The posting
REPORTS TO: Senior Athletic Director or designee HOURS: Dependent upon approved program schedule, sessions, and events ASSIGNMENT: SY 26-27 STIPEND: 2,500 EXEMPT STATUS: Non Exempt CAMPUS: High School
Summary
The High School Developmental Chess Program Coach leads an inclusive, structured chess program operating within the Foundation Academies Athletics space. The program is a developmental extracurricular offering and is not represented as an NJSIAA-sanctioned sport. The coach uses chess to build strategic thinking, concentration, decision-making, confidence, sportsmanship, leadership, and school connection while preparing interested scholars for approved scholastic chess events. Success is measured by scholar growth, participation, belonging, program culture, event readiness, safety, communication, and operational consistency - not tournament results alone.
Requirements
In order to be considered for the High School Developmental Chess Program Coach position at Foundation Academies, candidates must:
- Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission, core values, and scholar-centered approach.
- Lead with patience, inclusion, consistency, accountability, cultural responsiveness, and a development-first mindset.
- Communicate professionally, protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate adult-student boundaries, and use only approved communication channels.
- Collaborate with athletics leadership, school leaders, teachers, families, support staff, and approved community partners.
- Demonstrate sufficient chess knowledge to teach rules, notation, opening principles, tactics, endgames, time management, and tournament conduct across varied experience levels.
Certification
- Appointment and approval by Foundation Academies and completion of all employment, criminal-history, and authorization requirements applicable to the assignment.
- Current adult CPR/AED and Basic First Aid certification before independently supervising program sessions, unless athletics leadership documents an approved alternative coverage plan.
- Completion of all school-required mandated-reporting, emergency-response, student-boundary, anti-hazing, anti-discrimination, and medication-response training.
- Ability to maintain all required credentials throughout the assignment and complete additional training assigned by athletics or school leadership.
- Working knowledge of accepted scholastic chess rules and tournament procedures; formal chess coaching, directing, rating, or federation credentials are preferred but not required unless an approved event requires them.
Responsibilities
Program Leadership & Identity
- Establish a written program philosophy, seasonal plan, session schedule, participation expectations, and development pathway for beginning through advanced players.
- Maintain clear distinction between the developmental chess program and an NJSIAA-sanctioned varsity sport while applying Foundation Academies Athletics standards for conduct, supervision, accountability, and communication.
- Create welcoming entry points for scholars with no prior chess experience and meaningful leadership opportunities for experienced players.
- Coordinate approved assistants, volunteers, guest instructors, and community partners; no adult may work with scholars until school requirements are verified.
Instruction & Scholar Development
- Plan purposeful sessions that teach board setup, legal moves, check and checkmate, notation, opening principles, tactics, positional play, endgames, clocks, analysis, and tournament etiquette.
- Use mini-lessons, puzzles, guided games, peer analysis, simultaneous play, review boards, and reflection to support varied learning needs.
- Establish one development focus for every regular participant, provide a simple mid-program feedback touchpoint, and document a practical next step at closeout.
- Teach scholars to analyze choices, manage time, respond to mistakes, compete ethically, and demonstrate respect before, during, and after every game.
Participation, Events & Recognition
- Use transparent participation expectations based on attendance, conduct, preparation, effort, growth, and event readiness; participation in the program does not guarantee selection for external events.
- Coordinate approved in-school matches, ladders, exhibitions, showcases, or scholastic tournaments only after confirming supervision, transportation, permission, registration, and event rules.
- Track participation and skill progress without allowing ratings, rankings, or win-loss records to become the sole measure of scholar value or program success.
- Celebrate growth, sportsmanship, service, leadership, resilience, and academic responsibility through approved recognition practices.
Academic, Behavioral & Family Expectations
- Reinforce attendance, punctuality, preparation, respectful behavior, appropriate technology use, academic responsibility, and healthy program habits.
- Review school-issued support or eligibility information when provided and complete any assigned scholar check-in or referral within three school days; no independent tutoring or team GPA target is required.
