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It takes a special kind of person to be a high school coach.

They need skin like leather and the ability to relate to teenagers. They have to deal with parents, keep their cool on the bench and try to take every loss with a smile on their face.

It's not as easy as it sounds.

You see, everybody is your friend when things are going well. But every coach knows that his or her ability is measured in terms of wins and losses. Win a few games and you're more popular than a cocktail waitress at a Las Vegas casino, but hit a losing streak and your popularity will fade faster than Ricky Martin's singing career.

This week, Steamboat Springs High School interviewed and hired a new girls basketball coach just a few weeks before the season begins. John Ameen, the new coach, is a better person than me.

After years of watching coaches in Steamboat Springs ride the waves of success and failure, I have to wonder why anyone would want to be a head coach for a high school team. To tell the truth, I can't figure out why anyone would ever want to be a head coach, and I'm not just talking about Steamboat, where I think fans are pretty understanding and most parents are more interested in their kid's success than beating a cross-county rival.

For me, dealing with all the pressures of being a high school coach wouldn't be worth all the money in Donald Trump's checking account.

Not that long ago, coaching entailed teaching high school students how to play a game and, in some cases, something about life. But today, so much more is expected of a head coach.

To be competitive, teams train year-round in camps and recreational leagues. That means many high school coaches are sacrificing time with their family to make all those road trips. I know they don't do it for the money, and I'm glad to say in most cases it has nothing to do with their own egos.

The coaches I know stepped up to the plate because it's a chance to pass their skills and knowledge onto the next generation. Good coaches make an impression that goes beyond the sports arena. They teach student-athletes how to be successful in life, how to set goals and, more importantly, what it means to reach them.

I'm happy to hear that Steamboat Springs High School has hired a new girls basketball coach, and like most sports fans in Steamboat Springs, I will be watching. But not to see whether he wins of loses, but whether he measures up to the standards set by the coaches who came ahead of him and those who are still teaching at Steamboat Springs High School.