Parents play a vital role in minor hockey. Parents are what makes it all possible, and are the ones who invest their time into ensuring that minor hockey is a possibility for their kids. You can find parents filling these roles that make for a functioning league because they are often unpaid positions and the only thing persuading them is their children. Nearly every minor hockey team has at least one parent coach on their coaching staff. There are many benefits of parent coaches however, there are also some down falls to it. Here some pros and cons to parent coaching:
Pros:
- They are more likely to invest more time into the team. A parent coach will put time and effort into a team because what they put into it their child gets out of it.
- They may bring great experience. Sports usually run in the family, so the coach may have some great talent and experience to share with the team.
- Parent coaches bring familiarity to the players. They may have already known them from being on the same team as their child in previous years. This can make the players feel more comfortable and relieve pressure.
- Parent coaches have a child on the team therefore they may be more aware understanding of the teams needs and how to treat them.
Cons:
- They may put more focus on their own child then the team. The best interest may be in their child and not the team in its entirety.
- Favouritism may be shown. The coach may give their child more ice time or special benefits because it is his son.
- The child whom their father is the coach is more likely to talk back and resist authority. Sometimes children have trouble taking criticism and if it is their parent telling them they may resist and not listen.
Being a parent coach doesn’t have to have any cons. It can be a very positive experience for the coach/parent, team, and player/child. The key to being a parent coach is staying neutral at all times and you will be successful. Parents are what make minor hockey happen so we must cherish those giving and selfless parents who continue to put effort into making minor hockey available to the community.