CIC Coaching Principles & Ethics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete's parent pressures a coach to guarantee their child a college scholarship in exchange for a large booster donation. The ethical coach should:
- Accept the donation but make no guarantees
- Decline to make any guarantees and report the offer to the athletic director (Correct answer)
- Promise to do their best to help the athlete get recruited
- Accept only if the athlete is genuinely scholarship-caliber
Correct answer: Decline to make any guarantees and report the offer to the athletic director
Accepting donations tied to preferential treatment or promises constitutes an ethical violation and must be reported to administration.
Question 2: Which principle guides a coach in making playing time decisions that are ethically sound?
- Seniority — older athletes should always receive more playing time
- Consistency and merit-based criteria applied equally to all athletes (Correct answer)
- Parental involvement in the program should influence playing time
- Athlete popularity among teammates should be a determining factor
Correct answer: Consistency and merit-based criteria applied equally to all athletes
Ethical playing time decisions are based on consistent, merit-based criteria communicated to all athletes and applied without favoritism.
Question 3: A coach is approached by a local business to sponsor the team in exchange for the coach personally promoting their product to athletes and parents. This situation raises concerns about:
- Tax implications for the booster club
- Exploitation of the coach's position of influence for personal or commercial gain (Correct answer)
- Competitive disadvantage if opponents have more sponsors
- Scheduling conflicts with business promotional events
Correct answer: Exploitation of the coach's position of influence for personal or commercial gain
Using a position of authority to promote commercial products to athletes and families represents an exploitation of the trust relationship inherent in coaching.
Question 4: What is the ethical framework behind the concept of 'in loco parentis' as it applies to interscholastic coaches?
- Coaches may discipline athletes in the same manner as parents, including physical punishment
- Coaches assume a duty of care toward athletes similar to that of a parent while athletes are in their supervision (Correct answer)
- Coaches have legal authority over athletes that supersedes parental authority
- Coaches may make medical decisions for athletes without parental consent in emergencies
Correct answer: Coaches assume a duty of care toward athletes similar to that of a parent while athletes are in their supervision
'In loco parentis' means coaches act in place of parents and bear a duty of care to protect athletes' wellbeing while under their supervision.
Question 5: A coach wants to cut an athlete from the team mid-season due to a personality conflict. Ethically, what should the coach consider first?
- Whether the athlete has paid all required fees for the season
- Whether the decision is based on objective performance factors, not personal bias (Correct answer)
- Whether the athlete has social media followers who might react negatively
- Whether other coaches at the school agree with the decision
Correct answer: Whether the decision is based on objective performance factors, not personal bias
Mid-season cuts must be based on objective, documented performance criteria to avoid discrimination and protect athlete rights.
Question 6: Which of the following best exemplifies a coach modeling ethical sportsmanship after a loss?
- Blaming officials publicly to redirect athlete frustration
- Graciously congratulating the winning team and identifying lessons learned (Correct answer)
- Avoiding comment until emotions have settled, even if days later
- Questioning the opponent's methods to maintain team morale
Correct answer: Graciously congratulating the winning team and identifying lessons learned
Modeling sportsmanship after a loss by congratulating opponents and focusing on growth demonstrates the ethical conduct coaches are expected to model.
Question 7: An athlete's religious observance conflicts with a mandatory practice schedule. The ethically appropriate coaching response is to:
- Require the athlete to choose between their religion and the team
- Work with the athlete and administration to find a reasonable accommodation (Correct answer)
- Treat it the same as any unexcused absence without exception
- Allow the athlete to miss practice only if the team wins without them
Correct answer: Work with the athlete and administration to find a reasonable accommodation
Ethical coaches respect religious diversity and work within school policy to provide reasonable accommodations for religious observance.
CIC Coaching Principles & Ethics 4
An athlete's parent pressures a coach to guarantee their child a college scholarship in exchange for a large booster donation.
The ethical coach should: