Question
When it comes to kids on sports teams, who do you work for?
As with any group or organization, a youth sports team is comprised of many people with specific interests in the stake or outcome of the enterprise. To be successful roles and responsibilities should be clear. There should be points of intersection and interface, but not to the point of conflict. The coaches and player roles are obviously an example of clear and concise roles / responsibilities. The parent and player-child relationship is also clearly defined. But, how about the coach and parent relationship? Both claim to be interested in the child, but at times there's conflict. Who's interest should take priority? Who work's for whom?
Answers (6)
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Ibu,
Excellent question for a college class in sports ethics, but way over the head of most of the viewers at this site. -
I always listen to my coach and my parents and if they don't agree they need to talk to each other.
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I think in team sports...team comes first. When "team" is the focal point, I think the rest will take care of itself. Most conflicts happen when there is an incompetent coach. A coach that is not sure of him/herself. Most parents can sense this, and there in lies the conflict.
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Parents ultimately are concerned with their own child or children if they have more than one child on the team--a much more focused concern. Coaches, on the other hand, are responsible for entire teams, children from multiple parents. This is much more broad and encompassing. Therefore, the coaches's clients must be the children, because they have to take into consideration many more things than a single family.
For the most part, coaches should be left alone to coach, as long as the coach is meeting basic coaching requiements such as teaching safety (decent technique), good sportsmanship, and achieving overall kid participation and fun. If parents want to coach, then they can volunteer to coach (all of the kids). Otherwise, they can coach their own child or children at home.
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I think it is important for the coach to listen to all the players involved (parents and children) The parents are the ones that pay the registration fees and are responsible to bring the players to practises. If a coach and a parent have a disagreement that can not be setteled between them, most organized clubs have an executive committe that can act as mediator. For the most part the coach should be able to adress any concerns or impliment any suggestions that a parent may have.
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Thank you all, for your thoughtful replies to this question. There is merit in all that was presented. Unfortunately, for the team, it has dissolved. As for my son, he did not make his HS freshman team.
I feel like I failed to 'keep my eye on the ball," ... my son.
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