This week, in addition to the responsibility of coaches to deliver practice sessions to players, coaches were also completing parent meeting. These were to provide an opportunity for parents to meet their coach for this season, but to also provide parents with engagement on what expectations and objectives have been set, based on the current rate of development of the player, and also the current learning stage.
Coaches are currently involved in their internal coach education program, where the focus is on the framing of sessions for players, and the effect they have on the person through connection and not transaction. This is also important for how we engage with parents.
Parents
As mentioned in the parent welcome meetings, parents are always being told it’s their fault, or they are bad for youth sports; when the reality is it’s the organizations and adults in decision making positions which are causing the problem (coaches, directors, administrators). Just like how we should coach players, we should engage with parents through framing of the development pathway for the now and future, and having connections with the parents in how we can best support the understanding of youth development and how it differs to elite/senior levels.
The following podcast offers insight to how we as coaches and organizations can do better for the parents of youth athletes, and create a club environment where everyone can feel involved in the process. It provides some excellent thought provoking movements, with information beneficial to everyone involved in the youth athlete experience.
The Sport Psych Show, Creating a Parent Positive Environment – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sport-psych-show/id1434313037?i=1000533498938
- Parent Welcome: https://www.fremontyouthsoccer.com/parent-meeting-21-22-season/
- Parent Engagement: https://www.fremontyouthsoccer.com/parent/
- Interesting Articles: https://www.fremontyouthsoccer.com/interesting-articles/