I've been a part of all aspects of a gym from athlete to coach to now owner. When I was a coach my owner told me I was being paid to coach and not make decisions that didn't pertain to my job. How much input on things do other owners let their coaches have such as competition schedule, teams and placement, what teams they coach, etc. Where do you draw the line?
As a parent involved in allstar cheer 10+ years, here is my opinion.
Competition Schedule - I think the owners should have final decision. Perhaps get input from coaches on their experiences with those comps, but the owner see's the big picture, like the parents willingness to travel, paying the coach per diem for 1 or 2 day comps, setting the payment schedule and knowing when deposits are due.
teams and placement - I think this should be based on the coaches opinions. They work with the kids, and they know what level of skill the team should be competitive at.
What teams they coach - Final say should be the owners, but the owner needs to work with the coach. Of course the more experienced coaches should work with the higher level teams. But, I wouldn't want a less experienced coach only working with the lower levels. The lower level teams need an experienced coach to coach the team and to mentor the less experienced coach. Some more experienced coaches may feel it is beneath them to work with the lower levels. The owner needs to have a good mix, or the gym will not flourish. It's the lower younger teams that will one day become your elite teams.
As well, the owner also needs to take into account some coaches do not have a personality to work with younger kids. I think the owners have a better perspective on this and should place their coaches accordingly.
What coaches should not do - They should not be involved in the finances, collecting money from the parents, etc.
I think this totally depends on the dynamic of the gym and particularlly the gym owner. The program needs to have a final say, someone who makes the ultimate decision otherwise running the gym would turn into one of those awful group projects you had to do in college where no one could agree and it turned into a big mess of different ideas...not a good way to go. However, many coaches have been in the industry for awhile and they are typically the ones who have the best understanding of the athletes they've coached, their work ethic, and many other details that can be overlooked by the owner who is focused on tuition payments, and traveling expenses. Owners need to view their coaches a valuable resource in determining teams, and even the competition schedule. Don't let your coaches run your program, you always want to be very visable and hands on, but you need to remember that your coachng staff should be an extension of you. Treating them with respect and valuing the opinion (whether you take it or not) is very important and will help to keep your coaches happy and continuing to do good work. Having coaches meetings where you ask for opinions and get their feedback about the competition schedule and an idea of what teams they want to coach will help them feel more connected to the program and keep them happier in the end. SOme coaches have FANTASTIC ideas outside of these 3 points such as marketing methods, and camp ideas. Sometimes there is a little give and a little take involved but in the end I beleive that gym owners need to have the final say. Right or wrong it is their company, their product, and their name on the business loan...but remember, you hired these coaches, trained them, and have let them represent your program for a reason...
