In this episode of Perspective on Athletics we look at power and what it means, especially for intercollegiate athletics and coaches. The recent media coverage of Rutgers University’s handling of men’s basketball coach Mike Rice once again raises issues about power and authority of head coaches.
The Spider Man Doctrine
Our 8-year old son has long been a fan of super heroes and for a time Spider Man was his favorite. In the story, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben reminds him that “with great power comes great responsibility.” In athletics, things start with responsibility.. in the form of a job description, duties, expectations and outcomes. The power, or authority, is assumed by the coach or staff member and leads them to action.
The biggest issue with power in athletics is clearly distinguishing Responsibility and Accountability.
Responsibility revolves around making decisions. Accountability is being responsible for others’ decision-making. This may seem subtle, but if you look at Rutgers as an example there was an absence of both responsibility and accountability.
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