Iowa Department of Education

Coach, Volunteer Coach, and Aide Definitions

Coaches, Volunteer Coaches, and Aides – What’s the Difference?  Why does it Matter?

The DE has recently issues guidance to the IHSAA and IGHSAU regarding volunteer coaches of interscholastic athletic programs in Iowa high schools.  We repeat parts of that memorandum here:

 DEFINITIONS: 

• A coach is a person who holds a coaching authorization or coaching endorsement from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and who diagnoses, prescribes, evaluates, assists, or directs student learning of an interscholastic athletic endeavor at a practice session or on the field of competition. 

•  A volunteer coach is a person who holds a coaching authorization or coaching endorsement from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and who instructs, diagnoses, prescribes, evaluates, assists, or directs student learning of an interscholastic athletic endeavor at a practice session or on the field of competition, but does not receive compensation from a school or school district for his or her efforts.

•  An aide is a person who performs managerial duties (such as timing students, retrieving equipment, recording statistical information, etc.), but does not instruct, diagnose, prescribe, evaluate, assist, or direct student learning of an interscholastic athletic endeavor at a practice session or on the field of competition.   An aide does not hold a coaching authorization or coaching endorsement from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

Whether a person is an aide or a coach is dependent solely on the duties assumed by that person, and not on the person’s title or pay, or whether the person is under contract to the school or school district.  The duty about which there exists the most concerns is. supervision

An aide may supervise solely in the sense of passively observing students to ensure, for instance, that no injuries are sustained.  An aide may not supervise with a critical eye as students run through drills for the purpose of evaluating their skills.  After a coach has demonstrated a given technique, an aide may not observe for the purpose of ensuring that the students are following the coach’s instructions correctly.  To do so crosses the line from acting as an aide to performing as a coach.