SPORTS COACH An online magazine for coaches

For coaches of young sporting teams, interacting with parents comes with the territory. The behaviour of parents at youth sporting events has received increased media scrutiny in the past few years. Such reports often focus on the disruptive and sometimes abusive behaviours of the sidelined parent watching their child’s sporting event. However, this game-day scenario can be influenced by the dynamic of the coach–parent relationship. Specifically, this dynamic is positively affected by open communication between parties as they work together in the best interests of the child. While the term ‘youth sport coach ’ does not automatically seem to imply that coaches have an additional role ‘coaching ’ the parents, the involvement of mums and dads is important. Most parents provide positive support for their kids, whether it is in terms of transport to and from training and games, or words of support and encouragement. These parents are an asset and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, parents ’ involvement in their children’s sporting endeavours can take forms other than unqualified support. The coach is in a powerful position to influence parents and their behaviours. Indeed, the nature of these interactions can have a great impact on the coaching environment and subsequently the experiences of the participants. While for some parents it may be necessary to set ground rules (many organisations have devised parent codes of conduct; see ausport.gov.au for an example), it is important to understand the reasoning behind the behaviour i