This article by Bruce E. Brown is an excerpt from the Proactive Coaching booklet "Youth Coaching: 4 Keys to a Successful Season." With an estimated 80% of volunteer youth coaches having their own sons or daughters on the team, it offers practical guidance for making the coach/parent/athlete/child relationship successful: defining and separating the roles of coach and parent, honest questions to ask yourself before taking the job, talking with your child first, guardrails to follow during the season, and knowing when to step aside.
Introduction
It is estimated that about 80% of volunteer youth coaches have their own sons or daughters on the team. So one of the factors in deciding if you really want to coach is understanding how to deal with coaching your own child. Here are some suggestions for making the coach/parent/athlete/child relationship successful. It is difficult to parent and it is difficult to coach, so when you combine the two, you need to be prepared.