Contributed by Mark Lowdon.Regional Director, USA Sport Group.
Being a new parent of 2, this thought has crossed my mind a few times (even though my kids are only 27 months & 3 months old). The more I see and hear parents who coach their kids, the more I want to stay away from it. It seems to me that these coaches are harder on their own child than any other. Is it because they can shout and scream at their own kid without having to worry about the repercussions?
I will go back to my childhood when my dad used to coach me for many, many years. As you can imagine, I was the captain, penalty kick taker, etc. But to my Dad’s defense, I was the best player ;). Unfortunately for my younger brother, this wasn’t the case. He rarely played and I remember one cup final when my dad didn’t play him at all. To this day, my Mom still hasn’t let him live it down.
I am interested to hear thoughts from others, whether you have kids or not. Will you or would you coach your own child? Currently, as said above, my answer is NO.
I have been my sons soccer coach since he first put on a pair of boots. This was mainly because the only coaches we have in Greenville Pennsylvania are volunteer coaches. As my son's soccer experience expanded I was blessed with the opportunity to remain his coach through u-10 to u-18 ... This included coaching the local High School Team (of which I still coach. My wife and I were very aware of the potential hazzards of this arrangement. With that in mind we agreed that she would hold me accountable as a coach. This provided a wonderful opportunity for not only my son and I to develop a deeper relationship but also an fantastic opportunity for my wife and I to communicate and express our feelings and concerns openly and honestly. Were there times when the road was rocky, of course, however I would not trade a second of the time I was given to be a part of my son's soccer career. I understand the question as it relates to coaching your own child. The more important question, I feel, is why do you want to coach your son/daughters team? When this question is honestly answered a clear motive can be seen. (My son is off at college and I still coach... the relationships I have built over my coaching career will remain with me forever.
ReplyDeleteCharles McErlane
Commodore Perry High School Soccer Coach
Hadley PA
mcerlane@verizon.net