So what you are saying is that if the gym can accomodate spectators that won't be in the way or be disruptive, you are fine with parents attending practices, correct?

 

Highlands is not one of those gyms, nor are there very many in the area where you would not be right on top of the players and coaches. So as far as the what if, then sure. But its not reality.

In our area a school closed ALL it's practices because a parent came in (4-5 years ago) and attacked a coach in front of the entire team. Grounds for closing and locking all the doors from now on I would say.

Sorry TB&G, but that is a gross generalization of parents attending practices. Not every parent is there to see if their little baby is being mistreated. Not every parent is by their nature reactionary. I've watched my sons get throughly reamed by coaches in football practice and thought nothing other than my kids needed to get better and listen to their coaches. I go to football practices because I enjoy watching my son and his teammates. I enjoy watching the coaches work with the players to improve them as football players. As Clyde pointed out, you see a lot more in practices than you often see in a game and I enjoy knowing what I am talking about when I post stuff on here. Being able to watch practices makes me much more informed. I like knowing what wrinkles we are putting in for an upcoming opponent as it helps me when I watch the game.

 

Yes there are some parents that can be disruptive. But any coach worth his/her salt should be able to handle those parents without throwing all of the parents out of the gym I would think. In my opinion, any successful program needs the support of the parents and the community. I know for a fact that Mueller likes and encourage parents to attend football practices and often speaks with some parents before or after practices. He wants them to be there to help build support for the program. I've actually had Dale ask me why there weren't more parents watching practice.

 

Of course we are respectful to the fact that we should not be disruptive to what the coaches and kids are trying to get accomplished. I'll admit that in a gym, with the noise situation, any spectators will need to be more quiet than in a football stadium. But assuming they can do such, why give them the boot? Not every parent is there to second guess the coach and baby their kid. From my experiences, its the small, make that very small, minority of parents that I'm familiar with.

 

This specific post was in response to the original poster that was commenting that the reason that he/she/someone else was interested in attending practices was that (supposedly) this coach was using profanity and/or questionable disciplinary procedures. This needs to be reported to the proper school personel. The parent is in no position of authority to take matters into his/her own hands or even research the claim. Let those that do have the authority do their job in checking things out.

 

A question for you...who is supposed to monitor the parents (and their younger children, the players girlfriends, school kids hanging out, and all the others who would want to stay and watch practice)? Is the coach to walk over and kick some of them out that can't sit quietly and watch? Does he allow the dad that always wants to pull his kid aside during water breaks and tell him what he needs to do? What about the one whose cell phone rings loudly about every 15 minutes? I have seen all these things happen during basketball practices.

 

I have seen both sides of the equation...coaches that have open practices and those that have closed practices. I have seen situations (during football) where parents gather at a distance away from the field where they can see what is going on but do not present a distraction. They socialize and retell stories of the old days. You can't have the same situation in a HS basketball gym. I have also seen (during football) the dad that wants to hang out on the players practice bleachers...ones that are in the endzone, where the water and gatorade is kept, where the kids go and sit during breaks, taking their helmets off. Who is supposed to monitor this dad during the break? Usually coaches spend this time discussing the next sequence of practice. Maybe the dad doesn't need monitoring, but then again maybe he does. If coaches have to monitor this, they are losing vital preparation time.

 

My point is this. There has to be a universal limit for all practice spectators. This would obviously be different from sport to sport and from gym to gym in basketball. That limit, in some places, may be the door.

This specific post was in response to the original poster that was commenting that the reason that he/she/someone else was interested in attending practices was that (supposedly) this coach was using profanity and/or questionable disciplinary procedures. This needs to be reported to the proper school personel. The parent is in no position of authority to take matters into his/her own hands or even research the claim. Let those that do have the authority do their job in checking things out.

 

A question for you...who is supposed to monitor the parents (and their younger children, the players girlfriends, school kids hanging out, and all the others who would want to stay and watch practice)? Is the coach to walk over and kick some of them out that can't sit quietly and watch? Does he allow the dad that always wants to pull his kid aside during water breaks and tell him what he needs to do? What about the one whose cell phone rings loudly about every 15 minutes? I have seen all these things happen during basketball practices.

 

I have seen both sides of the equation...coaches that have open practices and those that have closed practices. I have seen situations (during football) where parents gather at a distance away from the field where they can see what is going on but do not present a distraction. They socialize and retell stories of the old days. You can't have the same situation in a HS basketball gym. I have also seen (during football) the dad that wants to hang out on the players practice bleachers...ones that are in the endzone, where the water and gatorade is kept, where the kids go and sit during breaks, taking their helmets off. Who is supposed to monitor this dad during the break? Usually coaches spend this time discussing the next sequence of practice. Maybe the dad doesn't need monitoring, but then again maybe he does. If coaches have to monitor this, they are losing vital preparation time.

 

My point is this. There has to be a universal limit for all practice spectators. This would obviously be different from sport to sport and from gym to gym in basketball. That limit, in some places, may be the door.

 

Fair question. My answer would be the head coach. And if the coaches have to meet during a practice break to discuss the next practice sequence, I'd say the coaches didn't have their practice very well scripted.

 

Maybe we are just lucky at Highlands not to have to deal with the situation you are describing. There has been the rare situation where a parent went into the coach's office and got into a yelling match with the coach over playing time. I know more details, but I'll keep them to myself. Thankfully Mueller did not close practices and take it out on all of the parents.

 

And a question back at you: do you honestly feel that a cell phone ringing, even one ringing loudly, is really disruptive to a practice? I think you are grasping with that one. I agree with you about parents pulling kids over during a practice break being over the line (by a lot), but a cell phone ringing?

