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School leaders should consider Brooks’ ideas
Though local school officials weren’t ready to talk about it last week, we think Mark Brooks’ proposal to make the new head men’s basketball coach at Smoky Mountain High School a 12-month position is worth serious discussion.
It goes without saying that more experienced and qualified candidates will take a closer look at the job if the income is higher, but it’s also true that the basketball program could benefit from a year-round coach.
Outstanding teams are built during the off-season, when athletes can bond through open-gym scrimmages and shared weight training – activities that aren’t possible without a coach’s supervision. It’s hard to ask a coach – no matter how dedicated – to give up time without any compensation.
SMHS women’s Coach Cindi Simmons is an 11-month employee, which means she’s available for an extra month to schedule camps, weight training and gym sessions. With the growth and development we’ve seen in that program over the past few seasons, it’s hard to argue against lengthening basketball coaches’ contracts to keep them around the school through the entire summer.
Simmons’ extra month stems from a past board’s decision to name her an assistant athletic director and then gender-equity coordinator. Whatever the reason, she’s demonstrated the extra value that can be gained from additional months on the payroll, and it would be nice to see similar improvements in the men’s program. Outgoing Coach Scott Hartbarger was willing to donate some of his time to summer extras, but why should he or any coach of a high-profile sport not be compensated for the time they put into their job?
And it’s not just varsity athletes who would benefit from more of the coaches’ time. Summer weight room hours and open gym sessions would have to be voluntary and open to all students to comply with N.C. High School Athletic Association guidelines. What a boost such daily contact with other athletes could give an inexperienced freshman with a desire to be a top performer. How nice for a self-conscious youngster to be able to join with the other athletes and demonstrate ability when the coach is watching but without the pressure associated with tryouts.
Expanded summer basketball availability could prove to be a way for local teens to expend energy in a positive manner – it may even be a dropout-prevention tool as Brooks suggested.
The idea is worth thinking about, and it’s worth talking about while there’s still time to influence the job applicants.
If discussion of year-round basketball coaches is not on the school board’s agenda, it should be.
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