Coaching young kids sports teams

[Art Shirk]

woah. I knew you were dumb, I didn't know you were dumb enough to coach kids sports Vibes.

You're slipping. Perfect opportunity to smirk at suburban domestic endeavors.

[BigDaddy]

ISBD, that's so sad... I used to wrestle, but come to think of it, I don't think my folks ever saw a match, either?! Not exactly prime time material, I guess.


I coached girls basketball for several years and assisted with lax.

Never had a problem... good kids and parents, but this was NOT high level stuff... more like rec league. Higher stakes equal higher stress, but I always tried to maintain a fun atmosphere. Years later, my daughter's friends say I was one of the few coaches that they liked playing for, so it makes me feel good.

[Hugh Conway]

You're slipping. Perfect opportunity to smirk at suburban domestic endeavors.

it's the parents who charge headlong into them that are funny, not the endeavours. like how every soccerfuckyouavantlink dad/moms an expert on soccerfuckyouavantlink.

[userA]

i bet johnny footballs parents were a real joy to have around.
b

[1080Rider]

I've been coaching for about 12 years now (maybe more... I dunno). I have been extremely fortunate to not have had any issues w/ parents (though there was one season where half the parents seemed to be full-on crazy in their expectations- we wanted out after the season). It helps to have played at the collegiate level, there aren't too many parents that believe they have more experience than me. If there is anyone that ruins the game for these kids, it is the parents...

Does anyone know the worst 20 minutes of a soccer players life?

The ride home

[Timberridge]

i bet johnny footballs parents were a real joy to have around.
b

Since you brought it up...

AJ McCarron's mom (in red)



or Johnny Footballs mom?

[booner]

The kids are a pain in the ass but some of the moms are pretty hot, that's why I coach.

Yes. I coach my son's hockey team... Not for the mom ass, but it's definitely nice to watch the hot ones tying skates



Sent from one of those fancy cellular telephones

[booner]

Since you brought it up...

AJ McCarron's mom (in red)



or Johnny Footballs mom?

3:1 odds McCarron s mom blew one of his teammates. WHAT.... a slut



Sent from one of those fancy cellular telephones

[ICEHOCEY77]

If you think coaching is bad, try officiating. Ridiculous. Bonus is that is pays well.

[TNKen]

Every parent out there thinks their kid can play D-I sports. After seeing a ton of good volleyball on national levels, I was hopeful that my daughter would be able to play D-II. She is now a freshman on very strong D-II team, and hopefully in a year or so, will see a full time spot on the court.

College athletes these days are getting bigger by leaps and bounds. My daughter at 5'5" is not tiny by any means, until she stands beside the rest of her team.

[spook]

I coach high school wrestling. All the kids in our school are recent immigrants. Never had a parent complain or tell me what to do. Most years not a single parent comes to watch a single match. I've had a few kids who were State Champions and All Americans who got into college because of wrestling. None of them had a parent watch them wrestle even once. It's different.

i'm sure there's more than one reason for that.

[~mikey b]

I'm staying away from the coaching gig for now. I've played soccer all my life and have coached and reffed here and there along the way, but I don't want to coach Owen's U8 team. I want to be able to play footie with him and help him learn the skills and the game as best I can, but I don't think it's the right time for me to coach his team. He's in his 2nd season of U8, and we have had two great coaches. My buddy Phil, who knows fuck-all about footie, was an assistant last year and has moved up with his kid. He's a great coach because he's still learning the game like the kids. Owen likes to play keeper like his old man, but I don't want him to be too focused on that. He needs to learn the game - they all do. I don't even say much at practice and games, other than to cheer the little rug rats on. My wife and I talk to him about soccer and play a lot of small games with him.


I also don't want to coach skiing. As a patroller, I am very involved with the kids and coaches on a regular basis, and I make an extra effort to be part of their movie. They - kids, coaches, parents - all know I'm looking out for them. I ski like an ape. They are all faster than me. I'm hoping I can get better by chasing coaches and kids around.



19 Rules of Playing Football When You're A Kid

[MMP]

If you think coaching is bad, try officiating. Ridiculous. Bonus is that is pays well.

agreed, much more abuse than a coach gets, but most of it is hilarious how fucking stupid and oblivious the biggest mouths tend to be. I do youth and high school boys lacrosse and the worst experience i had all year was from a 3-4th grade asst. coach.

