So you’ve decided to hire a professional coach for your football/basketball/baseball/cricket/swimming team. Assuming your team is just starting up, you need someone with lots of experience with credible qualifications for him to be an efficient coach for a sports team. Hiring coaches is no easy feat; you need some budget to hire one. You also need a coach who will be worth the pay; you don’t want to get scammed by a fraud. What you need is a simple contract for you and the coach you will hire to avoid misunderstandings and arguments.
Before you write down your draft of the contract, you probably have no idea what are the items to include in your draft. The obvious thing to do is to look for sample contracts online to have an inkling what coach contracts look like. Not surprisingly, there is no standard uniform coaching contract. Contracts differ depending on your school or if the coach is getting paid or not. Your contract is totally up to you on how you will draft it. Some are very extensive and complicated, so if you think your contract would be along these lines, it’s best to seek a lawyer’s expertise to help you out. But if you don’t want it to be as complicated for you and the coach, you can do it on your own. For example, if the coach is volunteering to coach your team, the contract could be short; a one page contract can suffice. You could also ask other high schools in your area if you can see a copy of their contract to use as a guide.
If you’re confident enough that you already have enough knowledge to make your contract, begin by drafting the contract by opening a blank word processing document. Set the font to a readable size and style. Suggested font style and size you may use is Times New Roman 12 point. You may also see videography contract examples in pdf.
If you have letterhead (having a letterhead is recommended), then you can print the first page of the contract on letterhead. Be sure to space down enough so that the contract won’t print over the letterhead.
Suggested title of your contract may be: “Employment Agreement for Head Football/Baseball/Basketball/Volleyball Coach” or something along those lines. Make the title bold and in all caps.Make the title slightly larger in size (such as 14 point) so that it stands out and place it in the center.
Once you’ve format your contract and put the title of it, begin the contract by identifying the school (if this is not a school but just an organization or a neighborhood team you are starting; then put your name) and the coach. You can also include the date the contract becomes effective. You may also like the truth behind service contract checklists.
Example:“This employment agreement (‘Agreement’) is made and entered into effective as of the 25th day of April, 2012, by and between the Team Alpha Super Awesome Cool Dynamite Squadron, and Terrence Michael Eric “Terry”Jones (‘Coach’).”
Your contract might use terms which could have more than one or two meaning and makes its definition vague. After identifying the parties, you can include a list of defined terms. Terms which you might need to define include:
Acronyms. For example, if you belong to a sports league, then you should define the league’s acronym.
“Service period” or “academic year” means the extent of time the coach will be training your team. Make sure that you define these terms. Example: From April 2017- February 2018. You may also check out catering contract examples.
Explain how long the contract lasts for. You could have the contract last for only one season or for multiple seasons. However, the most common duration terms in coaching contracts are the following:
Use bullet points or numbered points to explain the coach’s duties and responsibilities. Be as comprehensive and clear as possible. Example:
A coach’s duties might include the following:
This part should be clear so the coach will know what are expected of him. You may also see dj contract examples.
You need to include a arrangements on compensation. If you are a high school, then your coach may only be paid a fixed regular sum. If you are a college or university, then the compensation package could be quite extensive. It will include base salary; the amount of money and the schedule for payments, benefits, such as medical, dental, disability, and life insurance, allowances such as clothing, cell phones, or fuel for travel, and bonuses; a coach may get a fixed bonus sum for any championships won by the team. Be comprehensive in this part since this will be the part that could arise conflict or misunderstanding. You may also see key differences between agreements and contracts.
Include also a termination provision. Explain what conditions can trigger termination “for cause.” Example, you might want to include any of the following:
Make sure that the contract explains what will happen if the coach or the school terminates the contract before its expiration date. If the school terminates the contract for any reason other than “for cause” then it is their duty to pay the coach money. If the coach is being let go because of misconduct, include a clause stating that the coach must resign in writing and that he or she has no entitlement to compensation or benefits after the termination date. You may also see commercial agreement examples & samples.
Also have the coach agree to pay the school a lump-sum to cover the cost of recruiting a new coach.
If the school cancels the contract, then it usually agrees to pay the coach a large fixed-sum of money and to continue benefits through the end of the contract term. In exchange, the coach agrees to sign a release, agreeing not to sue the school. There should also be a provision that the school will not have to pay money or benefits if the coach finds another job. You may also like management agreement examples & samples.
You may, but not necessarily, include a provision in the contract where the coach agrees not to take another coaching job at a competing school for a certain amount of time after leaving your school. This is called a “non-compete” provision. This provision should be reasonable. Your state law will define what is reasonable, but generally you cannot prohibit the coach from working somewhere else for too long. But there are some instances that you can’t include this clause in your contract. Example, if you are a high school, you cannot prohibit a coach from working anywhere in the country. Instead, the geographic scope must be more limited. You may also check out examples of writing a wedding planner contract.
At the bottom of the contract should create signature blocks for both the coach and the representative who will sign for the school. Usually, you will have a principal or athletic director sign for the school.
Once you have completed the draft of your contract, you should have an attorney review it. Your school probably already has a lawyer. Ask your principal or school board who your lawyer is. You can then schedule an appointment and show the lawyer your contract. She can make suggestions for revision in your contract. You might be interested in partnership agreement examples & samples.
However, if you’re school does not have a lawyer or you’re not part of a school or an academic institution, then you should find your local or state bar association. This is an organization formed by lawyers. Most bar associations run referral programs. You may also see sales agreement samples.
Lastly, invite the coach to sign the contract. You should have given the coach a copy of the contract ahead of time, so that he or she could review it and make suggestions for revision. Once the contract has been signed, distribute copies. Make copies of the signed coaching contract and give the coach a copy. Store the copy of the contract in a safe place. You may also like service agreement examples.
We hope you enjoyed browsing through our sports contract examples. Don’t forget to download and use it when you will be making your own contract.
