re: Youth coaches - ever coach your own kids?

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Most of the time guys who were the best players make shifty coaches.

Guys who are humble and like to learn new ways of helping every kid get better are the best youth coaches. Any kid under 13 yo is developing and the focus should be on player development and not winning intergalactic regional championships

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Agreed. I had one girl on the volleyball team whose dad seemed to constantly be getting on to her during our games and I swear, I felt so bad for her (he had her in tears at least once), I really just wanted to clock the guy. No one else wanted to step up to coach, so I reluctantly took on the job because somebody needed to do it, but it was heartbreaking at times to see grown men giving their 8-10-year-old girls such shite. You hate to think about their home life. And then there were other coaches who had volunteered in previous seasons who would outright tell me (when we were picking squads) that so and so is a "trouble-maker", always doing "xyz" in school, or that kid has "athleticism", etc. For the record, the "trouble-maker" turned out to be one of my better players and she was a good kid. Just needed some firm direction and did well. Some people just won't take the time.

I found out quick I couldn't coach my own kids. 6 year old basketball. He never played basketball again, LOL. He just didn't like it. He picked soccer, but I'm still trying to get him to go out for football.

I'm glad I don't know anything about soccer. It is much more enjoyable being able to relax in the stands and just watch him play without having to take my focus off of him to the other players.

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ever coach your own kids?

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No - I was at all their practices and helped out if the coach asked

The dumb private school my kids were at for years had crap athletics so everything was volunteer - and if I’d help out I’d get sucked into coaching because I knew how to play the sport

Growing up i played every sport a girl could and I could’ve been on the track team in college but I didn’t really want to put the effort into it knowing I wouldn’t get anywhere

Luckily my kids arent too into sports (I think bc of the crappy way it was handled when they were in school) and our local homeschoolers are lucky enough to have some teams (although I’m not sure if they’re competing this year)

One of my sons loves basketball and he played for a while but once he hit middle school age and saw how thug it got where we lived, he lost interest

And the white people are to blame for their upbringing

We decided to hold my son out of football until 8th grade...save some tread on his tires but getting him prepped for HS. The only problem? He's in 8th grade THIS YEAR... which of course eliminated his season/me assisting the team coaching along the line.

Thankfully he isn't in the same situation that 95% of kids are. My CFB genes, his mother's All American track genes (he has already qualified for state as a 6th grader so we know he's got those), and next year he'll be joining a HS team with only 3 returning varsity players (2 Sr & 1 Jr...the rest have graduated.) My wife's boss was on a 1990s D1 national championship team in the as a kicker so he's been helping with analyzing his kicking form. We've spent the past year (post-fall '19 soccer season) working on that and since 2020 FB was canceled I've been doing a ton of work with the mental side of things. I've also showed him a few line moves and within a week he was dumping me on my arse. We also worked on basics like handling line stunts, how to plug a hole from the LB & S positions, and were blessed with quite a few windy days for him to get a feel for how wind affects his kicks.

I'm not sure if I'll volunteer to coach at the HS but I do look forward to breaking down tape with him and watching how far his development takes him. Back in the late 90s I read a story about Todd Marinovich and his dad. For some reason that's stuck with me for 30+ years and I try to make sure he never feels like he has to do anything for anyone but himself when it comes to athletics. I think that's how any well adjusted parent should approach things. It's unfortunate that there's way too many parents who do not.

Coaching now for 7 years. Thought i would never get a chance to help. With the lack of true coaches in Montana, I keep getting thrown into the mix. Love every minute of it. Can’t help cheer for my kids more than other players.

As they get older, I’m quickly finding out that it’s about the Johnny and Joe’s more than the X’s and O’s. Parents dedication in helping their kids excel in sports is very important.

Yes, but I wasn’t the Head Coach.

I coach em. But not in all sports. One I ride cause he can take it and I try to send a message to other parents, Hoping they will address effort, responsibility, and being a good teammate to their kids. The other is more sensitive, I don’t do anything but encourage him. He would probably quit if I was harsh.

I knew you’d like that one.