coachh
Junior Member
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Posts: 336
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Post by coachh on Feb 5, 2007 8:46:07 GMT -6
What is your policy on Parents watching practice? Is it different for summer camp then during season?
What do you feel are the positives / negatives of your choice?
Thanks
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Post by CoachMikeJudy on Feb 5, 2007 9:10:56 GMT -6
I don't mind at all. I encourage it. Our rules are that family is welcome to come so long as they stay out of the drills and do not disrupt the flow of practice.
At my last school, we had a few parents that came to practice regularly. Most were super supportive and regulars on Tuesday and Wednesday. We had only 1 incident in which we had to tell a parent he was not welcomed at our practices for the rest of the year. He broke the cardinal "parent" rule- no discussion of playing time outside of the football office.
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Post by tribepride on Feb 5, 2007 9:19:31 GMT -6
We don't have a set policy but the unwritten rule is that parents don't come onto the practice field and watch. Our practice field is located with roads on two sides but there is a change link fence up where parents and other community members stop and watch practice from time to time.
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Post by los on Feb 5, 2007 9:25:31 GMT -6
At the small private hs i helped at, the parents were a big part of everything, since ultimately they paid for everything lol. They could come watch the practices, some worked the sideline during games as medical personnel,etc... I actually didnt mind if they came in "real close" to our line practices, as some often did. Most were just curious, and were not intrusive. During my years coaching at the youth level, parents were always at practice. They could get pretty close to the action,while staying outside the fence surrounding the fields. So, I'd have to vote having no problem with it!
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Post by wingtol on Feb 5, 2007 9:33:30 GMT -6
We can't really stop our parents from watching the way our practice field is set up so it really has never been as issue for us. We do basically tell the parents "We don't come into your house and tell you what to have for dinner and how to cook it. So don't do the same to us." Most of them get it and we haven't had any problems so far.
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Post by tothehouse on Feb 5, 2007 13:55:03 GMT -6
While not encouraged, it is totally fine. The parents will then have the sense of what the team went through that week in preparation. Some parents were at every single practice. They don't bother anybody (except, maybe their son). It's cool. When we do some of our drills that get the players fired up the parents and other fans that are at practice join in and encourage the young men.
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Post by superpower on Feb 5, 2007 14:33:09 GMT -6
I have no problem with having parents come and watch. I once apologized to a mom who showed up to watch part of our practice. I went off on a kid and told him to quit ****ing up my practice, so I apologized to the mom (not the mom of the kid I went off on) after practice, and she said, "He was ****ing it up." I have learned to choose my words more carefully.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2007 15:30:25 GMT -6
I've been fine with it until one day a dad got WAY too close. I was doing 1 on 1 drills with my DBs working the 15 yard line going in and dad appeared next to me and said "let me run a route on my son once." I told him my rule was if you don't do conditioning, don't show up to meetings, don't do the drillwork then you don't take part in 1 on 1's.
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Post by coachveer on Feb 5, 2007 15:46:05 GMT -6
When a parent comes to me and asks me the question about why his son doesn't play. My first responses is to ask him to come to weeks worth of practices with out telling his kid and just watch. I have had 2 show up in all my career. Neither have approached me afterwords with the same question.
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Post by charrison on Feb 5, 2007 16:41:10 GMT -6
I think parents at practice can take care of a lot of issues, but there must be standards of conduct and rules. In between the lines parents need to remember that the coaches are in charge. Also we have all had the kids parent always on our back about why he doesn't play more and Coachveer hit it on the head come and watch how your boy practices. all but the most delusional will get the message and sometimes it even serves to motivate the player, who can no longer lie to dad about his prowress.
Rambling and slightly incoherent but hey it was a snow day!
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Post by kboyd on Feb 5, 2007 17:07:10 GMT -6
I have no problem with parents watching practice. In this busy time it's nice to see parents taking an active role in their kid's life. Plus, as coachveer talks about, it's a quick way to show parents why little Johnny isn't playing much.
