Coaching your child’s team can be a tricky proposition. Loads of factors can contribute to making your well-intentioned offer to volunteer a major headache. Perhaps parents will suspect favoritism. Maybe your kid will take heat from teammates for being the coach’s son or daughter. Or what if your child doesn’t even want you to play that role in the first place?
Here are some tips for making your coaching-your-own-kid adventure a positive for all involved.
Get your child’s input first. Before ever picking up a whistle, talk to your kid. Together, write a list of positives and negatives that might arise as a result of you taking the reins of the team. “It’s much better to get things clear early, rather than two months into a long, emotional season,” writes Active.com.
Shed your coaching role at home. Avoid overwhelming your kid with nonstop coaching. When you’re home, just be Mom or Dad.
Keep things fair and equal. If your son doesn’t have the best arm on the team, don’t start him at quarterback. You get the idea.
Spread the praise around. Don’t focus mainly on your child’s play and progress or always let him or her choose the post-game pizza place. “Conversely, avoid diminishing your child’s playing time or giving less one-on-one time in an effort to show that you are not playing favorites, as your child will begin to feel unfairly treated,” Active.com advises. “It’s a tough balance, but one that a coach-parent needs to be aware of.”
For more sound advice on being the best parent-coach you can be, check out this well-thought-out article.