{"id":106,"date":"2008-02-14T11:01:13","date_gmt":"2008-02-14T11:01:13","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2013-11-26T21:52:29","modified_gmt":"2013-11-26T21:52:29","slug":"ethic-in-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/ethic-in-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethic in Coaching?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Sue Dulaney<\/div>\n

The
\nhistory of public relations is littered with confirmations
\nand allegations of unethical behavior
\ndemonstrated by coaches and athletes. The latest firing of
\nIndiana University’s notorious
\nBobby Knight and the suspension of baseball’s John Rocker
\nare two recent cases that involved
\npoor decision making on the part of Knight and Rocker. Professionals?
\nOne often wonders
\nfrom what moral foundation do participants in the world of
\nsport chose to make their decisions
\nand subsequently act (1). Their ethical conduct was in question
\nand steps were taken to
\nremedy the situation.<\/p>\n

Ethics means more than being honest and obeying the law; it
\nmeans being morally good (2). Every athlete, every coach has
\nto face the ethical dilemma of “What is ethics and what
\ncriteria
\nshould I follow ?” Knowing what is right and what is
\nwrong defines the boundaries of ethics.
\nThose involved in sport organizations need to be their own
\npublic relations expert and make
\ndecisions on what is best for them and their organization.
\nBut how many of those involved in
\nsport know how to deal with a controversial issue, the public,
\netc? Coaches and athletes need to
\nbe educated in public relations and situations such as Bobby
\nKnight and John Rocker could possibly
\nbe avoided. Managers must help their employees decide what
\nis right and what is wrong.
\nBut how and where do we begin?<\/p>\n

The bottom line with regard to ethics rests within the “Golden
\nRule”: Treat others in the
\nway you would like to be treated. This concept is not new.
\nThe principles that shape ethical
\nconduct have remained constant while people have chosen to
\nmanipulate those principles in
\nways which foster self-promotion and self-aggrandizement (3).
\nCoaches and athletes should 1 be the most ethical persons
\nin an organization. The public and all of its people are constantly
\nobserving
\nand scrutinizing sport organizations. Sport organizations
\nare in the public eye and the
\npublic should demand nothing less than professionalism from
\nits athletes and coaches.<\/p>\n

Everyone knows that athletes and coaches are role models.
\nAny prospective coach or athlete
\nshould be aware of and strive to produce positive images and
\npublic relations for the sake of
\nthe sport organization and the community. How a coach proceeds
\nin developing a relationship with
\nthe media and the public is vital. High profile athletes and
\ncoaches should realize that public
\nrelations is a major part of their job. Literature points
\nto the fact that coaches need to communicate
\ntheir role in society with various groups. Standards and tenets
\nshould be used as a guideline
\nto help develop ethical behavior.<\/p>\n

“What
\nis ethics” and how a coach should go about developing
\na sound ethical sports program
\nposes a dilemma to any rookie coach or manager. Whose ethics
\nto follow is often in question.
\nHow does one choose? Mark McElreath has identified five factors
\nthat one should consider
\nin developing ethical behavior. Sound ethics can enhance one’s
\nathletic program and give a
\nsolid foundation on which to stand and build.<\/p>\n

Ethics is defined by Mark McElreath as “a set of criteria
\nby which decisions are made about what is right and what is
\nwrong.” The most ethical person in a sport organization
\nshould be the coach. How a coach should develop ethical behavior
\nbegins by looking at five factors:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Tradition
    \nWays in which the situation has been viewed or handled in
    \nthe past.<\/li>\n
  2. Public Currently acceptable behavior according to the majority
    \nof one and Opinion their peers.<\/li>\n
  3. Law Behaviors that are permissible and those that are prohibited
    \nby legislation.<\/li>\n
  4. Morality Generally, a spiritual or religious prohibition.
    \nImmorality is a charge usually leveled in issues on which
    \nreligious teachings have concentrated.<\/li>\n
  5. Ethics Standards set by the profession, an organization,
    \nor oneself, based on conscience-what is right or fair to
    \nothers as well as to self (6).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The world of sports is bound by rules and is very fragile
    \nin the face of the moral quest for
    \nbetterment. Those people in a position of sport leadership
    \nmust possess a strong sense of priorities,
    \npurpose and ethics for themselves and their programs. The
    \nsport participants and the
    \nsport should begin with looking at the coach and the five
    \nmoral obligations a coach should possess:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. To ourselves-to preserve our own integrity.<\/li>\n
    2. To our athletes-to honor their contracts and to use our
      \nprofessional expertise on our athletes behalf.<\/li>\n
    3. To our sport organization-to adhere to organizational goals
      \nand policies.<\/li>\n
    4. To our profession and our professional colleagues-to uphold
      \nthe standards of the profession and, by extension, the reputation
      \nof our fellow practitioners.<\/li>\n
    5. To society-to consider social needs and claims (7).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Moral obligations could be considered controversial, yet they
      \nare the basis for beginning to establish a noble and virtuous
      \ncareer as a coach. The explicit goal of all competitive sports
      \nis to
      \nwin within the rules. When athletic participants engage in
      \ncompetition for its inherent pleasure,
      \ngenerally very few problems based upon ethical conduct emerges
      \n(8).<\/p>\n

