At this time of year, there is always talk about “Fire the coach! Fire the coach!”

Whether it is tiddlywinks, or backgammon or French Club or Glee Club or major sports, somebody somewhere always wants the adult leader of the organization gone.

Sometimes it makes sense. Sometimes it is just spoiled suburban yuppie bellyaching.

Here is five-part test to tell whether your community should fire its coach in a sport or club or if you should simply, instead, as my late mother would say, “Insert a sock into the appropriate Pie Hole.”

DOES THE COACH HAVE A PLAN?

If things did not go well, what will change? Work with more K-5 kids? Hold more sessions to teach younger people how to do things properly? Or no clue about the need for this? If the latter, gone;

DOES THE COACH KNOW YOUR KID’S NAME?

Whether the coach has worked hard to establish some sort of bond with the students is important. Just like a kindergarten soccer player will not get better unless they are interested, a coach may not make much progress or improvement next year if he does not “click” with the kids. It always staggers me when I find a coach who prides himself in not addressing kids by first and last name. “I’m not good with names?” they will say, like some 80-year-old neighbor on your street. You are not good at names? You will also no longer be good at getting a paycheck from the school. Gone.

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT

Does the coach understand that he or she must deal both with the kids – and the adults. Many 20-something coaches simply loathe dealing with parents. Understandable – many are loathsome! But you have to start off acknowledging the parents are the customers. Their under-l8 children are the cargo we are all trying to carefully transport from starting line to finish line.

If the coach communicates well, that is a tie-breaker. It often gets them another year;

ANY REALLY BAD STUFF?

Screaming at kids? Refs? Throwing chairs? Profanity? Gone , gone, gone and gone. We can dance around the fine points about whether the train is on the right track. But no need to keep a jerk who is on the bubble.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY?

What has the person done in the past? Good dealings at past schools? In other fields? Good references? Many people who will show up at a public hearing and show support? All good.

If, on the other hand, Coach McGillicuddy won a state title 20 years ago somewhere (and perhaps did it with stud athletes), or l5 years ago, in another situation where the work needed to be done at your school now was simply not required because the situation was just-add-water-and-win-a-state-title, doesn’t count for much today.

Sometimes the past is prologue. Sometimes the past is past.

Good luck. Big decision. Important matter.

Never gets easy.

Dan Warren is a Scarborough trial lawyer who can be reached by private Facebook message at Jones & Warren Attorneys at Law page, or by email at jonesandwarren@gmail.com.