Sound Off: Parents vs. Coaches

Working together to provide the best environment for your son or daughter

By Corey Koskie

’m a coach. Let me rephrase that: I’m a volunteer coach.

One more time to reiterate the point: I’m a VOLUNTEER coach.

I like to remind parents first and foremost to remember that as they head into a season of unknowns with their littles on the ice. Most of these coaches are volunteering (some likely out of necessity rather than actual willingness) to coach your child’s team.

And coaches, remember that these are parents whose littles they are entrusting to you for a few hours each week. Entrusting you with their safety, with their physical and mental well-beings, with their kid’s amusement. That’s a big thing not to be taken lightly.

Now that we have the roles out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks: respect for one another and working together to create a fun hockey environment for your kiddos.

Parents and coaches must have an aligned goal. We can’t second guess one another. We can’t chastise and criticize decisions. When we do that, when we don’t have a common focal point—which, as a reminder, is wanting to get the kids to be the best at whatever they want to do—you have multiple voices speaking at the child. Now your kid has to make a decision as to whose voice to listen to. It really hampers and takes back any sort of development for somebody to play at their peak ability.

Again, it goes back to that role definition. As a volunteer youth coach in a community organization, my role is to develop 15 kids and to help them and give them the tools to deal with life. I want them to leave my team and have the ability to be a better person. To learn how to have adversity and give them the tools for tenacity. I believe that’s my role as a coach. Sure, drills are a way to get there, but I’m focusing on the bigger picture; the culture and teaching kids how to be great teammates. My priority is to develop the human being. Priority No. 2 is to develop the athlete. Priority three is to develop a hockey player. If I get one right, I am going to get all three right. If I give them the right tools as people, all of a sudden, their growth in skill components and growth as players will flourish.

We focus so much on the tactical stuff, stats and stuff like that. To me, that’s not the important part. There are building blocks we can set up as coaches and parents to help kids maximize development and reach their full potential.

And that’s something I think parents and coaches can agree upon: That we are here to help develop young men and young women to be good people. With open communication and common goals, we can achieve that together. We both play roles that have a direct impact on these kids; let’s make sure our impact is a positive one.

Corey Koskie is a former MLB star turned youth sports coach and father of four.