By JOHN EBY
Dowagiac Daily News

Ninety-one percent of parents and athletes polled in the annual Dowagiac Athletic Department survey rated their experience okay (39, or 31 percent) or positive (75, or 60 percent).

Just a dozen respondents, or 9 percent, concluded Chieftain sports had been a negative experience.

But as Athletic Director Greg Younger summarized for the Board of Education Monday night at Dowagiac Middle School, the district mailed 1,646 surveys to 823 athletes and 823 parents, receiving back just 126 responses — 7.65 percent.
Of those 126 responses, 72 (57 percent) came from parents, 54 (43 percent) from athletes.

They rated on a scale of: 1 — exellent; 2 — satisfactory; 3 — improvement needed; 4 — unsatisfactory; or N/O — not observed.

A. Coaching/managing methods

Organization — 1 (39), 2 (60), 3 (16), 4 (6) and N/O (2).
Knowledge of skills/fundamentals — 1 (56), 2 (50), 3 (18), 4 (2) and N/O (2).
Presentation of skills/fundamentals 1 (47), 2 (52), 3 (14), 4 (3) and N/O (3).
Event preparation — 1 (41), 2 (57), 3 (16), 4 (6) and N/O (6).
General supervision of students — 1 (49), 2 (53), 3 (14), 4 (7) and N/O (2)
Enforces set of codes and standards — 1 (49), 2 (45), 3 (16), 4 (11) and N/O (3).
Appearance of coach/manager during event — 1 (72), 2 (40), 3 (9) and 4 (4).
Emphasized sportsmanship and fair play — 1 (57), 2 (49), 3 (10), 4 (8) and N/O (2).

B. Performance

Appearance of students during event — 1 (55), 2 (58), 3 (7), 4 (3) and N/O (1).
Coordination of students during event — 1 (46), 2 (61), 3 (11), 4 (3) and N/O (1).
Attitude and conduct of students — 1 (37), 2 (59), 3 (22), 4 (6) and N/O (1).
Conduct of coach/manager during events — 1 (62), 2 (44), 3 (12), 4 (8) and N/O (1).
Sportsmanship exhibited by students — 1 (44), 2 (66), 3 (11), 4 (3) and N/O (1).

C. Communication/relationships

Enthusiasm for the program — 1 (49), 2 (46), 3 (13), 4 (5) and N/O (1).
Enthusiasm for working with students — 1 (51), 2 (50), 3 (16), 4 (6) and N/O (1).
Discipline consistent/firm but fair — 1 (40), 2 (50), 3 (21), 4 (13) and N/O (3).
Serves as a positive role model — 1 (64), 2 (38), 3 (16), 4 (8) and N/O (2).
Communication of students — 1 (54), 2 (49), 3 (14), 4 (6) and N/O (3).
Communication with parents — 1 (49), 2 (43), 3 (19), 4 (13) and N/O (4).
Public relations — 1 (44), 2 (47), 3 (17), 4 (4) and N/O (11).
Overall my experience was — positive, 75 (60 percent), okay, 39 (31 percent) or negative, 12 (9 percent).

“We do this at the end of each fall, winter and spring season,” Younger said. “One of the goals I have for this year, obviously, is to increase the number of them that we’re getting back,” perhaps by posting surveys online on the district’s Web site.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to go over these with coaches during their evaluations,” he said.