A Responsible Sports Fan suggested the following Scenario Question:
A 10 to 12 year old Synchronized Skating team has a mandatory practice policy. Those skaters who regularly attend practice will have a greater opportunity to skate at competitions. The parents signed a contract with the policy at the beginning of the season. Now they are complaining because some of the stronger skaters may get pulled just because they haven't showed up to all the practices. We, as coaches, are rewarding the commitment and hard work of the skaters who showed up rather than skill. How do we get the parents to understand and respect these policies?
Dear Cindy,
I applaud you and your fellow coaches for sticking to the practice policies you communicated at the start of the season to your skaters and their parents. By doing this, you are teaching a powerful life lesson to your athletes - those who follow the team rules and put in 100% effort will be rewarded, and this is a lesson that will help them well into their adulthood.
As far as how to get the parents on board with this policy, I have a few ideas. Having them sign the contract outlining this policy at the start of the season is a wonderful first step. Have them keep a copy and have them return the signed one to you. Secondly, and this might seem really obvious, when they start to complain about this policy, remind them that you communicated this from the start and that they signed off on it before joining your team. People talk about the need for message bombardment, and you may have to remind parents about the policy again and again before they remember it.
Do you have a written coaching philosophy? If not, consider putting one in writing. This philosophy should be shared with your athletes and their parents/guardians, and it might mention that you reward commitment and hard work (over pure ability/skill) with the opportunity to skate in competitions. You can let athletes and their parents know your coaching philosophy before they join your team, and if they are not on board with this approach, they can look for another team.
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