t short-changed in the deal. The teacher/coaches are under such pressure for their teams to succeed that they devote their time and energy to these athletes, rather than to their regular students who just want to learn about keeping fit and healthy. The regular students suffer because these classes are being taught by teacher/coaches who are continually under stress and are often on the verge of burnout.
Pressure On High School and College Coaches
A thirty-year study of the trends in the firing of coaches in Nebraska high schools which surveyed coaches and high school principles showed that over the years, the reasons for the firing of coaches have changed, and also that there has been a shift from firing predominantly of coaches of boys teams to firing of increasing numbers of coached of girls teams also (Lackey, 1994). The pressure to win is what counts, and principals look at the school's win/loss record as an absolute when it comes to decisions as to whether to retain or fire a coach. However, the source of the pressure on the coaches has changed over the years. Whereas in the 1980s, the fans/boosters were the primary source of discontent (the question was not asked in surveys of the 1970s), with parents ranking second, the positions were reversed in the 1990s, with the primary source of discontent being the parents, and the fans/boosters ranking second. In each case, the coaches' satisfaction ranked third, that of the school board fourth, and the athletes themselves last.
The number of coaches dismissed each year rose steadily, from 104 in the 1970s, to 124 in the 1980s and to 173 in the 1990s (Lackey). The reasons for firing coaches have also changed over the years. In the 1970s, the primary reasons were poor coach/player relationships, improper conduct of the coach, and with failure to win ranking only third. By the 1980s, the win/loss record had already become the primary reason to fire a coach, however ...