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coachf
Freshmen Member
Posts: 15
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Post by coachf on Feb 5, 2007 17:43:32 GMT -6
I can't really stop them from watching. So I have learned to live with them. We only have 1 real pain in the butt. I just had to tell some players to stop talking with him after practice (he likes to critique everything I do and change it).
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Post by coachcb on Feb 5, 2007 18:23:04 GMT -6
It's a privilage that they can lose in a hurry. We had 4 dads that would watch practice every single day and then write emails to the AD about how horribly practice was run. After one of their more scorching emails, I walked up to them before practice and asked them if they actually had jobs they needed to be at. I got into a little trouble for it, but the HC agreed with my frustration and closed practice.
If they're just observing, that's fine. But the minute I hear a g-dd-mn thing about what we're running or how we practice, they're gone.
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Post by champ93 on Feb 5, 2007 20:16:18 GMT -6
We have a circular drive around our school with the parking lot on the inside and the practice field on the outside. I tell parents they are welcome to watch, but they must stay in the parking lot or watch from the road. I also tell them their son usually knows they are there and it could be a distraction. A few watch early in the year, but none have ever been a problem.
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Post by fbdoc on Feb 5, 2007 20:19:45 GMT -6
We don't have a published rule but our new parents get to see how things "work" from our veteren parents namely, sit in the bleachers and don't get in the way. After we dismiss the team if they want to chat (not about playing time!) we are always available. At our current school I've only had one parent come out on the field in 6 years - end of practice conditioning and he wanted to get close to his kid. When I noticed him I just said "Sir, you need to get back in the bleachers." He left right away and I spoke with him after practice. His kid was a new 9th grader (ended up leaving the team after one more day).
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Post by warrior53 on Feb 5, 2007 20:51:26 GMT -6
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!! LOL.
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Post by Coach Huey on Feb 5, 2007 22:21:09 GMT -6
can be good p.r. thing if handled correctly
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Post by bvernon on Feb 6, 2007 12:17:59 GMT -6
My school has had a lot of parents watch practice over the past couple of years and it has never been a problem until this past season. One of the parents kids didn't start at QB so he tried to get the other parents of the younger kids on his side and start problems. We noticed that these parents started to write stuff on the conference chat room about practice. They talked about players while using their names, talked about the coaches, and other things that caused a bunch of problems. This year we are thinking of closing our practices or telling the parents the first time something comes up your kicked out. This got so bad that the chat room stuff went from practice to games to calling out kids by their first name. It got really personal and caused a huge distraction the entire season.
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 6, 2007 12:34:49 GMT -6
There's a difference between watching practice and interjecting themselves into it in some way- I'd think at the high school level you'd be hard pressed to"close" practices if anyone ever chose to fight that- public property their kid etc. I don't think any program should worry about what they do at practice or how they act/treat players and that should be reflected in an open door policy for WATCHING practices. Problem parents will still cause problems regardles of if they watch practice or not- they do whatever they can to advance their agenda.
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Post by coachmoore42 on Feb 7, 2007 23:11:14 GMT -6
We had to close the gate around our practice field a few years back because of parents taking their kids from practice and giving no notice (usually with some BS excuse), playing time discussions, etc. They can still watch from outside the fence (that way they cannot say we're hiding what we do), but players are instructed to stay away from the fence, if mom or dad has to talk to them they can talk to a coach about it first and it better be good. Parents have taken to it pretty well, I still feel horrible when one of the good dads who loves the game asks us about it and his head drops a little when we inform him the gate stays locked.
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Post by middlec on Feb 8, 2007 11:34:04 GMT -6
I think it may be worse at the MS level than at the HS. MS is a big transition period for players and parents. Prior to MS, parents are used to being on the field with their kids, many of them having coached their kids in the rec leagues (daddy coaches can be a pain in the a...). When they come to the MS they seem to think they have every right to be right in the middle of the drills telling every kid on the team how to play (usually incorrectly). I've tried it both ways. For the last several years I've insisted on closed practices. This year we've made it school policy. All practices for all sports are closed to parents at our school. A few parents have a raised a stink, but it's better for the kids in the long haul. And it helps our HS teams when the kids step up and the parents have finally figured out that they can't hold junior's hand during practice.
