Parents and Coaches Youth

All of us as coaches, have to deal with parents but there are certain types that make all of us crazy.  It is those few Parents that force us to question if our altruistic cause is really worth it.  It is the following parent types that truly force us to remember why we coach:

1. "My Kid Is The Best" Dad
There is only one person who should never tell a coach that a certain kid is the best player on any team and that is that kid's parent, regardless of if it is true or not.  The most frustrating subset of this group is the parent that doesn't see his kid scoring and believes the coach "isn't using him right."  That is code for giving him the ball more.

2.  "I Have Been A Coach Before" Parent-

I hate this!  The reality is that they may be excellent coaches in their own right.  But if they are not there on the day to day dealing with all the players and their issues then they can never be as knowledgeable as the coach of that team.  

If they truly want to impart their expertise, they can get a whistle and apply to join the staff or at best, find a constructive time and place to brainstorm ways to help the entire team.

3.  "I Am Usually Not That Parent" Parent-

We have all been there with this parent.  The minute that comment escapes their windpipe, the coach suddenly thinks, "Oh no, here it comes.  What have I done to this person's kid?"

4.  "My Kid Is A Scorer"

Parent-My favorite!! In lacrosse, the kids with the best stick and nose for the goal will score.  As they get older, the real scorers (the attack and some wicked good middies) come to the forefront.  This parent has had the experience of their kid being the more aggressive, but not as skilled as the others, syndrome.  There are very few sports where aggression isn't the end all. In lacrosse, aggression without the ability to control the ball in the stick is not a scorer.  That kid is a defender, or face-off guy, if they can master that skill, but not a scorer.

These examples are much different than the high school parent which I will share later.

Love to hear other examples of the parent types.