115. Getting serious about leadership: Replacing Coach K
Let’s assume for a moment that college sports serve an educational function, not just one of amusing alumni.
Who learns the most? I’m arguing that the quarterback and the coach take away the most lessons, because they’re making significant decisions and have the biggest opportunities for intellectual (as opposed to physical) failure in each game.
A running-back might learn from a fumble (hold on tighter), but the person calling the plays and managing the team and organizing the defense probably gains a greater life lesson.
So let’s de-professionalize. Have a student (or a rotating cast of students) be the coach. And let students be the high school recruiters. And let students be the managers of as many elements of the stadium, the press box, and the concessions as possible.
And let’s have the director of the college musical be a student as well.
And the person in charge of logistics for homecoming.
Just about all of these jobs can be done by students. What would that lead to?
Well, first we’d have to get truly serious about giving these students the background and support to do these jobs well. Interesting to note that kids in college plays have taken ten years or more of drama classes, but the student director probably has no mentor, no rigor, and no background in doing his job. We’ve rarely taught students how to do anything that involves plotting a new course.
Would you be interested in hiring the kid who coached the team that won the Rose Bowl? How about working for someone who had handled logistics for five hundred employees at a 50,000-seat stadium? Or having your accounting done by someone who learned the craft tracking a million dollars’ worth of ticket sales?
Is there a better way to learn than by doing?
Tags: stopstealingdreams
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hargadon on
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This is so RIGHT on I almost fell out of my chair reading it. Connie Weber and I have talked about this for a couple of years. I'd love to find some examples of schools doing this if anyone knows of any.
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