- Provide families with written program expectations, schedule, event information, transportation procedures, digital-platform expectations, and conflict-resolution steps.
- Use approved communication channels and immediately elevate threats, harassment, discrimination, boundary concerns, or other reportable conduct.
Supervision, Safety & Digital Citizenship
- Maintain active supervision from the assigned reporting time until every scholar is released through approved procedures; never leave scholars unsupervised.
- Review emergency procedures, AED access, communication methods, room capacity, exits, attendance controls, and reunification procedures before the first session and each new event location.
- Maintain safe room setup, accessible walkways, organized tables and chairs, appropriate food and drink rules, and secure storage for equipment and personal information.
- Use only school-approved chess platforms and accounts; protect student data, monitor chat features, prohibit private adult-student messaging, and report online misconduct immediately.
- Follow all school procedures for injuries, illness, transportation, visitors, photography, media, and off-site events.
Equipment, Records & Operations
- Maintain an accurate inventory of boards, pieces, clocks, demonstration materials, books, devices, software access, storage, keys, and supplies; target at least 95% return of issued items.
- Maintain accurate attendance, participant, emergency-contact, development, event, incident, equipment, award, and season-closeout records by deadline.
- Submit event registrations, transportation requests, purchase requests, results, and required communications through athletics leadership by deadline.
- Protect confidential records and correct confirmed documentation discrepancies within one business day.
Qualifications
- Previous chess coaching, club leadership, tournament participation, teaching, mentoring, or youth-development experience is preferred.
- Ability to teach beginners and challenge advanced players through clear explanations, visual demonstrations, guided practice, and constructive feedback.
- Strong organization, communication, digital-platform, record-keeping, event-planning, and relationship-building skills in a diverse school community.
- Ability to supervise after-school and occasional evening or weekend activities at school and approved off-site locations.
Goals & Performance Metrics
Evaluation uses coach-controlled evidence and reasonable program context. Access, learning, participation, belonging, culture, safety, and operations carry greater weight than ratings, trophies, or win-loss records.
Development & Program-Building Measures
- Program launch: Complete the approved seasonal plan, participation process, family communication, room setup, equipment inventory, and emergency review before the first regular session.
- Instructional quality: Maintain a written objective for every session and include an appropriate rules, tactical, strategic, analytical, competitive, or reflective learning component.
- Individual growth: Establish one development focus for every regular participant by the end of week three, provide one mid-program feedback touchpoint, and record one next step at closeout.
- Participation and belonging: Track every session, target at least 80% program completion excluding circumstances outside the coach's control, and provide meaningful participation opportunities across experience levels.
- Academic support: Complete each assigned scholar check-in or support referral within three school days; no GPA or tutoring quota applies.
- Event readiness: Conduct at least one approved internal showcase, match-play event, or tournament simulation and submit an evidence-based recommendation regarding future external participation.
- Culture and digital safety: Address confirmed sportsmanship, harassment, platform, or boundary concerns promptly and maintain no unresolved reportable incidents at closeout.
- Operations: Submit attendance, development, event, equipment, evaluation, and closeout records by deadline and correct confirmed discrepancies within one business day.
Evaluation & Renewal
Performance will be reviewed by the Senior Athletic Director or designee using direct observation, program records, stakeholder feedback, scholar development, culture, safety, compliance, event readiness, and the measures above. Stipend renewal is based on program need, performance, conduct, safety, compliance, and continued approval.
Work Environment & Physical Expectations
The assignment requires extended sitting and standing, demonstration at chess boards and digital displays, supervision in classrooms and event spaces, occasional travel, and reasonable handling of tables, boards, clocks, devices, and supplies. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.
Perform Other Responsibilities
Perform other related duties assigned by athletics leadership or school leadership. This description identifies the role's principal functions and is not exhaustive; duties may be adjusted for program needs, current law, school policy, and approved program requirements.
