- May 5, 2024
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I often hear how coaches get mad when one of their student-athletes transfers to another school, but I never hear when coaches refuse transfers to their schools.
As the youth pastor over a good-sized ministry, I often see students come and go for various reasons, but I never get angry unless the reason has nothing to do with youth ministry.
Instead, I tell my students that I would assist them in finding another good ministry, if they wanted to leave, and I believe my reasons line up with some of the reasons I don’t see anything wrong with students transferring to other schools.
Coaches don’t use the same methods, and everyone doesn’t learn the same way. While the majority may love a certain coach’s teaching style, some may learn and function better under different methods.
And all coaches aren’t created equally. They all have different personalities and have learned and experienced their respective sports differently from their peers. This had led some to become good or great while others may be mediocre or average. In the same way most of us can judge a players’ skill, we can do the same with coaching.
A student-athlete might also transfer to a school with more exposure. A few months ago, a college coach posted on social media that student-athletes shouldn’t transfer to get recruited. Rather, if they dominated at their current schools, the coach would find those students. I completely disagree.
I’ve seen more college scouts at a Mainland spring football game than I have seen at any other sporting event in the area. Why? Because coaches know some of the best players not only grow up in the Daytona area, but others will transfer there for better exposure.
In addition to this, I’ve seen athletes dominate their sport at smaller schools or on bad teams, but no one sought them out. There’s a reason why everyone goes to the bigger and best sports schools.
Some athletes might transfer to add value to a team. Everyone can’t start on a great team, but those who may play backup can transfer and go elsewhere, so they can immediately make an impact.
While there are other reasons a student-athletes may transfer, I don’t understand how anyone can be angry with them. If one of the ultimate goals of high school athletics is to make it to the next level, shouldn’t they and their parents decide what’s best for them, and shouldn’t we help them in any way? I understand the competitive nature of sports, but just as I value each student’s spiritual maturity over youth ministry numbers, I would hope that we adults also value all students’ future over a win in high school sports.
