Do parents of High School Athletes belong as Varsity Coaches?

[rjs4470]

I think it is only an issue if the coach's kid is in the middle of the pack on the team in terms of talent. If they are the best or worst player then it usually is not an issue.

 

Why?? Middle of the pack still probably means plying time. And the folks that are going to complain, are going to think any playing time is too much. My kids are average to slightly above average players, and I've had zero issues.

[Voice of Reason]

I would like to add that the majority of the "problems" are parents and their views of how things should be done. Parents complaining at home, no matter the reason, are a waaaay bigger cancer to a team and program than a coach having their kid on the team.

 

Should parents not be allowed to come to games when their kid plays high school?

 

I am very often surprised by comments from parents about their kids in sports. There seem to be very few parents who can objectively judge their child's ability. It is tough to stay quiet at times as they rant about lack of playing time or not being used properly, etc. when it is pretty clear to me that the kid is being played/used exactly how he/she should be. I choose maintaining friendships over giving them the honest truth. Objectivity and parent apparently are antonyms.

[Jack of all Trades]

I am very often surprised by comments from parents about their kids in sports. There seem to be very few parents who can objectively judge their child's ability. It is tough to stay quiet at times as they rant about lack of playing time or not being used properly, etc. when it is pretty clear to me that the kid is being played/used exactly how he/she should be. I choose maintaining friendships over giving them the honest truth. Objectivity and parent apparently are antonyms.

 

All good points except can't you turn that same reasoning on the coach? IMO it is human nature for a parent to treat their kid differently than others that are on the team. I have coached my son in every sport that he has played. Many people have told me that it was harder on him than others because expectations were higher, but he did not lead the hoops team in scoring, did not bat leadoff in baseball and pitch, did not carry the ball on every down in football and did not score every goal in soccer. This type stuff happens people, no matter how you want to try and deflect it. If I am a school administrator and hiring a coach for an open position, the last person I am going to hire is a coach that has a kid in the program. Now if said coach is already in the system, we are talking about a completely different animal.

 

Let me add a little twist to the whole scenario. Lets say said coach also coaches a team outside of the high school/middle school and his/her kids are also members of said school team. What do you do then? This scenario actually happened to me a few short years ago. The coach was a first time head coach and asked for some help at practices, which I gladly accepted. About 6 or 7 kids that were on the team were also playing AAU basketball for me. I was told in no uncertain terms by the administration that I could not sit on the bench because it gave a bad sign that kids on my team were being given special treatment over those that did not play on my team. This had nothing to do with my coaching abilities, but simply how it looked to the parents with kids on the team.

 

Nowadays the same school system has done a complete 180 on this, so go figure.

[doubledeuce]

^ I think more times than not, in my experiences, that a coach that has a kid on the team is harder on their kid than the others.

[Mustang75]

No matter who the coach is NO.

[stickymitts]

No matter who the coach is NO.

 

If they are a varsity head coach and have been for years, they should resign when their kids get to varsity?

[jericho]

Being from Rockcastle, Coach Larkey coached his 2 sons and it turned out fine. Chris is the HC at North Laurel and actually has played agains this dad and his other son is a state police.

There are many coaches who coach their kids in HS and nothing wrong with it.

 

Most coaches have seen these idiot parents thinking their kids are the best so the coaches usually arent like these idiots.

 

Now youth sports is different, but in HS most coaches know if there kid is good and wont put them in a situation to be scrutinized by fans or other players parents.

[Mustang75]

If they are a varsity head coach and have been for years, they should resign when their kids get to varsity?

I stand corrected. You are right the coach should not resign. I do believe a parent can not be objective when evaluating a player.

[Guest]

If they are a varsity head coach and have been for years, they should resign when their kids get to varsity?

 

I think there is a differentiation between a career coach and a coach who serves while his/her child is in the program.

[Mustang75]

Sometimes coaches are wrong. They make mistakes like everyone. I lived this, with a son that got cut in middle school Muti times. When he went to HS he not only made the team but started for 3 years over many others who were "better". Not only that got a full ride D1 schorship at the end of the day.

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

CovCath's basketball team had this situation last year. I'd say everything worked out all right.

[rjs4470]

I stand corrected. You are right the coach should not resign. I do believe a parent can not be objective when evaluating a player.

 

I just do not agree. I've seen too many instances where coaches have been objective with their own kids. This is no different than family businesses. If you do not treat your kid the same as all the others, you won't be very successful.

 

My high school football coach, whom I respect and admire more than any man in the world besides my father and uncles, kicked his own kid off the team for violating team rules. There are too many successful coaches that have managed to coach their kids to say it is impossible to do.

[outofbounds]

Why?? Middle of the pack still probably means plying time. And the folks that are going to complain, are going to think any playing time is too much. My kids are average to slightly above average players, and I've had zero issues.

 

I believe most parents on the outside looking in think if their kid and the coach's kid are the same in ability then the benefit of the doubt goes to the coach's kid if they are middle of the pack on the team. Not saying it is right or wrong for them to feel this way but this situation can present problems for the coach, their kid, and the team.

 

I know of a situation in the area where I live where the varsity coach's kid is in jr. high and is good for jr. high. The kid is playing up on the freshman, jv, and varsity teams and getting a lot of minutes ahead of many of the high school kids. Is the kid that much better than the high school kids? No, but certainly is in the mix as far as talent. Is it good for the coach, his/her program, and their kid to play them ahead of the others? I don't know, I'm not sure it is. It certainly creates an atmosphere of favoritism and IMO the coach is asking for dissension among his/her players and their parents.

[Harry Doyle]

^ I think more times than not, in my experiences, that a coach that has a kid on the team is harder on their kid than the others.

 

No doubt about it.

[Builder1214]

Sometimes coaches are wrong. They make mistakes like everyone. I lived this, with a son that got cut in middle school Muti times. When he went to HS he not only made the team but started for 3 years over many others who were "better". Not only that got a full ride D1 schorship at the end of the day.

 

Hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, but maybe the coach was wrong or maybe your kid wasn't very good in middle school and is better now. Just because a kid ends up being better in high school, doesn't mean he should have made the team in middle school. Not making the team could have been the best thing to happen to him if it made him work harder and develop.

 

Good coaches play the best kids, bad coaches play favorites. That is the bottom line.