Mixed views on how to treat coaches

SINGAPORE: How should a coach be rewarded for a medal win? Is one silver worth more than four bronzes? These are just some questions which have cropped up recently, sparked off by the contract dispute involving Singapore's table-tennis coach Liu Guodong.

Liu had rejected a contract renewal despite a pay rise and is set to leave, after helping secure Singapore's first Olympic medal in 50 years.

Many National Sports Associations (NSAs) felt that the answer to how a coach should be rewarded came down to what was agreed in their contracts in the first place.

Some felt coaches should be treated like professionals in the corporate world, and not be entirely judged by their medal haul.

Low Teo Ping, president of Singapore Sailing Federation, said: "The role of a coach is to... work towards levelling up the performance of the athletes under his or her charge.

"If the medals have not been delivered, it does mean the coach should be castigated for non-performance.

"Sometimes it is unfair to the coaches - they may have performed, but the team did not rise up to the occasion. I think we get a little bit of a misunderstanding."

Each NSA generally decides how much to pay its coaches, within the budget provided by the Singapore Sports Council.

If the salary exceeds the allocated funding, NSAs need to make up the difference themselves.

While international market rates are used as guidelines, many face budget constraints and find other ways to compensate the coaches.

An outcome-based approach is usually used in determining how much coaches should be paid. This means taking into account their past achievements and what they are expected to deliver.

Other important factors include the intangibles they can offer, such as transferring their knowledge to the rest of the team that will ultimately help to develop the sport.

Jessie Phua, president of Singapore Bowling Federation, said: "The monetary compensation is not the be all and end all consideration. A good number of my coaches who have come onboard have actually taken a pay cut. Why? I'd like to say we offer them opportunities."

Such plans feed on the passion that coaches have for the sport. This includes the chance for them to develop themselves on the world stage and to mould the future of the sport locally.

Ultimately, many NSAs believe that it is job satisfaction that matters most to the coaches.

Category:

Sports

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