State must track coaches’ certification

The first responsibility of anyone involved in education is the safety of young people in their care. That means teachers, but also anyone else in positions of responsibility — faculty members, aides, paraprofessionals. It also, without question, applies to coaches, who parents depend on not only to teach and guide their children, but to ensure the security of their well-being.

The potential for danger in scholastic athletics is real, and not just in contact sports such as football. Anyone exerting themselves could exacerbate a previously unknown condition, and injuries are common. Coaches are required to know how to handle such situations.

State law requires high school coaches to earn a certification that can be reached by taking a 45-hour course that includes concussion education; they must also be certified in first aid and CPR. For teachers who already have certification and want to add coaching to their job title, the 45-hour class is not required, though they must still take the concussion course and be certified in first aid and CPR.

Since it’s the clearly stated law, parents and guardians have a right to expect that all high school coaches are properly certified. But according to a CT Insider investigation, upwards of 100 high school coaches at Fairfield and New Haven county public schools who worked in the past two years were not certified to coach. That potentially left athletes in danger, and broke the trust of parents who placed their children in the coaches’ care.

According to the state, it’s up to each coach and the district that employs them to see that their certification is up to date. Oversight from the state level is minimal. The Department of Education does not notify a school when certification has expired, and there are no fines or repercussions for districts that employ uncertified coaches. That needs to change.

Becoming a high school-level coach is a commitment. The courses, either $375 for in-person instruction or $475 for an online version, which has become more common since COVID-19 hit, require a real investment of time and money. This isn’t the same as coaching your 6-year-old child’s soccer team for a year.

And authorities have been lenient in the face of the coronavirus, with one-year extensions given out to many whose certifications expired in 2020. There are also temporary coaching permits available for up to a year. Still, administrators, athletic directors and coaches themselves have been too lax in ensuring their eligibility to do the job. Schools must do a better job tracking who has the required certification and see to it that everyone put in charge of student-athletes meets the necessary requirements.

At the state level, a better tracking system and penalties for noncompliance must be instituted. It’s not enough to simply tell schools their coaches don’t meet the requirement — there must be a fine or other punishment for letting uncertified coaches out on the field.

Parents put their trust in coaches to lead their children and help mold them into well-rounded adults. But the first responsibility is to keep them safe. Meeting the basic requirements of the law shouldn’t be too much to ask.

Becoming a high school-level coach is a commitment. This isn’t the same as coaching your 6-year-old child’s soccer team for a year.