As a football mom, or a sports mom of any kind, ensuring your child has a positive and safe experience with their team is crucial. Asking your child’s coach the right questions can help you understand the coach’s philosophy, expectations, and safety protocols. Below we list 7 essential question to ask your child’s coach or a league director.
7 Essential Questions To Ask Your Child’s Coach
Here are 7 essential questions to ask your child’s coach:
- What are the Team’s Goals for the Season? Knowing the coach’s goals and objectives can help you support your child in achieving them. It also reveals the coach’s priorities, whether they focus on winning, skill development, or simply having fun. This is an important question to ask early in the season and may be something you ask of the league director before signing up.
- How Do You Support Player Development? Ask about the coach’s strategies for developing players’ skills, confidence, and sportsmanship. This can include individual feedback, extra training sessions, or mentorship. Understanding their approach to player growth can help you reinforce these lessons at home and ensure your child is progressing.
- How Do You Handle Playing Time? This is crucial for managing expectations. Some coaches prioritize equal playing time, especially at younger levels, while others might be more competitive. Ask about their criteria for determining playing time and how they balance development with competition. Understanding this can help you prepare your child and set realistic expectations.
- What Safety Protocols are in Place? Inquiring about the safety measures can give you peace of mind. Ask about protocols for handling injuries, concussions, and hydration, especially during extreme weather conditions. Be sure to ask about safety protocols at games AND practice. Also, find out if the coach and staff have first aid and CPR training. Additionally, ensure there is an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on-site and that the coaching staff knows how to use it in case of a cardiac emergency. Understanding the emergency action plan can reassure you that your child’s safety is a top priority.
- What is Your Communication Style? Find out how and when the coach communicates with players and parents. Do they use email, a team app, or weekly meetings? Clear communication is key to staying informed and involved. Knowing the best way to reach the coach for updates, concerns, or feedback will ensure you’re always in the loop. This can also cut back on frustration you might feel as a parent.
- What is the Practice and Game Schedule? Knowing the schedule in advance helps you plan your family’s activities and commitments. It’s also helpful to know the coach’s expectations for attendance and punctuality. Ask about any flexibility for conflicts, and how they handle missed practices or games.
- What is Expected of Parents? Every coach has different expectations for parent involvement. Some may require assistance with transportation, snacks, or even coaching support, while others might prefer parents to take a more hands-off approach. Understanding your role will help you support the team in the most effective way.
And don’t forget that your child might also be feeling a little nervous or have their own questions about the upcoming sports season. Whether it is a new sport, a new coach, or a team they have been with for a few season, check in and see what type of questions or concerns your child might have about the sport/team/season.
Final Thoughts
Asking these questions not only helps you understand the coach’s methods and expectations but also shows your involvement and commitment to your child’s sports journey. Remember, a good coach will appreciate your interest and be open to answering your questions. Open communication and mutual respect between parents and coaches can create a positive and productive environment for young athletes. Taking a proactive approach ensures that you are well-informed and that your child’s sports experience is both enjoyable and safe.
As a fellow parent, I can’t stress enough how important it is to ensure our kids have a positive and safe experience in sports. I always made it a point to ask my kids’ coaches about their philosophy, expectations, and safety protocols when they were in sports. It’s great to see an article highlighting the essential questions to ask.
Thanks for reading Ann. Youth sports can be an amazing experience. Talking to the coach upfront I think helps ensure that it is the right team, experience, etc for your children.
This is a great post with important questions to ask! I especially appreciate asking about the safety protocols and communication style. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much AJ. Safety is usually the first thing I ask about
I am a rugby mum but the same will apply. Thank you for the post, will definitely apply it.
Glad it could help. I imagine being a rugby mom is a very similar experience to being a football mom.
I’m not a parent yet but I can tell these are important. Especially, the style of communication to make things smooth,
Thanks so much for reading.
Great blog post. These are really important questions to help ensure that everyone gets the best out of the practice, including parents who provide so much support. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for reading.
This is very informative for kids getting into sports with parents that don’t know what to expect! Thanks for making this post!
Thanks for reading Crystal!
Beautiful post! I think it’s so important to show support for your children and their interests, and that includes getting involved in any way you can with your child’s hobbies. Children love when their parents show interest in their hobbies and appreciate it. Also, you never know if the child may take might take the hobby seriously enough to turn it in to a career.
Thanks Charli for the note. I completely agree with you. Asking these questions not only help parents feel better about their child’s safety but it also males it clear to your children that you are interested and invested in their sport/hobby.
Super helpful! These are great questions to ask a coach. It’s so important that we as parents make sure the activity is positive and safe for our kids. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes, exactly! Thanks for reading.