Coaches get to pick who is on their team. They have tryouts and some even get paid for it. But this only applies to high performing athletic schools (the ones y

Coaches get to pick who is on their team. They have tryouts and some even get paid for it. But this only applies to high performing athletic schools (the ones you read about in the local paper that win county/state/regional titles). Other schools are purely volunteer efforts. The coach may be a teacher willing to give up free time everyday before and during the sports schedule. For example, my history teacher was also the soccer coach. He wasn't great at it but someone had to wrangle a bunch of wiry teenagers and make them practice. He got nothing from it except the respect of his players. The only teachers that get to chose their students are in governor's or magnet schools. Here students have to apply every year to be considered for the rigorous programs. Many teachers also apply for the job because of better pay, better students, and better curriculum. Teachers that don't perform can be fired. With a school full of motivated and talented students its entirely the responsibility of the teachers, they can't hide behind the excuse of lazy students and parents because, here, there are none. The teacher in a poor school district doesn't have much of a choice. Some things don't work no matter how hard you try and the blame can't rest entirely on the teachers. But having poor students shouldn't be a fireable offense.