For the last 15 years, I have been coaching university soccer so ever present and over involved parent is not a recurring theme. It still happens but as I get older and therefore in the same age bracket or older than most of the parents of my athletes, speaking them peer to peer is easier. I don't usually get the angry , aggressive parent challenging my decisions, questioning my game plans but rather the subtle inquiry meant to let me know that they think their daughter deserves to play.
Truth be told, most of my coaching has been with adults or late teams and when I coach youth players it was mostly on the provincial teams where parents didn't really feel the confidence to openly challenge a coach's decision. Doesn't mean I haven't see it, dealt with it or have an opinion in the subject. At the base, I try and cut off the situation at the start. When recruiting players for university, I will always try and speak with the athlete and not the parent. I will have 3 or 4 years of interacting with the player so it is important to establish a relationship from the start. Find a way to let the athlete know that I want to know their opinions, their objectives, their goals, and not hear it from parents. There is a reason that when you might attend a soccer showcase, the coaches tend to be strategically seated as far away from parents as possible. Friends of mine who spend a lot of time coaching youth soccer have shared their opinions of the situation. These days too many parents make their presence known, in a negative way. It affects the athlete's sports experience and their overall love and passion for the game. Remember if you've read through my posts, I have really only coached at fairly highly competitive levels, so I get the intensity of it all, but there are certain things I don’t think any parent should ask their kid’s coaches. If you ask me, I think we should leave the game to the athletes. Here are six ways parents can let the athlete be the athlete and the Coach be the Coach.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
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