Ky Youth Football Coach Sets Boundaries For Player's Parents

Attention all helicopter moms and dads prepare to have your propellers ruffled. One Kentucky Youth Football Coach is laying out his boundaries for the player's parents and we are here for it!

Angel here and you all know I have a gaggle of children. Before I had kids people trusted me with their own children. One of my biggest pet peeves were the parents that hung around the field only to put their two cents in where frankly it wasn't welcome. Now, I don't mean this in a hateful or rude way but when a coach is doing a job they should be given the free reign to do just that (within reason of course). I say this because I have been a parent who made a coach complaint when I felt something needed to be said but I took the proper channels to do so.

Coaching is a tough job. You have to juggle a number of different variables all the while handling a multitude of different personalities from parents and players. The ideal parent is the one who allows the coach to do his or her job and offers whatever support is needed at any given time. The parent no coach ever wants to have to deal with is the one who inserts themselves into practices and games without consent causing turmoil or problems for not only the coach, but their child, the other players, and the team.

I say this because we watched this unfold during my son's most recent football season. There was a parent who attended games, assisted at some of the practices, and screamed at not only his own son but the rest of our kids. Not in a nice way either. He wasn't constructive or encouraging. It was uncomfortable to be around. He wasn't a coach but took it upon himself to show up and intrude on our season. As a mother I watched multiple parents get upset with his behavior. Our season ended with one last incident where this dad screamed at my son in our season championship as our boys battle their hearts out trying to win the game. It was so alarming other parents stepped in. A child's livelihood isn't the place for drama. These are times for memories and learning experiences.

I was all too relieved when Tuck made all-stars to find out his All-Star coach sets a level of expectations for parents and players that should be followed in all youth sports IMO. We are fortunate enough to be members of the Owensboro Predators 8U team. Coach BJ Hamilton is the head coach (who's led his teams to multiple championship titles) posted this Sunday to our team Facebook page:

Some of you know me and some of you do not.

I have a strict 40-yard rule when it comes to my practices. Parents and spectators should be 40 yards away at a minimum. This ensures that I don’t have a player looking for mom and dad not paying attention and getting hurt. Safety is my number one concern for every player.

Whatever position you think is in your child's best interest or they are best at, please keep it to yourself. I have a lot of players on this all-star team and will place them in the position that best suits the team. Every player will earn their spots daily at practice.

Practice is mandatory! I have a lot of things to teach these boys in a very short window of time. Practice is non-negotiable, they will not learn it if they are not there.

Lastly, I am the coach, so it is my job to coach the children. My only goal as a coach is to ensure that these boys learn, have fun, and maybe win a few games. I’m not here to coach parents, you all are grown, we do not yell at other players on teams or referees. If you have an issue take it up with me. Sportsmanship above everything else.

Some might be taken back by this. I get it, some parents like to watch their kids. There isn't a thing wrong with it but practice is the coach's time to do what he has been tasked to do. It isn't the time to evaluate the coach, complain to other parents, or distract your child. I am more than happy to drop my boy off and head home for two hours to do what needs to be done.

Let's get some things out in the open;

You aren't a bad parent if you aren't hovering over your kiddo
It's okay to leave them in the safety of a trusted coach to do his/her job
They may actually thrive/grow more without you watching over them
If you think you can do a better job then you should be a coach
Think how much you can get done during their practice time
Would you like 50 sets of eyes monitoring your every move for two hours?

Not everyone will agree with this. Some people have their reasons for staying. Whatever the case may be please parents let the coach do what they are asked to do and allow your child to learn and grow in the midst of it all.

To all the coaches out there who take their time to coach our youth...THANK YOU. It does not go unnoticed.

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