Who evaluates the coaches? Who supports the coaches when they are learning?
I often see many posts from coaches talking about kids who are soft or about over involved parents.
I think we really need to turn the conversation to coaching education. Is it fair to expect our kids to do as they are told when what they are told is wrong? Why do we confuse “a different coaching philosophy” when it’s actually a lack of experience and education of the coach?
Who is overseeing the coaches matter too. Are they able to recognize that when a coach is unsupported by educated staff, players who have put all of their trust into coaching staff are putting them at risk for injury?
What happens when athletes bring up genuine issues, and they are then told they have attitude, and they have opportunities taken away?
Can we agree that we need to ensure our coaches have experience, education and support before we give them full autonomy with our kids and then gaslight them into thinking it’s the kid’s fault things aren’t going well?
Of course good coaches need to be respected and listened to. But what about bad coaches? Or do we think there is no such thing? What standard are we holding the adults to? Do we even have common ground? If not, it’s essentially a lottery for kids to get good coaching because as a society we are supporting the adults either way.