The professional preparation status of athletic coaches of the Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Abstract

This study surveyed sixty-five athletic coaches of the Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The purpose of this study was to determine the present professional preparation status of the athletic coaches and to examine their attitudes and opinions concerning certification and the qualities and competencies needed by athletic coaches.

The research instrument used in this study was developed by Roger Hatlem at Springfield College in 1972. The questionnaire was used to survey professional preparation, attitudes towards coaching qualities and competencies, teaching and coaching experiences, and responses to requiring athletic coaches to be certified.

The questionnaires were sent to the eight athletic directors of the Carolinas Conference. The athletic directors were asked to distribute the questionnaires to their coaching staffs and to return the completed instruments at the fall conference meeting.

The information gathered from the questionnaire was divided into five parts: background information, professional education, experiences, qualities and competencies, and responses to the recommendation of the AAHPER's Task Force on Certification of High School Coaches.

The responses to the sections were tabulated and summarized. The reactions and recommendations of the coaches were listed as stated. Some statements were combined when they conveyed the same thought. Relevant tables were constructed to emphasize the responses.

The survey revealed the following information: (1) Most of the coaches have completed the requirements for a master's degree. (2) A large percentage of the coaches received their undergraduate and/or graduate degrees from an institution within the state of North Carolina. (3) Only nine of the sixty-five coaches did not have an undergraduate or graduate major or minor in physical education. (4) Most of the coaches felt adequately trained in the courses recommended for professional preparation by the Task Force. (5) The average age and average years of teaching and coaching experience indicate that most are career coaches. (6) The qualities considered most desirable in a coach were character, speaking ability, appearance, and ability to demonstrate. (7) The majority of coaches were in agreement with the recommendation of the Task Force although many felt that the course of study should be expanded.