How are local teams related to USMS?
If a member has a complaint about a coach (nothing serious like "lets people drown"... more along the lines of "skips practices") should the member contact USMS or do the locals have governing boards?
How does a member get in touch with the people who make decisions about selecting coaches? Asking the coach isn't really an option.
Thanks!
Parents
Former Member
It sounds like your coach is not hired by a board of directors from your team. Ostensibly this would have been the group that would have talked to the coach in the past and either insisted on changes or handed him his walking papers.
So, is this an owner/coach situation? If so, and you are confident that all communication avenues have been explored, then it is time to exercize your capitalistic masters prerogative and move your $$ (and your person) to another team. An intermediate step might be to deduct a percentage from the dues you pay in direct relationship to the number of workouts your coach missed, indicating your intent to do continue this practice.
Or is he a facility-hired coach? Perhaps you should verbally ask, once again, the Head Coach to meet with a small group of team representatives to discuss the issue. This meeting should be at some time other than workout time. If the coach is unwilling to do this then you might consider writing a formal letter to the coach asking for such a meeting and CCing whoever employs your coach (or whoever your team dues checks are made out to). The intermediate solution noted above of deducting an amount from your dues, and including a note explaining precisely why, might be helpful. And, again, if all efforts fail within a reasonable period of time, voting with your dollars and moving to another team is an option (at least it is in Austin where there are a number of teams).
It sounds like your coach is not hired by a board of directors from your team. Ostensibly this would have been the group that would have talked to the coach in the past and either insisted on changes or handed him his walking papers.
So, is this an owner/coach situation? If so, and you are confident that all communication avenues have been explored, then it is time to exercize your capitalistic masters prerogative and move your $$ (and your person) to another team. An intermediate step might be to deduct a percentage from the dues you pay in direct relationship to the number of workouts your coach missed, indicating your intent to do continue this practice.
Or is he a facility-hired coach? Perhaps you should verbally ask, once again, the Head Coach to meet with a small group of team representatives to discuss the issue. This meeting should be at some time other than workout time. If the coach is unwilling to do this then you might consider writing a formal letter to the coach asking for such a meeting and CCing whoever employs your coach (or whoever your team dues checks are made out to). The intermediate solution noted above of deducting an amount from your dues, and including a note explaining precisely why, might be helpful. And, again, if all efforts fail within a reasonable period of time, voting with your dollars and moving to another team is an option (at least it is in Austin where there are a number of teams).