      Any derivation from the inherent pleasures of simple participation
      \nintensifies the pressure
      \nto win therein influencing the ethical constraints in decision-making,
      \nrisking the loss of important
      \n“teachable moments” which make sport the educational
      \ntool it can be. Lumpkin (1990)
      \nstates: When winning becomes the primary objective, other
      \npotential outcomes are lost.<\/p>\n

      Coaches
      \nare usually the ones initially caught up in this win-at-all
      \ncost attitude. To fulfill their own
      \nego needs, coaches too often pressure their young players
      \nto play while injured, to violate the
      \nrules to their advantage, and to quit if they are not good
      \nenough (9).<\/p>\n

      When the outcome becomes so highly significant that some or
      \nall of the participants employ whatever means possible to
      \nachieve success, then the questionable behavior is covertly
      \nor overtly employed, to the detriment of values and sound
      \ncharacter, and the ideals of sport.<\/p>\n

      Today’s
      \ninterscholastic sport managers and coaches are faced with
      \nmore and more difficulty in making ethical decisions and appear
      \nto be distancing themselves away from a solid foundation for
      \nmaking
      \nethical decisions.<\/p>\n

      A solid foundation begins with building the five factors for
      \nethical behavior and moral obligations.
      \nThe adoptions of these five factors could be the beginning
      \nof something positive for sports.
      \nIf moral and ethical values are to result from athletic programs
      \nthen coaches must emphasize
      \nthem.<\/p>\n

      One might question if ethics in sport should have principles
      \nand values. The principles speak largely to character development,
      \nnot the accumulation of victories. Four tenets have been identified
      \nand linked to modern sports. These tenets intertwine sport’s
      \nideals and ethics. Each tenet
      \nsustains the inherent and traditional values of sports, reinforcing
      \nthe “goodness” of the experience.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Athletes must always be considered ends and not means (10).<\/li>\n
      2. The competition must be fair (11).<\/li>\n
      3. Participation, leadership, resources, and rewards must be
        \nbased on achievement rather than ascribed characteristics
        \n(12).<\/li>\n
      4. The activity must provide for the relative safety of the
        \nparticipants (13).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        These
        \nfour tenets draw from the fields of religion, philosophy and
        \npsychology, valuesthat serve as a foundation of a way of life.
        \nCoaches are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with
        \ncertain values or moral standards. Sport ethics should concentrate
        \non how moral standards apply to sport policies, institutions
        \nand behaviors. It is presumed that standards of ethics
        \nare not innate but are acquired or learned through models
        \nand various life experiences. If they
        \nare learnable, then they are teachable.<\/p>\n

        Ethical behavior in sport oftentimes requires incredible moral
        \ncourage, meaning the resolve
        \nto cohere to one’s values in unsavory times, to resist pressures
        \nfrom short-term actions not in
        \nthe team’s or institution’s long-term best interests. The
        \nweight to conform to “politically correct”
        \nstatements and positions outweighs the necessity to express
        \nunpopular opinions or ideas.<\/p>\n

        Numerous professional organizations provide both general principles
        \nand rules to cover most
        \nsituations that need an immediate decision. A Code of ethics
        \nare a common set of values upon
        \nwhich coaches build their professional work. It is the individual
        \nresponsibility of each coach
        \nto aspire to the highest possible standards of conduct. Coaches
        \nrespect and protect human and civil rights, and do not knowingly
        \nparticipate in or condone unfair discriminatory practices.<\/p>\n

        Increasing
        \nthe professionalism in coaching can be accomplished by following
        \na code of ethics.
        \nThe role of the coach is viewed by various groups in the public.
        \nThe code of ethics not only
        \ninvolves dealings with athletes, but other groups as well.
        \nThe coaches family, faculty, community
        \nagencies, other coaches and the news media extend beyond the
        \ngyms and fields. A positive
        \nview should be presented as a coach is a public figure. How
        \nthe coach views and deals with
        \nsituations is based on his ethics.<\/p>\n