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 8, 2007 12:12:26 GMT -6
MS? I've been coaching MS football for years and have never had a single problem with a parent- heck they stand practically on the side lines during games (not much in the way of bleachers so standing behind the team or a longside of it is the only real way to watch the game) and it's never been an issue yet. I've been in the district for years- in fact I'm coaching son's of former players/students and I coach at the high school as well which likely helps. I feel very fortunate to not have those problems.
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Post by middlec on Feb 8, 2007 12:39:13 GMT -6
I guess that's okay as long as they don't try to coach form the sidelines. I've been in the same county 21 years myself.
Part of the problem here is that it's a pretty wealthy county. We have a lot of dads that never go to work. They just hang around. They get mad when they want to volunteer as a coach and I tell them no. For one thing, they don't know what they are talking about, and for another, their kids don't want them hanging around either. It's my belief that the MS level is the point at which parents need to start letting go a little. These kids want to learn without the presure of having dad being critical of their every move. Kids can make mistakes on my practice field without having dad yelling at him in front of his friends. I'll take care of the yelling. :-) Funny, they all want to coach, but getting them to work chains at a game is like pulling teeth.
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 8, 2007 14:02:41 GMT -6
LOL, heck if they were smart they'd jump at running the chains- best view on the field! Maybe it's an unfair assumption but it seems to me folks with money often are so use to getting what they want or due to their status of being well to do or educated they often believe they must be listened to or their opinions have great value and they often cause problems. Again maybe I'm off base but it sure seems like that.
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Post by middlec on Feb 8, 2007 14:39:57 GMT -6
And I grew up a dirt poor farm kid. My family ran a small dairy. Sometimes those rich parents and me mix like oil and water.
There have been times when I've had to go to the opponents stands to get a chain crew. It's embarrassing when you have to get the visiting parents to run chains.
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 8, 2007 14:52:59 GMT -6
Middlec- honestly that should not even be a concern you have on game day. That's what AD's are for;) unless of course you are the AD as well. I know if an official asks me about a chain crew for a MS game I tell him I have an offense and a defense and a few special teams but no chain crew. But you are 100% right about how that looks to visiting parents.
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Post by middlec on Feb 9, 2007 8:01:26 GMT -6
AD??? Ha HaHa.
I may have to take it next year. Sometimes the guy we have now doesn't even get people to work the gate. Our AD has a nice office in the gym with a big ol' couch for naps.
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Post by fbcoach33 on Feb 9, 2007 11:56:45 GMT -6
We do not, partly because I dont really care for it as a coach. And I think you also do your players a favor by not having them there. some of our kids have been coached by their dads in every sport since they were 5 and they have had enough, I see the look on the kids face when dad shows up of dread and they dont practice real well. A parent shows up the last few minutes of practice and watches and things are winding down doesnt bother us. its sitting there stalking there sons that I dont think is real healthy for anyone.
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 9, 2007 12:25:15 GMT -6
Coach33 the flipside to that is some kids may turn it up a notch for Dad- it can work both ways depending on the kid and the dad. Personally as long as they cause no problems they should be allowed to watch practice- if Jr. does not like dad being there then it's between the kid and his father. After all won't Dad be watching his games? What do you do then- not allow Dad to attend games because Jr does not play well when Dad's watching?
Parents can either be the best thing a player has going for them or the worst and most of that is completely beyond our control as coaches. I think being open about what goes on at practice and how- the way in which players and coaches interact can be a great plus to how the program is viewed by parents and the communitity.
LOL, I can remember a mom telling me to tell her son to "stop running like a {censored}" as I made my way down through the stadium for halftime. I enjoyed passing that message along- your mom says........
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Post by fbcoach33 on Feb 9, 2007 15:16:01 GMT -6
I dont disagree with you coach, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable with. I also think you have to have a policy one way or the other, they can either come or they cant, gets messy when some parents can and some cant etc. we try to build in other parent involvement things, such as team dinners, film nights etc. so they can be a part of it which is so key. I view practice as the teams time, players and coaches. I guess I feel that if it takes dad to come and watch practice for them to go hard Im not doing a very good job of coaching.
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