Are Parents A Problem or Opportunity?
Coaching is not only about educating children, but parents as well. In most cases, every child has 2 or more parents/guardians.
That person(s) is often the most important person in your player’s life. They are the key decision maker who commits the child to play soccer. Their involvement means they are part of the financial engine for the team and/or club.
Given their importance, it is imperative to have a clear and effective strategy to inform, engage and educate parents in the process of player development.
Ways to build rapport with your parents
The golden thread that connects parents with the coach, the team, the club, and the league is communication. Communication needs to be strong, clear, and timely.
Methods of Communication
1. Club/Team Meetings
2. Flyers
3. Newsletters
4. Social events
5. Recruit services
Sideline Coaching/Parent Coaching
In order to prevent the yelling of parents at games you need to have the rules explained before the season starts. Explaining how the rules are suited to support their child’s learning by making them become autonomous learners, risk-takers, and independent thinker leads to a smarter soccer player. This is a meeting that should take place before the season starts.
You can follow this up by creating a Parent Code of Conduct. Have each parent agree and sign this document. You will need to have follow-up communication (emails, chat groups) that should also be used to reinforce this message.
Unfortunately, if parents continue to bark orders during the game, as a last resort you should ask the parent to stop, and the worst case would be to remove the child from the competition.
How To Create Long-Lasting Relationship
I established a long-lasting relationship with parents years after their child graduated.
Parents prefer that a volunteer does not coach/train their child. Parents want the best for their child and therefore wants to see a professional working with their children.
They want to know if the person who is in charge can make their child a better person and a better player. That puts the responsibility on you to take the necessary steps to further your education (coaching licenses) and to gain more experience.
How to Involve/Connect with Parents
Parents love to talk about their special ‘treasury’. Ask them how he or she is doing in sports. That often gets a conversation going where you can learn more about the parent and the child.
Thanking parents for their support often goes unrecognized. This can be in the form of an email, on important dates (ex. Valentine’s Day), or through an invitation to club activities.
A post-season survey to get their opinion.
You can learn more about how to involve, inspire and inform your parents by scheduling a call with me – Click Here
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