Williamsville Central School District

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Volunteer Coaches

Williamsville Central School District Operating Guidelines:
Parents Serving as Volunteer or Officially Appointed Coaches

The Williamsville Central School District recognizes the importance of volunteers and the contributions they can make to the interscholastic athletic program. The District also recognizes that having parents involved as coaches in their child’s program can be difficult and has the potential for many conflicts of interest.

Any volunteer, who is in direct contact with the interscholastic athletic program must be recommended by the Superintendent of Schools and approved by the Board of Education prior to the beginning of each interscholastic season. Volunteer coaches must be fully certified as a New York State coach. Also, the volunteer coaches can only work under the direct supervision of the regularly appointed coach. These volunteers may never hold a practice or work with a student athlete without the certified, appointed coach.

In addition, a volunteer coach can never be a parent or other relative of a student athlete in the program. Program is defined as the gender specific sport (modified, JV, or Varsity) in which a student athlete is participating.

If a parent is a New York State certified coach, building principals may consider recommending them to coach a team on which they have a child participating or a team in their child’s program. The regular appointment of certified parents as coaches of their child’s team or a team in their child’s program will be highly scrutinized and handled with deliberate care. As in all coaching appointments, the Superintendent must recommend the appointment and the Board of Education must concur. The District Athletic Director will notify the Superintendent in advance of any certified coach who is a parent being recommended for an appointed coaching position by a high school principal. Discussion between the Superintendent, District Athletic Director and Building Principal will occur before a certified parent coaching recommendation is made to the Board of Education.