Parent Coaches in Softball
It is very common at the youth association and travel ball levels to have a coaching staff full of parent volunteers. No one seems to have an issue with parent coaches at the youth levels because coaching isn’t a paid position. At the travel ball levels, parents and spectators will have some sort of issue with parent coaches. It’s impossible for any coach at any level to make everyone happy. It’s also easy to use a parent coach as a scapegoat because they are an easy target. “Parent coaches can’t possibly know what they are doing,” can be an easy remark or assumption made by an angry sideline parent or spectator.
Let’s take a step back for a minute. Most parent coaches get into coaching at the developmental levels because they have a background in the sport or they are the most knowledgeable out of the other candidates. Being a parent coach is a challenging task at any age level. It can be challenging to perform as a parent coach when parents and spectators are continually scrutinizing you on the sidelines, which most of the time have minimal background or knowledge of the game. These critics usually want to see their kid have more playing time and fulfill a more prominent role on the team.
It is not uncommon for the kid of a parent coach to be a standout on the team. Often at the traveling levels, coaches are selected based on the placement of the players after tryouts. Out of the list of coaching applicants, whoever’s daughter scores the highest in the overall tryout, will rank as the top coach for the top team. The biggest hurdle these coaches face is equal or fair playing time and trying their best to keep everyone happy.
It’s impossible to keep everyone happy. It’s even more challenging to give equal or fair playing time on a team with 12-13 roster players when only nine spots can be occupied on the field at once. League and pool play games are a great time for coaches to use all of their players. Mix things up on the defensive end and bat the entire team on offense. Once tournament bracket play games arrive, it may be challenging to give every player equal playing time if you are trying to win. Don’t be alarmed if the coaches kid plays in every bracket game during tournament play, keep in mind often they were the highest ranked overall player in tryouts and had earned it.
After travel ball comes the club ball. Most club teams will advertise paid coaches who aren’t parents. With the number of club teams around, it can be difficult for teams to find a non-parent assistant coach, especially if the position is a volunteer. Should club teams and programs stick to what they advertise and avoid having any parent coaches altogether? The most common answer will be yes. If families are paying X amount of money to be a part of a club program which promotes paid non-parent coaches, they should stick to that.
What should be the parent involvement at the club level? Minimal. Parents need to learn how to transition out of the coaching and being involved in practice and game roles. The role of parents at the club level should be to get their kid to and from practice and games until they can do it on their own, work with their kid outside of team practice if the player wishes to put in extra reps, and cover the funding. Once softball players reach the college level, there will be zero parent involvement, which is why it’s important for club teams to stick to their guns and trust the paid coaches they have brought in to lead the way.
If you are a parent coach who is determined to coach at the club ball level one day, don’t be discouraged from reading this article. There is no reason why a qualified coach who has a playing and coaching background, can’t coach at the club level. You can coach, but you may not be allowed to coach your daughter. If you insist on coaching your daughter, perhaps another year of travel ball would suffice. There will come a time in every parent coach and player’s career when they will have to part ways on the field. It’s better to do it sooner rather than later.
Parent coaches are needed at the developmental association and travel ball levels. These coaches serve an essential role to all players who are just starting out. They will teach these players the basic skills and help them develop a love for the game. Once players reach the club ball level, parent coaches will diminish, depending on the club and what that club’s beliefs are. Once players reach the college level and beyond, there will be zero parent involvement. Parent coaches will always have an important role off the field, being a parent and the number one fan to their daughter. Just as players grow, develop and take on new positions in the sport of softball, parent coaches will do the same. If everyone has an understanding of their role and what is expected of them, everyone will be on the same page and together we all win.
