"Player-Parent-Coach Relationship" Article

[CMHCoachNRef]

From the article: "When an organization called the Lehigh Valley Coalition on Sports Ethics brought in top-notch speakers and held forums on the parent-coach subject, attendance was poor."

''The other guy has a problem, not me,'' is the thinking most parents have.

To confirm this point, at my annual Parents Meeting (back when I coached), I would ask two questions:
1. How many of you think that at least one player will smoke and/or drink alcohol during the season?
2. How many of you think that it will be your son?

Virtually all parents raised their hands in response to the first question. I rarely ever had a parent raise a hand in response to the second. Of course, these two questions provided a perfect lead in to the topic of drug/alcohol abuse.

Parents feel the same way about "out of line parents" complaining to coaches and ADs (and referees). Their complaining is always reasonable, it the other parents who cross the line.