BD, the best compliment a coach can get is when the parents come up 5-10 years later and say, my kid had he most fun playing....l the year he was with you guys.

as for parents at practice; a fellow coach recently reminded me of a time when once warmups were done and all the helo parents had their lawn chairs set up, we ran the team to a remote part of the field and practiced there until the first break.

[chatton18]

Every parent out there thinks their kid can play D-I sports. After seeing a ton of good volleyball on national levels, I was hopeful that my daughter would be able to play D-II. She is now a freshman on very strong D-II team, and hopefully in a year or so, will see a full time spot on the court.

College athletes these days are getting bigger by leaps and bounds. My daughter at 5'5" is not tiny by any means, until she stands beside the rest of her team.

Woah talk about some thunder thighs. All but maybe one of those girls need some longer shorts.

[Timberridge]

Woah talk about some thunder thighs. All but maybe one of those girls need some longer shorts.

It's obviously not the beach volleyball team.

[TNKen]

Yeah, I told Mere wait till the coach decides to put some meat on her bones.. They have some hammers on the team.

I have now had girls I coached end up playing college ball, and it is fun for them to return and talk about learning the game. I have now probably had 10-12 end up at various levels of college play.

[userA]

the beach vball g's are much easier to watch, errr i mean coach.
b

[BmillsSkier]

Make enough 8x10 copies of this and hand them out to all parents at the beginning of the season.





Tell them you know what you're doing and to hold all questions till the end of the season, then walk away.

[userA]

did that really happen or was it scripted?
b

[~mikey b]

I met Bruce Jenner when I was a little kid. He trained at my high school and local jr college. He was a fucking hero.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

i'm sure there's more than one reason for that.

Many work multiple jobs and can't afford to take time off.

Many don't speak any English and rely on their kids for translating and navigating new places. Getting out and going anywhere can be stressful and difficult.

Most don't understand why they would interrupt their busy lives to watch their kids play, when they've got other serious shit to deal with.

The idea that youth sports should be regarded as more than a chance to play is also utterly unfamiliar. My biggest challenge is getting the new kids to understand why they need to show up every day on time.

Many Muslim (have had some great West African wrestlers, most of them refugees or asylees) mothers seldom go beyond their neighborhood without their husbands, while many fathers are busiest driving cabs at the time of competitions.

I've got a heavyweight who has been in foster care since his dad attacked him with a pool cue.

My best ever wrestler lived in Brooklyn with his mom who works three jobs. His father is in Senegal with two more wives and families. His mom did come to the banquet when he won the award for best wrestler in NYC, but has never seen him wrestle. I dropped him off at college a couple weeks ago because he doesn't know anybody else with a car. He's at Tompkins Cortland Community College, working out with the Cornell team. If he gets A's and B's he'll wrestle for Cornell next year.

I've had lots of kids bring younger siblings to weekend matches and tournaments because they were responsible for babysitting on the weekends.

So yeah, sometimes it's sad, sometimes uplifting and sometimes it just is. I meet many parents of wrestlers at the school for parent teacher conferences (a concept which is not alien) and they are generally deeply appreciative. Other times they seem amused by the fact that their son takes something so silly so seriously.

[BigDaddy]

Sounds just like my childhood...

Pretty amazing stuff ISBD and makes you think about what we have here. I figured the parents were working. I just mean it's sad in that they don't get to relish their accomplishments in the way we do, but perhaps they are indeed relishing their accomplishments.... just in a different way and every bit as gratifying.

Nice to hear your star is maybe going to Cornell. So that's why you were out that way...

[~mikey b]

I look at 2 young athletes I really admire right now

Michaela Shiffron
and
Gareth Bale

both young and at the TOP of their game and top of their sport

do you think mummy and daddy coached them?

[1080Rider]

both young and at the TOP of their game and top of their sport

do you think mummy and daddy coached them?

I can assure you, Bale wouldn't be where he was if he grew up in the states and his dad DIDN'T coach him. I get what you're saying, but I coach my stepson in footy and there are few people in this city that I would trust in my stead. In other sports sure, but there is something clearly lacking in footy coaching here in the states. So, I will have no problem coaching my 2 yr old when the time comes. I will know that he's taught properly from day 1.

[strawjack]

I'm coaching phucking rec flag football...yrs ago.

Parents bitching at me 'cause I'm not playing MY kid enough! wtf!

Ya, my kid was ahead of the curve at the time...9-10yrs old...we were losing games...but THEIR kid was playing. Didn't matter...they wanted to win damn it!

wholly fuck are people fucked up!

yes, ref'ing way worse. I retired to board work and realized that was a mess too. now i'm completely retired...before i killed someone.