Defining Goals and

Policies
Charissa A. Suazo
A significant part of leadership is defining goals
and creating policies that will help ensure
meeting those goals effectively, efficiently,
ethically, and fairly.
Sports:
Provides entertainment
Joy of playing
Learning lifetime activity skills
Prepare student athletes to be better
citizens
Defining a Mission and Philosophy

 Promote the concept of citizenship constantly (coaches, parents, student athletes)

 Teach young people to respect others, Integrity and ethical, Good sports,
Teamwork, Commitments
 Ideal -> Mission -> Values -> Philosophy
 Department’s philosophy + Personal philosophy
 Surround yourself with coaches, parents, and support staff who believe that the
ideals must be the primary reason
 Mission – drive your decisions
 Philosophy – comprise the principles that keep you from straying from the mission
 How to accomplish?
 Constant and continual education
School District’s Philosophy of Personnel
Management
 School district’s philosophy – Principal and superintended (approved by the
local board of education or board of trustees)
 A statement emphasizing the positive aspect of sports
 Provides non-specific general guidelines for personnel management
 You will develop many specifics:
 Recruitment of coaches
 Staff coaches / off-staff / walk-on coaches
 Balance of male and female & ethnicity
 Support staff
 qualifications
Personal Philosophies

 Applying personal philosophy to personnel

management
 Attributes of coaches and staff
 Willingness to model appropriate behavior with
pressure
 Determine what your personal philosophy is
Combining School District and Personal
Philosophies
Defining Your Program’s Objectives

 Goals and objectives are measurable plans to help reach your stated mission
 To be evaluated and stated yearly
 Driven by principles your community believes in
 Ensure that philosophy is carried out by all who are part
 Written > Verbal
Prioritizing your Objectives

 Identify objectives then prioritize them in order

List Objectives Priority

Short-term and Long-Term Objectives

 Short-term: A season or less

 Long-term: More than a season
 Maintain the proper perspective for both goals
 Achieving Consensus on your Program Principles
2 approaches to help your organization reach consensus on the program’s
objective and principles
1. Call a meeting of the principal,
superintendent, at least one board of
education member, male and female
head coach, at least one parent.
2. Discuss the need to have a program
philosophy, with clear objectives,
principles, and policies.
3. Give each member copies of forms 2.2,
2.3, and 2.4 as self-study questionnaires.
4. Later call a second meeting, making sure
each committee member has a copy of
others’ self-study answers. Come to a
consensus as a committee on your
program’s principles, objectives, and
policies.
1. Based on your own self-study of forms 2.2,
2.3, and 2.4, write down your
recommended list of program objectives
and principles.
2. At a meeting of your organization’s
leaders, present your philosophy, including
your objectives and principles for the
program
3. After these leaders review your
presentation, guide them through each
item to gain consensus. Allow input and
feedback by all members of the
organization
4. Revise your program’s objectives and
principles based on what the group has
developed.
Moving from Principle to Policy

 Policies must reflect your specific program needs

 Present different personnel topics and ask questions that help you formulate
policies for those topics
 Consistent with the objectives and principles identified
 Policy Manual
 Rules and procedures, and plans of action
 Three departments
 I. Program Objectives for Athletic Department Personnel
 II. Program Principles for Athletic Department Personnel
 Program Policies for Athletic Department Personnel
Policy Manual

 Most important document you will prepare for your department

 It is imperative that you use your leadership skills to gain consensus for the
contents of the manual
 Make sure that staff and coaches have as much input into the development of
the personnel policy manual
 Involve them and reach consensus
Developing your Organization’s
Personnel Policies
 List the objectives and how you can attain them
 List personnel that will be affected by the manual and decide if the policies
will apply equally to all
 Program content
 Athletic participation
 Player selection
 Facilities usage
 Practice
 Contests
 Participant behavior
 Parent Behavior
 Awards and recognition
 Health and safety
 Developing your Organization’s
Personnel Policies
Policies Covering Eligibility Policies Covering Contests Policies Covering Support
to Coach Officials Staff and Parent Behavior

Age Certified Coaches, staff, officials, etc.

Experience Experience Inappropriate behavior

Screening Number of officials Parent Complaints

Background Officiating parent Unacceptable behavior

Parent of Player Officiating Employee

Cross-gender No-Show officials

Criteria for head coach

Thank you!