Being a former coach, I am a bit touchy when I hear parents bashing a coach. I understand that coaches can be wrong at times but until you've had the pleasure of coaching, you really will never understand the responsibility that a coach has. No matter what level, your biggest responsibility is to teach the game and to do it fairly. That's s where the rub comes in with parents. What exactly is fairly? I used to tell my parents," When you come to a game, your eyes are focused on " # 12 ". Meanwhile my eyes are focused on all 12 of my players. Where I am concerned about each player, my main concern is the team. I have to balance the well being of the team to the well being of each player. Depending on the level, the well being of the individual, may take a back seat to that of the team. Meaning that at the early levels, we need to develope all of our players & that may mean sacrificing winning.
Parents need to support their child & their child's team. They can do it best by: Making sure their child stays healthy, getting them to & from practice & games, helping the team fundraise, encouraging their child to always work hard & do their best, and by not bashing their child's coach or teammates. A coach works very hard to help his team create good team chemistry and a trust between he or she & their players. Nothing destroys team chemistry more then parents using the dinner time conversation to question & bash their child's coach or teammates. If your child is unhappy with his or her spot on their team, as a parent, you need to encourage them to discuss the situation with their coach.
A parent's attitude can be the deciding factor as to whether their child has an enjoyable experience or not. A parent's bad attitude can create a "cancer" on their child's team. Or their attitude can help propell them to a successful & enjoyable experience. It needs to be Coaches AND Parents , not Coaches vs Parents.
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