If you haven’t read about the Red Jacket High School Indians post-season run this year without their head coach – let me catch you up. Head Coach Rich Miles was fired by the superintendent of the school district after a parent complained about the one-game suspension of their son after violating team rules. For the full story – //bit.ly/xUWjim
Being a high school coach, even moreso than a college coach (let’s not go down that road unless you have a lot more than Pat Summitt, Ben Howland, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, John Thompson III, Brad Stevens, Danny Hurley, Tom Izzo, John Bielien, and a handful of others), has a lot to do with instilling the framework of teamwork, leadership, empathy, communication, putting the individual aside, collective responsibility, trust, and pride.
Stories like this absolutely cut the legs out of the ability of the coach to be the very type of leader and mentor that every parent should dream for their student. We all get that they are kids and are apt to make mistakes. But how are we ever preparing those students to learn how to pick themselves up, learn from their mistakes, and find success and a team still waiting to embrace them if mom and dad are going to take away the entire learning process?
Firing for Thought!