Building effective parent/coach relationships can help everyone have a more productive and beneficial season. Research shows when we as parents support our children's teachers, students learn more. This concept can be transferred to sports, where kids will have a better sports experience if we work in unison with the coach to create a positive youth sports environment. 

Sometimes, it’s easier said than done. That’s why we’ve created an entire section dedicated to helpful tips and tools for ways to approach the coach.

A couple strategies to take into consideration: 

• Empower your child to speak: there are several advantages to having your children, rather than you, speak directly to the coach. Many coaches are more open to suggestions from players than from parents. The biggest plus is that this can be an empowering experience for children, even if they don't get the change they want

• When you need to intervene: Sometimes it calls for parent comment, sometimes it best left to talk to your athlete and restrain from approaching the coach over every action you see or hear

• Approaching the coach: gain control of yourself and know exactly what you want to say. Pick a time and place where only the coach can hear you — not during a game or practice, and not where you might be overheard, which could make the coach more defensive

Responsible Conversation: Parent & Coach

The Liberty Mutual Responsible SportsTM program supports volunteer youth sports coaches and parents who help our children succeed both on and off the mat.  We offer many youth sports resources including $2,500 community grants, instructional videos, weekly tips, peer and expert advice, and coursework for those interested in improving the youth sports experience for all involved