Highlands is not one of those gyms, nor are there very many in the area where you would not be right on top of the players and coaches. So as far as the what if, then sure. But its not reality.

 

But as you mentioned, parents could sit/stand in the mezzanine area and be completely out of the way. As long as they are out of the way and mind their manners, why should coaches care? Perhaps if the overbearing parent saw his/her son or daughter not practicing hard, the parent would understand why little Johnny or Johnetta isn't getting much game playing time.

Fair question. My answer would be the head coach. And if the coaches have to meet during a practice break to discuss the next practice sequence, I'd say the coaches didn't have their practice very well scripted.

 

Maybe we are just lucky at Highlands not to have to deal with the situation you are describing. There has been the rare situation where a parent went into the coach's office and got into a yelling match with the coach over playing time. I know more details, but I'll keep them to myself. Thankfully Mueller did not close practices and take it out on all of the parents.

 

And a question back at you: do you honestly feel that a cell phone ringing, even one ringing loudly, is really disruptive to a practice? I think you are grasping with that one. I agree with you about parents pulling kids over during a practice break being over the line (by a lot), but a cell phone ringing?

 

In a gym? When the coach is talking? You know what a cell phone sounds like in a quiet gym? Yes very disruptive. And here's the problem. Now coach has to stop practice and have Mr. cell phone addressed. Dead silence is a must at times in a bball practice.

A parent's job is to be positive and supportive without causing unnecessary distractions. If they can do that, the can go where they please...

 

I will admit, too many parents in a gym can get distracting...

But as you mentioned, parents could sit/stand in the mezzanine area and be completely out of the way. As long as they are out of the way and mind their manners, why should coaches care? Perhaps if the overbearing parent saw his/her son or daughter not practicing hard, the parent would understand why little Johnny or Johnetta isn't getting much game playing time.

 

Sorry, I was kidding. We're just going to disagree here. I would like to think my umpteen years in a bball gym might shed some light on this. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sorry, I was kidding. We're just going to disagree here. I would like to think my umpteen years in a bball gym might shed some light on this. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

 

Finally you got it right.

Finally you got it right.

 

Case closed!:lol::lol:

It is bad enough when kids respond to their parents during game situations. Coaches and players only in practice.

 

At a game this weekend I heard a parent yell at his kid throughout the game, finally he yelled to the coach "the zone is killing you" and the coach yelled back at him "we only have to stop two players". It was a boys game but the coach won, the kid walked off with his dad after the game for the long ride home and I can't imagine letting that influence into practices.

 

Just my opinion. Rules are made for the few who are abusive, intrusive and destructive.

Case closed!:lol::lol:

 

Bingo. You were right when you admitted you may be wrong. I feel bad that it took me so long to convince you that you were wrong. I'll do better the next time. :thumb:

Fair question. My answer would be the head coach. And if the coaches have to meet during a practice break to discuss the next practice sequence, I'd say the coaches didn't have their practice very well scripted.

 

Maybe we are just lucky at Highlands not to have to deal with the situation you are describing. There has been the rare situation where a parent went into the coach's office and got into a yelling match with the coach over playing time. I know more details, but I'll keep them to myself. Thankfully Mueller did not close practices and take it out on all of the parents.

 

And a question back at you: do you honestly feel that a cell phone ringing, even one ringing loudly, is really disruptive to a practice? I think you are grasping with that one. I agree with you about parents pulling kids over during a practice break being over the line (by a lot), but a cell phone ringing?

 

A cell phone ringing over and over in a gym while a coach is trying to put in a new offense is both disruptive and rude. To me, it's worse than the parent that waits until water breaks to "talk" with his son. At least he isn't dispupting practice.

 

LN, I need to go back and re-read your first post, but if your only experience (as a parent) is with football, we are talking about vastly, vastly different situations.

 

One last thing that I want to clear up, even if it is slightly off topic, but I didn't want to give anyone the impression that you took away from the bolded section. One of us doesn't understand the other, I believe. Maybe things are different at other places (I have been told that they are) but each of our coaches/assistants teaches or works elsewhere during the day. Our head coach (talking football here) is just like any other teacher in that he teaches 6 of 7 classes. He still has a written out, detailed practice agenda each day, including small group instruction with specific coaches and even the water breaks. I am not sure what other coaches do during those water breaks (if they have everything so nicely planned and aren't concerned about the next game or what) but our coaches are ALWAYS talking about the next step during water breaks. That might be the next practice sequence, the upcoming opponent, game or scouting film that he has been watching at night. If I gave the impression that our coach was anything but 100% prepared and dedicated, then I apologize. It's great if other places have it easier and have time during the day to plan practices together...or even talk! That's just not the case at our school and maybe some others.

 

Bottom line...I would rather our coach spend his time preparing the team, rather than worrying about parents doing whatever they please, where ever they please during practice times.

It is bad enough when kids respond to their parents during game situations. Coaches and players only in practice.

 

At a game this weekend I heard a parent yell at his kid throughout the game, finally he yelled to the coach "the zone is killing you" and the coach yelled back at him "we only have to stop two players". It was a boys game but the coach won, the kid walked off with his dad after the game for the long ride home and I can't imagine letting that influence into practices.

 

Just my opinion. Rules are made for the few who are abusive, intrusive and destructive.

 

Which really is the thing that got me so interested in this thread. I absolutely detest (it is the biggest of my pet peeves) when we institute rules that affect 100% of the people when the rules are only necessary to correct the behavior of 10% of the people. That thinking is why we want to ban guns because a very few people misuse them; etc, etc. It just pops my cork I guess.

Bingo. You were right when you admitted you may be wrong. I feel bad that it took me so long to convince you that you were wrong. I'll do better the next time. :thumb:

 

Actually I just gave up..