Recap of last night show.

The one thing that I walked away with from last night is really understanding youth football. Many of us complain about parents and certain players on our team. The main thing we need to do at times is sit back and understand what these parentes are coming from. This is their pride and joy that they leave in our hands. We need to understand that they want what is best and we need to understand that most of these kids won't play beyond club level. So this is the time that these kids get to shine and the game is prue. I talked with coaches all over. One coach I spoke with stated that he was "going to put his foot down and tell them parents what the deal is going to be!" The problem with this is that every parent pay a good sum to have their kids play. They have the right to have some comments on the progression of their child. Some coaches I know have even felt like quitting because of parents. LOL This is silly indeed. You fix most problems when you use some of the tips Coach Erik Saunders spoke of and some tips of my own.

(1) Day one have a player/parent contract.

This allows you to have a list of things you expect from the parent and the child.

(2) Have a parent/coach contract

This outlines what your goals are and what your intent is.

(3) Have set days for meetings.

Never talk with parents the same day of a game. Emotions run high and right after the game is a poor time to talk about things. Have a day where you can talk with parents and also use emails. This way you have time to think out what you want to say and time to calm down. I use my team mom to be a buffer for me and the parents. She tells me the concerns. Then I tell her what day I would be open to speak with the parent.

(4) Always be fair.

I have seen times where certain players get away with things that others don't. Parents see this and you will have hell to deal with when you do this often. Treat every kid the same.

(5) Use a sub system

We all have mandatory play rules in our leagues. You need to use a system that Dave Cisar use and I spoke of on the show. When you use sub buddies it cut down on the issue of plays and playing time. You use practice to see who is playing hard and show up every practice. Don't be one of these coaches that allow the "Star" to miss all practices and he walk on as the starter. I seen all kinds of problems with parents and coaches when they don't sub well. Then a good coach will see and notice when a MBR player is out there to get plays in and expose you. Then reward those that put in work all week.

(6) Do coaching evals

Have a sheet made and give it to the parents. Let them grade how well your doing. This way you know what you need to work on and help with the connection with parents.

These tips should help you and have a great system working for you in your season. You will have a parent that is hard to deal with no matter what you do. Just make sure you have your guidelines and stay to them. So when you meet with your AD you have something in writing to protect you. Invest in a system, talk with other coaches see what they do, and always remember that your coaching babies. If you feel that someone is hurting your child you have something to say about it. Coaching is one of the best jobs to date. You're the farmer and you will yeild a great harvest if you take care of your crops the right way. If you don't tend to them correctly you can loose your crops.

Coach Hayes
The Red Zone Show