        Coaching professionals must recognize that while a decision
        \ncan be made alone, the effects
        \nof the decision may be far reaching and can reflect on the
        \nintegrity of the individual who made
        \nthe decision and on his\/her organization. The professional
        \nmust ask themselves questions to
        \nconsider in order to maintain an ethically principle-centered
        \nperspective in a decision-making process:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Do I\/we have all the information they need? Do I\/we need
          \nto speak to someone else, such as the legal staff, to obtain
          \nwhat is needed?<\/li>\n
        • What
          \nare possible options? Are they legal? Do they violate any
          \nfederal, state,
          \ndistrict, or league organizational policy or standard?<\/li>\n
        • Do the options support my\/our values and personal ethics?
          \nCan I\/we justify
          \nthem in the light of my\/our values and business ethics?
          \nIf not, the option probably is not ethical.<\/li>\n
        • What are the short-term and long-term consequences of each
          \noption? Who or what does each option benefit? Who or what
          \ndoes each option harm?<\/li>\n
        • Am\/Are I\/we still comfortable with the options? How will
          \nthey be perceived by
          \nothers? Could they embarrass any party(ies) involved?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          After professionals weigh the options against their ethical
          \nstandards, they are ready to make their decision and share
          \nit with those involved. The leader or coach must make sure
          \nthey conceptualize and articulate the decision so that subordinates
          \nview it as consistent with their stated shared values and
          \nethics. The leader cannot completely protect themselves and
          \ntheir programs from the unethical behavior of associates and
          \nrelated other parties, but they can build into
          \ntheir programs a strong ethical foundation that will keep
          \nthemselves and their organization strong
          \nin both good times and bad.<\/p>\n

          A part of becoming a professional is adherence to the highest
          \norganizational and personal ethical
          \nstandards. Leaders as well as followers in any group must
          \nestablish the ethical tone for the
          \norganization. If leaders at all levels, junior high to college,
          \nchoose to act beyond reproach, reward
          \ncorrect behavior, and refuse to tolerate wrong doing, there
          \nis a much greater chance that the
          \nentire organization will behave ethically.<\/p>\n

          References<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Reilly, R. (1995). Putting it in writing. Sports Illustrated,
            \n82 (2), 64, p1.<\/li>\n
          2. Baskin, O, Aronoff, C & Lattimore, D. (1997). Public
            \nRelations: The Profession
            \nand the Practice (4th ed). Madison: Brown and Benchmark.<\/li>\n
          3. Petersen, D. (1968). The Clinical Study of Social Behavior.
            \nEnglewood Cliffs,
            \nN.J.: Prentice Hall, p 32.<\/li>\n
          4. Staffo, D. (1989). Enhancing Coach-Media Relations. Journal
            \nof Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, v60, n7,p25-27.<\/li>\n
          5. Giamatti, A. (1989). Take time for paradise. New York: Summit
            \nBooks.<\/li>\n
          6. ibid 2<\/li>\n
          7. Bivins, T. (1992). A Systems model for ethical decision
            \nmaking in public rela-
            \ntions. Public Relations Review (Winter 1992) p. 375.<\/li>\n
          8. Beisser, A.R. (1967). The madness in sports. New York: Appleton-Century-
            \nCrofts.<\/li>\n
          9. Lumpkin, A. (1990). Physical education and sport: A contemporary
            \nintroduc-
            \ntion. St. Louis: Times\/Mirror\/Mosby College Publishing.<\/li>\n
          10. Merriman, J. Hill, J. (1992). Ethics, law and sport. Journal
            \nof Legal Aspect of
            \nSport, 2(2), 56-63.<\/li>\n
          11. Jones, B., Wells, L., Peters, R., and Johnson, D. (1988).
            \nGuide to effective
            \ncoaching principles and practice. Newton, MA: Allyn and
            \nBacon.<\/li>\n
          12. Coakley, J. (1994). Sport in society: Issues and controversies.
            \nSt. Louis:
            \nMosby Publishers.<\/li>\n
          13. Conn, J. (1997). Legal concepts and court finding in kinesiological
            \nsettings.
            \nUnpublished Manuscript. Warrensburg, MO: Central Missouri
            \nState University<\/li>\n
          14. Donald, L. (1988). The media and the coach, again. Today’s
            \nCoach, 10(6), 2-3.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
            Submitted by: Sue Dulaney<\/div>\n

            The
            \n history of public relations is littered with confirmations
            \n and allegations of unethical behavior
            \n demonstrated by coaches and athletes. The latest firing of
            \n Indiana University’s notorious
            \n Bobby Knight and the suspension of baseball’s John Rocker
            \n are two recent cases that involved
            \n poor decision making on the part of Knight and Rocker. Professionals?
            \n One often wonders
            \n from what moral foundation do participants in the world of
            \n sport chose to make their decisions
            \n and subsequently act (1). Their ethical conduct was in question
            \n and steps were taken to
            \n remedy the situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[295,291,296],"tags":[36,8,23,33],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-1I","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":219,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/book-review-how-to-raise-a-successful-athlete-what-you-need-to-know-to-raise-a-successful-athlete\/","url_meta":{"origin":106,"position":0},"title":"Book Review: How to Raise A Successful Athlete: What you need to know to raise a successful athlete","date":"January 9, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Reviewed by: Brianna Smith How To Raise a Successful Athlete is a great text for the \u2018layman\u2019 interested in expanding his or her knowledge of basic sport-related topics. 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