"It's just a hard job, a lot of hours, and unless you have a real fun experience, people don't seem to stick around"
So how does your organization compare? What are you, as a Director or business owner, doing to ensure low turnover rates? What are the potential causes of high turnover?
The OACC feels the economic and labor market conditions are certainly a factor this year. Other causes include non-competitive salaries, high stress, boredom, poor supervision from you, poor fit in the job, inadequate training, poor communication, funds mis-appropriation and organization practices.
An important and studied relationship in the world of high school coaching is the effects of coaching on teaching, and vice-versa. Past studies have found role overload, role ambiguity, and schedule conflict to be common experiences for the teacher/coach (Capel, Sisley, and Desertrain, 1987; Drake & Hebert, 2002; Locke & Massengale, 1978). At a scholastic level, the OACC believes these effects have various characteristics --specifically, age, school size, role preference, and number of coaching roles. Unlike most of their major college counterparts, a majority of high school coaches work their full time job in addition to their coaching duties as schools frequently attempt to fill their coaching positions with teachers.
Our collegiate coaches have the passion for the sport, the progress of all parties, the competitiveness and the fanfare. But again, their departure is a blend of these similar factors. The cheer gyms and dance studios have had to work with schedule conflicts and absenses until their coaches have quit. High gasoline prices and needing to secure an additional sources of income to meet today's demands have played major roles in the allstar coaching turnovers. Many of our rec coaches paid and unpaid positions were found open at the start of this season.
B. Green was forced to give up her position as head coach due to scheduling conflicts. Green is a teacher at Ohio Elementary School, which dismisses class too late to allow Green to coach at the high school. P. Burg moved on to an allstar facility to advance skill levels, where she felt prohibited at the scholastic level. D. Erome had to sacrifice her family and other children's activities due to the unstructured youth league she had coached for the last 5 years. She struggled to get volunteer help as many parents took on extra part time jobs. Her husband asked her to quit the all-time consuming efforts. A. Palachia was having too much fun - falling into a "girls club" attitude and partaking in negative, inappropriate behaviors. She forgot that she was still the adult and ultimate role model and not the squad member's best friend. Her employment was terminated. Mary Etta, left her college post to have a baby.
How can you address these issues? First you must recognize that quality of work life is becoming more and more important to employees, yes employees and that's how you must look at your coaches. Cheer Coaches want to be valued, recognized for their contribution, involved in the development and growth of the team and the organization overall , and have their training and development issues addressed. Organizations with low turnover rates are employee oriented.
Be flexible, responsive and creative in developing programs to address employee needs. Investing in upgrading their skills, their self esteem will raise, your organization will benefit from organization memberships, clinics and conferences. Most cheer memberships and clinic prices are well within budget perameters. If a coach is a good fit with you, i.e. their values, principles, and goals,etc it will go a long way toward in ensuring their loyalty, retention and organization advancement.
Review your funding measures to their division of the program. Do the dancers get new uniforms each year, but the cheer team wants new tumbling equipment? Do the peewee football players get new helmets, but the girls don't have pompons? Fund athletics and sporting activities at the schools shows much disparity between cheer and other "sports" and we see a disparity amongst small schools.
Key Tips will help get your turnover back in line, save you money and reinforce your important risk management procedures:
- Recognition to the Coach amongst his/her peers
- Coach/Employee Training
- Awareness to the needs of the person and the position Productivity and Practice Trends
- Coach Motivation
- Fairness in Funds Distribution
