Closed Practices

To me closed practices indicate that you have something to hide. I agree with dgs that parents (and other fans) should be allowed to attend as long as they are just spectators. Remember that at the high school and junior high level, athletic programs are intended to be an extension of the educational process. Would a school close their classrooms to parents who wanted to see what was going on?

How closed is "closed?" Parents can't watch from the parking lot, or what?

I like parents to see what is going on, since I think we do a good job with their kids.

I don't like the idea of a parent holding their kid's water bottle, or being actually on the field, but I support their spectator status.

If you wish to close practices or limit parents make sure you are not superceding a visitor policy already in place. Have your AD use the same policy as the main school building...

Most schools have a policy where visitors (this includes parents) must check in at the main office to receive a visitor's pass before being given free reign throughout campus. If he really doesn't want parents to attend practices and is concerned that they really have no policy in place that can prevent it then he should "allow" parents but they must meet required policy of the school district as a visitor.... they must obtain a visitor's pass at the main office, THEN they are free to watch practice from a specified "safe area" outside of the practice field.

Define the safety areas as those where players, balls, equpiment would not come into contact with spectators ... all other areas are "team personnel only" areas as this area may not be "safe" for spectators and the school district is looking out for the visitor's safety.

This allows parents to view practice should they choose to jump through the SAME hoop necessary to visit their son's classroom. So, you don't have closed practices ... what you have, is an attempt to keep the school safe from walk up visitors that could potentially lead to a problem for students, coaches, faculty, and staff.

A visitor is allowed in a school freely (provided they met the check in requirements) as long as that visitor doesn't disrupt the learning process of any students or present a danger to anyone. Defining the spectator's area within your practice facility is 1) for visitor and player safety, 2) not to disrupt with the learning process. Set up your spectator area at a reasonable distance from the field and you're good to go.

Fall back on school policy and use it as much as you can

for those that have not been part of open practice nightmares, i can see reason to close them sometimes.....

even though this seems to happen in the baseball setting more often........since most daddies have won the smokey river little league championship 4 years in a row.....ha

at least in football most parents can only think to say "hit somebody" or "spread the field" beccause they don't know anything about the game scheme-wise......

i like what coaches have said.....close the practices until a good "visiting plan" can be put in place.....with a spectators area......no bringing a kid a gatorade when we already have 4 coolers of water in place.......

I have been in programs that have had both open and closed practices and the best thing to do if you have an open practice is to make sure that you are filming practice. We have had some issues with fathers that come to practice and then get selective memory on how many catches or tackles that their player has made in practice and then get in a coaches face about their kid's playing time.

I have coached QB's for the last few years and had a father come in and get very irate about his boy's playing time after a practice. I had to stop him and remind him of our policy of having the player bring this type of issue to his coach prior to having the parent get involved. He left in a huff and returned with his kid the next day and had his player ask me about his playing time. I sat down with the player and reviewed the weeks practice tapes and he understood why the senior was playing ahead of him. The father still was upset and came in and I reviewed the practice tapes with him. I asked him to chart his son's plays and we went through the tapes. After about 15 minutes of tape, he apologized to me and told me that he had only seen the last 15 minutes of a practice and thought that his player was better than he was. If we did not have the practice films, the situation would have been much worse. Be careful with the open practices if you are not going to film. Just my opinion.

I have a closed practice policy and I do not feel it is b/c we are hiding anything or are afraid for parents to see what we do and how we treat their kids...BUT, our staff needs to coach these kids, not their parents. If little Johnny is constantly looking over his shoulder to see what mom or dad's reaction is, then that affects our ability to keep him focused on the things we are trying to accomplish that day or week. Parents need to understand that their kids react differently when they know mom/dad are close by watching - it puts undo pressure on them and creates anxiety in the kid. They need that time away from parents - JMO. Because we all know when little Johnny gets home, dad spends plenty of time telling him about what he did wrong and how the coach is an idiot!