Evaluating Staff

The head coach or program director should try to spend at least part of a day each season observing each coach on staff and offering feedback. Clubs should have an annual evaluation process to review staff performance against individual job descriptions and goals. Parent feedback should be collected and shared as part of the review process. A written annual performance review should be conducted at the end of the season. It is best discussed in person with signatures collected and review filed in the employee’s record.

It is also a good practice to couple this process with each employee submitting a statement of desired outcomes to their supervisor at the beginning of the season or year and then a self-evaluation of those goals at the end of the season or year (a midway check may also be helpful). The statement of desired outcomes outlines the employee’s professional, programmatic, organizational and personal goals for the coming year or season. This helps encourage more professional engagement in the process, and develops a culture of accountability and general professionalism. It can be extremely helpful for supervisors to share their own statements and self-evaluations with their staff.

Termination

Whoever is responsible for terminating a staff member should maintain a level of professionalism and stick to the club’s policies to keep the process as smooth as possible. Often this will not come as a surprise to a staff member if he or she has been warned or made aware of no-tolerance behavior. Be sure that the club has a firm policy about grounds for dismissal - a certain number of warnings or certain no-tolerance actions, for example. While the evaluative process described above is meant to be a positive and proactive way to help employees improve, it can also be key in having a detailed story to tell regarding unmet expectations and responsibilities. Keep written records of all incidents, grievances, warnings and the termination process. Prior to terminating an employee, clubs should consider whether legal counsel should be consulted.

For assistance contact: education@ussa.org