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You Can Coach
Find the Time and Courage to Coach Youth Sports
By Kim Seidel
Sanders believes that by coaching parents give their child and other children positive adult role models. "We can all make excuses for not having time, but our children's athletics should take a priority," he says. "Just try coaching. You'll probably find that it's the best use of your time in a week."
Youth sport seasons run short, usually no longer than two months, and practices and games are typically held once or twice a week. "A couple of days a week is a perfect amount of time for me," says Rugroden, a self-employed architect. "These kids need to have time just to be kids too."
And there's no need to hesitate coaching your own child. Rugroden hasn't experienced any difficulties with his son. He focuses more on praising all of the kids equally. Anderst's mother coached her until she entered high school competition and instilled a lifelong love of sports in her. The two major traps of showing favoritism and being too harsh with your child can be overcome with awareness and persistence to treat your son or daughter as an equal member of the team, she says.
Parent coaches are volunteers, and organizations like the YMCA value their time and commitment. "Let them know your interest and comfort level for coaching," Sanders says. Parents can be paired up with more experienced coaches and staff members, depending on how much responsibility they want to accept, including handling equipment and schedules.
Though most parents don't take on the title of "coach," they're more often than not welcomed onto the fields to help with practices, Sanders says. Positive feedback is also generally accepted. "For those parents who truly don't have the time, they can work with their child on their skills in their own backyard," Anderst says. "Many parents overlook this simple act of coaching."
