Volunteer coaches give countless hours and weekends to take on the responsibility of developing young talent and fostering skills such as sportsmanship, commitment and team spirit. Those coaches can be drawn to the sideline leadership role for many reasons, including the fact their own child plays.
But should you coach your own child?
B.C. Coaches has laid out five questions every parent should ask before deciding to coach their child as an individual or as part of a team.
1. Motivation. Do you have the right motivation? The primary reason to coach is the desire to share what you know because you have a background, the experience and an ability in the sport yourself. Do you, as a parent, have skills and a connection to the sport that you want to pass on? If yes, your motivation may be enough to entice your son or daughter to play. Ask yourself why you also desire the leadership role and if youre prepared to share it with another coach.
2. Childs wishes. Does your child have a strong desire that you coach or you dont coach? Watch for tension during practices, games or at home because of the sport and the coach-athlete relationship.
3. Perspective. Can you treat your child with equality, as if they were any other member of the team? This could be the biggest challenge for a parent coach; make an attempt to be impartial, hard as that may be. For the sake of the team and your childs happiness at school and sport, refrain from treating your child as a favourite, asking more of him than other players, or expecting her to be the MVP.
4. Time. Be sure you can still spend time with your child away from the sport. Youre not just their coach.
5. Evaluation. Do you have a spouse or a larger coaching staff that can help you identify unfair treatment toward your child or unhealthy tension between you both?
After a few years coaching, consider a break or take an assistant role instead of being head coach. Your child and family stand to benefit immensely with you as coach but could also benefit from a change in coaching style and personality. Theyll also develop the ability to work with other authority figures besides mom and dad.
Twitter: @MHStewart
