This is a article I wrote on the expectations of a soccer parent for SCSYSL. Some of it has been removed as it does not apply, though some league specific verbiage has been left as is. Feel free to link to it at your leisure. If you’d like to use it within your league, please let me know so I know where it has reached.
Ettiquette
Our coaches and Board of Directors are comprised of volunteers. We all do our best to answer your questions responsibly, efficiently, and with utmost respect to you. However, we have had volunteers resign due to the way they are treated by parents within our league. It is your responsibility to treat our volunteers with the same respect you deserve. During communications with our coaches and board members, remember to define the problem, listen to the solution, and constructively reply. This simple formula will yield the best results for you as a parent and the best experience for all in involved.
Communication
As a player, coach and parent myself, there is one, very big thing that has stuck out to me when it comes to team sports. Parent communication is an integral part to creating a team environment and guiding your superstar in the right direction. This is not just a soccer thing, it also applies to hockey, baseball, cricket, and rugby. Please communicate with your coach if you are going to miss a practice or a game. Often times, less than half of a team will show up to practices and then parents get upset about not winning any games or their superstar not improving through out the season. Parents, you are also part of the team; as a parent.
Practices
Some volunteer, recreational coaches do not have a lot of experience with soccer. Simply put, they are at the field anyways and decided to try and spend some extra, quality time with their superstar while learning the game and coaching your superstar. Our board members are very grateful for all of the time our coaches spend with their team, but this does not mean that every coach has that extra time to practice and do other things with their team. If you have a problem with this, please step up and volunteer to be the Assistant Coach of the team. Assistant Coaches can run practices and help coach the team during games. Remember parents, just like our volunteer coaches, you are also at the field for the same practices and games the coach is there for. Why not help the coach? Give them some pointers. Point out what they may be missing. As a coach myself, I would not have been able to learn the game without the parents that I have come in contact with over the years. They have pointed things out to me that I wasn’t getting on my own. Constructively, you can help the coach, coach your superstar.
At Home
Soccer is something that needs to be practiced; a lot! Players that practice are more likely to improve their play when they practice at home and at the field. Whether it is simple passing between you and your little one in the backyard, heading to the field to shoot some balls at the net, or simple drills in your basement to learn better foot skills, you are a part of your superstar’s development. You can find a plethora of drills on YouTube to help you, help your superstar. Try searching for “U6 at home soccer drills” or “U10 improving soccer foot skills”…though you might have to very your search a little, you can find the information you need to help your superstar.
At the Field
Coaching is fun and exciting! It can, at times, be quite stressful though. The biggest thing for parents to remember is that coaches are not babysitters. During games and practices, help keep your little one on the field. During games, make sure your superstar is by the coach. This helps practices run smoother and it helps to make sure your child is getting their playing time, too.
Also, for the sake of our children, please keep the following away from the field during practices and games:
- Alcohol, Illegal Drugs and Legal Drugs
- Smoking of cigarettes and marijuana, as well as vaping
- Any and all animals, no matter how well behaved they are
- Drama, kids don’t need to see this
Referees
No matter the circumstance, what the referee says, goes. If you have an issue with the way your game was called, let the coach know. If the coach cannot resolve the issue, talk to your local Referee Assignor. In no case should you directly communicate with the referee. This includes asking for clarification about a call or strongly voicing your opinion about a call. Many of our referees are under the age of 18. Why does that matter? In many cases, your banter is considered child abuse. As a league, we are required to remove you from the field, and talk to your superstar’s coach. If it happens again, we are required to ban you from the fields until we see fit. What’s worse? Your coach may get Red Carded and have to sit out a game or two. In some cases, this means forfeiting a game because they do not have an Assistant Coach with Risk Management. Without risk management, you cannot coach. By not adhering to this simple paragraph, you could cause your superstar and his team to miss an entire game, without a refund. That’s not fun for your superstar’s team, coach, or you. Please talk to the coach, about problems with the officiating, not the referee. And lastly, please talk to the coach about problems with the officiating, not the referee.
All in all…
There’s an old phrase that says “it takes a village, to raise a child.” Soccer, and all team sports for that matter, depend on many aspects to teach the game properly. It takes a willing participant, no matter their skill level, to coach the team. It takes a parent to work with the coach to help their superstar get the most out of the little time they have at the field. It takes a parent to keep their superstar improving and focused while they are away from the field. Youth Sports are available in order to help our children improve in the sports they enjoy. As a parent, you are their biggest coach and best cheerleader.