Middle School Cross Country Coach- Fall 2026

Grand Rapids Public Schools•Grand Rapids, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Middle School Cross Country Coach is responsible for organizing athletes and teaching them the fundamentals of sport, training them to compete as a team and individually. This role involves developing and communicating clear goals, maintaining open communication with scholars, parents, and the Athletic Director, and demonstrating knowledge of best practices in coaching. The coach will support scholar academic expectations, promote the scholar-athlete code of conduct, and provide an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration. Additionally, the coach will model good sportsmanship, create a safe and healthy environment, and connect athletic experiences with life experiences. The position requires understanding leadership impact on scholar-athletes and maintaining professional attire. The coach will also perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required.
Must be 18 years of age or older.
Clear a criminal background check.
Playing experience at the high school or college level and/or coaching experience required.
Proof of current First Aid and CPR certifications prior to the first day of coaching.
Must provide certificate of completion for online concussion training course from either the Centers for Disease Control or the National Federation of State High School Associations prior to the first day of coaching.

Responsibilities

Developing and communicating clear and specific goals for the team and individual players throughout tryouts and the season.
Maintaining open and honest communication with scholars, parents, other coaches, and Athletic Director.
Developing and demonstrating a good knowledge base of best practices specific to their coaching arena.
Supporting and collaborating with coaches in other athletic programs.
Modeling and teaching skills necessary to succeed.
Supporting scholar academic expectations, responsibilities, and achievements.
Developing the knowledge and understanding of Grand Rapids policies and procedures as it applies to athletics.
Promoting and enforcing the scholar-athlete code of conduct.
Connecting athletic experiences with life experiences.
Providing an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration among coaches and players.
Becoming an integral part of and developing rapport with the Grand Rapids community including administration, coaches, parents, and scholars.
Modeling good sportsmanship always.
Creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for scholar athletes.
Understanding their leadership style and its impact on scholar-athletes.
Ensuring game and practice attire is professional and appropriate.
Perform other duties as assigned.