Parents and their support for Youth Sports

Posted by Eitel in For Parents | 1 comment

Are you a parent who has a child that is hounding you to play sports? Then you should give in. It has been well documented by studies that those parents who allow their students to play sport end up having very responsible and successful adults when the children are all grown up. Of course, just because a child plays sports does not mean that you do not have to do some things, too.

Supporting your child and the sports they play is a huge thing. It shows them that they are cared for. By showing up to as many games as you can, you are showing your child that there is someone out there who wants to watch all the important things in life. The simple home run can be the biggest step in a child’s life. Some parents don’t understand this.

Conflicts between the Coach and his child on the team

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents, For Players | 0 comments

There are many peewee and school teams that both boys and girls can play for. That’s good to know right? Well, what if your father is the coach? Is that a good thing? Different people have different answers. For some, it’s a good thing, but there are some conflicts. Let’s look at a few of those.

The first problem that many people find is that some think that the father as the coach will play his or her son or daughter more than the other players. Every child wants a chance to play. It is expected that each child will get a fair amount of time to play as well. However, some parents who are the coach do not do this and therefore, play favorites.

Parental Guide – Choosing the right Coach

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents | 0 comments

Choosing the right coach can be difficult for parents considering you really cannot get to know someone right off the bat from a few simple meetings. What you can do is inform yourself to the maximum level, and be sure that you keep your child in mind when you are chatting with the coach.

The initial step in the process is meeting with the coach and going over goals for your child, and what the aim of the team is for the coach. Depending on the age of your child you may want to choose a more fun and recreational league for children ages 12 and under, and a more competitive league for kids over 12 years. Joining competitive sports is a healthy development tool and encourages healthy competition, but only with good influences and responsible adults around to guide the way.

Coaches are an important part to athlete and team development. With the amount of time that the coach would be putting in with any of the children, parents will have to make sure that a responsible adult is in charge and going to guide and direct those in his care well.

One thing parents need to avoid is discounting a potential coach due to lack of experience. Everyone has to start somewhere, and some of the best coaches started where someone was willing to go out on a line and give them a chance to do the best they could. You should judge a coach based on what he presents, and what he brings to the table, and the directions he plans to take, not based on what a professional coach would be like.

Misconceptions can doom some of the best fits for the job before they even get out of the gate. Especially with some of the coaching scandals that have gone around in recent years. If parents are unsure, but think it could potentially be a good fit, maybe they should attend a few practices and scout for themselves. It would give them a view with their own eyes of how the coach interacts with kids, and allows the coach to show his stuff in its natural environment and not just talk about it.

One thing that is for sure in the early years of sports, you will want a coach that puts an emphasis on teamwork and having fun, and less of the emphasis on winning. These early years are the best time to instil good sportsmanlike conduct in the players and get the good habits etched in stone. If you do not get these habits set early, you could find them developing bad habits that will be hard to work out of them in the later years.

While there is absolutely no way that any parents can pick a coach that is going to be absolutely perfect and work out in every way imaginable, you will find out that as long as you arm yourself with information, and make a decision based off of it, then you will be pointed in the right direction.

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Involving Parents of your Youth Basketball Team

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches, For Parents | 0 comments

Coaching young athletes is a rewarding endeavor. Coaches have the opportunity to mold the talent of their team into a story of success through learning. Not every team will win a championship or tournament. Yet through successful coaching all youth athletes will grow from the experience of participating in a team sport. It is important for youth athletes to have coaches who show they care about the athlete and not just about the win. A good coach has the ability to transcend the court and enter into the child’s mind as a mentor who builds self-esteem and trust in their student. The child athlete will take with them into adulthood a strong sense of self. Learned behaviors such as team work, respect, work ethic, healthy diets and exercise, clear communication, leadership, and sharing can come from a coach. These life skills will in turn promote healthy lifestyles.

So where does a coach meld the teachings of youth parents with their own coaching styles. Ostensibly speaking, coaches are the parents of youth athletes while on the road, on the practice court, and during games. What should a coach do to optimize the young athlete’s parent’s home training while still maintaining their own leadership role on their team? What does a coach do when the parents of youth athletes overstep the bounds of propriety and insist on engaging in unhealthy behaviors? Here are a few tips in involving the parents in healthy ways to participate in your youth basketball team. Included are a few ways to redirect inappropriate behavior.

• Have a meeting with the parents before the season starts. Listen to how they think their role should come into play during the season. Outline your goals for your team. Let parents know that coaching from the sidelines is not allowed. Explain that when parents coach from the sidelines it undermines the team’s confidence and creates stressful confusion. Allow for parents to volunteer for certain jobs: chaperoning, lunch/snack making, fundraising. This will allow for the parents who need to be emotionally involved with the team to feel they are contributing. By establishing boundaries and expectations upfront with your parents you start the season out with a positive path to clear communication.
• Set time aside for office hours for your parents. Even if it is 2-4 hours a month. Let them know that you are there to talk to them about their questions and concerns. Ask that if parents have concerns about the team performance, their youth athlete, or anything pertaining to the health and welfare of the team that they should speak to you in private and at the office hours unless an emergency. This will assist in minimalizing the negative comments and confusion which can arise from parents wanting to be inappropriately in control.
• If you have parents who have special talents, basketball experience, or sports knowledge plan with them to optimize their abilities. Set aside special times for them to do lectures for the team or demonstrations. Incorporate them in the curriculum and let them know when their time comes they have control during those planned moments. This will direct the energy in a positive flow.
• If you have parents who refuse to allow their student the freedom to develop at their own pace provide literature to the parents on how to raise a well balanced athlete. Remind parents that approximately 80% of all student athletes dropout of their chosen sport by the time they graduate due to pressure. Balance is needed for the mind and body to develop so studies, sleep, nutrition, and sports need to be part of the young athlete’s daily life.
• If a parent is adamant about putting too much pressure on their youth athlete have a school counselor get involved. Many parents are concerned about their student athlete obtaining a scholarship for college. Remind the parent that the student athlete that qualifies for this type of scholarship is one who shows the aptitude. Not all student athletes are able to obtain an athletic scholarship. It important to make a well adjusted, well rounded child who is focused on their own abilities. Sports can play a part in getting into college just for the experience. Having an alternate plan for the student athlete like grants, loans, and academic scholarships will take the pressure off the student athlete. Tell your parent that putting all your eggs in one basket is not the healthy or appropriate attitude.

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