All-Star Article On Parents In Sports

Love this. Thanks for sharing the article.

The gym's owner shared this this morning. Great article.


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Thanks King. Just shared a few places as well.

Love this. On a semi-related note, has anyone ever read the Matheny Manifesto? Mike Matheny played in the MLB for 13 years before retiring (now manages the St Louis Cards) and he was asked to coach his son's little league team. He agreed only if the parents could follow the rules he had put forth about their behavior and what was expected from the kids on the team. As we head into comp season I think a lot of what he says is also applicable to cheer http://mikematheny.com/sites/default/files/docs/MathenyManifesto.pdf


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That was great

Great article. That was needed. Sometimes I can probably push too much but it comes from a good place. Sometimes it's just the little things

Confession: I started coaching gymnastics (and later cheerleading) because I was the worst parent in the waiting area and the owner of the gym was tired of it. I was causing so much damage to my own girls and the coaching staff, and had just enough knowledge to be dangerous (being a former gymnast), that it was in the owner's best interest to either ban me or to bring me on and have me focus on another set of athletes. I was doing it with absolutely no malice, but couldn't recognize the damage because I was sure that I was helping and couldn't be convinced otherwise.

I love the Mike M article (for some reason, I can't see the first article that King posted). It is in concert with things that I have said to parents for the last 20 years. WE, as parents, really are trying to do the best that we can for our children - and as a parent coach I am sensitive to that. But, as has been said so many times, if you don't trust your coaches then find another gym or another sport. Ultimately, your child is the one who ends up on the short end of the relationship.

Be patient, be supportive, be a fan ... and get them to practice on time. Stop there, please.