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:12.160
We we just we need to be happy with being part of a team, doing our part, and and you know, seeing success, because that's that's what's gonna lead you to to further things down the road.
00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.720
Um and you know, be happy with with the position that you're in.
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:24.720
There's there's a lot of kids that don't get to play sports, um, even at the high school level, and you know, you're you're one of the lucky ones.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:53.759
Yes, and and do you think I I'm convinced that parents get so caught up in the the travel experience at the younger ages, and they've invested all this money and time into it, then they get to the high school level, and they might only be a sophomore, but there's kids that are 18, and they're like, My kids thought getting to play, they get upset, and they're like, I put a ton of money into this.
00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:57.279
Yeah, it's time for things to happen, and it doesn't.
00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:30.000
Yeah, I think that's that's probably the number one frustration among parents is they have spent all this money on travel, you know, travel teams, they spent money on private coaches, um, and they're you know, they're blowing money left and right on this stuff and playing AAU tournaments every weekend and spending all this money on hotels, and when it when it doesn't come to their you know, their freshman year and they're not starting varsity, then you know, they're they're saying, Well, I'm paying this guy and he's telling me this thing, but I'm not seeing it from a high school coach that I'm not paying.
00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:32.720
So um, you know, money, money kind of talks.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:36.079
I'll I'll say whatever you want me to say if you want to give me some money for it.
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:44.559
But um, but yeah, just um I I think that is that is a huge motivation why kind of parents are a little bit out of control.
00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:58.960
Um, you know, if if they're blowing a bunch of money on, you know, a$600 bat and they're they're not getting uh they're not getting uh you know they're pinch hitting every other game, then there's there's there's gonna be uh you know an issue.
00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:02.240
But at the same time, you gotta you gotta get better.
00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:05.599
You gotta be you gotta be a good player to be on the field.
00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:11.759
And you know, coaches aren't just gonna play, they're not not playing a kid just out of spite.
00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:16.559
They want to win just as bad as anybody else, maybe even more than you know, the kids and the parents.
00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:25.119
That's their job is to win sporting events, and they're not gonna you know put themselves in a position to lose just because they want to prove a point.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:25.680
Yes.
00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:34.480
I actually recall attending a state baseball clinic one time and and asking one of the bat reps, I believe it was Louisville Slugger maybe.
00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:39.599
I said, What's the difference between this$99 bet and this$399 bet?
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:42.079
And he looked at me and goes, You want to know the truth?
00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:44.880
I go, Yeah, he was the kid swinging it.
00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:45.359
Yeah.
00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:57.359
You know, and that's the part that the parents don't get because the you know personal trainers, hitting coaches, whatever it may be.
00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:04.720
There's a lot of great ones out there, but there are some that, you know, they're getting paid, so they're gonna tell the parent, you know, what the parent might want to hear.
00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.119
Yeah.
00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:08.960
And you know, they don't want to lose that that money coming into them.
00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:19.680
So it it it's a tough situation to be in, you know, and then you combine all of that with the way officials are being treated.
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:30.559
I mean, the the two people you need to have for a sporting event event are coaches and officials, and they are walking away in droves.
00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:34.079
And is there an answer?
00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.319
I I really don't know.
00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:47.119
Um, you know, I I know there's there's some schools around here that are actually offering officiating classes uh as part of like a you know extracurricular or you know, one of those breadth classes and stuff.
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:52.079
And um, so I think I think we're we have some solutions working.
00:29:52.240 --> 00:30:01.519
Um we're getting some younger kids into into officiating, but you know, as soon as they start feeling that abuse, like I I mean I wouldn't I wouldn't do it.
00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:04.160
I I wouldn't do it for any min amount of money in the world.
00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:07.200
It's just not worth it to me.
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:08.960
I get enough in my emails.
00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:10.559
Um stories are right.
00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:16.240
So um, you know, it's but I I just it's it starts with accountability.
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