Youth team sports coaches.....

[Phlog]

As a parent you have to assume that you exhibit motivated reasoning. You have to realise that even in the unlikely event of you being right, the coach has dick parents who think their special snowflake ain't getting what they deserve and you sound the same.

So back off or pay a backhander to get playing time.

 

[bushman505]

We're going to see jack handy on the news for beating another parent or a coach to death.

 

[Jack Handy jr]

We're going to see jack handy on the news for beating another parent or a coach to death.

Maybe not to death

 

[TehWeak1]

I had a parent once email me about his son's playing time in hockey. I approached him in person and during the conversation I asked what he expected. He said "fair play..." You see he had been timing his son's ice time. I noticed that although his son did in fact have rather short shifts, he got on the ice quite frequently; essentially evening things out. He obviously didn't bother to count that data... I asked if he had timed all the other kids, he said no.

We had a team with 4 sets of forward lines, and 3 sets of defence. Anyone who knows minor hockey will know that that's like an NHL lineup. I had to manage those 4 lines as best I could. 3 15 minute periods isn't a lot of time to roll through 4 lines. So basically everyone got really short shifts, like 30-45 seconds. Sometimes even shorter.

I tend to use the atmosphere on the bench as a litmus test for how well I'm doing. If the kids are happy, then things are generally OK. I couldn't care any less about what the parents think of my coaching style because they're not out there with me.

 

[j123]

We're going to see jack handy on the news for beating another parent or a coach to death.

 

[HockeyBjj]

Only from baseball and hockey. Some hockey coaches are insane.

Yeah. Youth hockey is nuts. The patents are worse. I want to coach youth hockey someday, if only to try and be a decent one where 80% are overly pushy on kids that 99% just want to have fun with a little competition. It gets at bitter for a spot and playing time as high school varsity by age 7

 

[HockeyBjj]

I had a parent once email me about his son's playing time in hockey. I approached him in person and during the conversation I asked what he expected. He said "fair play..." You see he had been timing his son's ice time. I noticed that although his son did in fact have rather short shifts, he got on the ice quite frequently; essentially evening things out. He obviously didn't bother to count that data... I asked if he had timed all the other kids, he said no.

We had a team with 4 sets of forward lines, and 3 sets of defence. Anyone who knows minor hockey will know that that's like an NHL lineup. I had to manage those 4 lines as best I could. 3 15 minute periods isn't a lot of time to roll through 4 lines. So basically everyone got really short shifts, like 30-45 seconds. Sometimes even shorter.

I tend to use the atmosphere on the bench as a litmus test for how well I'm doing. If the kids are happy, then things are generally OK. I couldn't care any less about what the parents think of my coaching style because they're not out there with me.

Yeah. Parents with stopwatches are a nightmare. So much crap in my time in peewees. And the thing is, most of the time the kid does not care or notice that he got a minute 30 less playing time than someone else. But the parent made a big stink and ass of themselve out of it.

If the kid was sitting on the bench and only getting 2-4 shifts a game then yeah, there should be a discussion of is the goal of this team to develop players or win the division at this age. But when you need a damn stop watch to tell if they are or aren't getting slightly less playing time than others just be quiet

 

[jamiejamie6661]

It is great that you are interested in your son's life and seem motivated to help him do well.

Is this an issue for your son?
What I mean is, independent of your emotions on the issue, would he be unhappy about the amount of playing time?
- If no, then there is no problem. I would say that if your son is at the age where he needs you to manage his relationship with the coach, he is also at the age where participation and enjoyment of sports (that includes his father's mood before, during and after games) is more important that any other factor, regardless of your goals for him.

- If yes, maybe find a team that focuses on participation and really strives to give each player the same amount of time.

Good luck. Fatherhood ain't easy, but I think this is a case where any level of frustration above 1/10 is inappropriate.