10 Reasons Dad May Not Want to Coach a Youth Baseball Team

Another academic year is upon us and with it comes the joy of youth sports in schools and communities across the country. I personally volunteer on the football coaching staff at a high school here in Baton Rouge. Having observed the impact that adults can have on young athletes, I thought I would share a guest article about coaching kids, shared with me by Barbara Williams of Find a Babysitter.

This piece is a tad out of season, focused on coaching baseball as opposed to football or basketball, but the same principles apply. If you are a parent, consider the following before you step up to coach your child's youth sports team. The original article can be found on the blog at http://www.findababysitter.org.



It’s a simple dream that many dads across the country have: to coach their child’s little league team. But is it the right idea for you?

Before you take on the responsibilities that come with being a team coach, it’s best to reflect on what is best for you and your child. It might be coaching, but if it’s not, you might fall into the following categories.

1. Being Careful with Favoritism – Showing your kid too much love and attention over the other kids on the team could cause some friction. While it would be easy to focus all of your energy on your own child, you want to also consider the feelings of the other children on the team.
2. Too much pressure put on the kid – Being both dad and a coach could apply some unwanted pressure on your child. Your expectations as the hybrid dad-coach for your own child might be higher than what is expected from other team members. Unwanted pressure from a parent could cause strain in the relationship.
3. Too much pressure on the dad – The pressure to win and get the kids to have fun might be a little too much for some dads. There is also team planning, practices and games they have to prepare for, and some dads might not have that time outside of their jobs.
4. Dad might not be a good coach – Dad might be stepping into a world that he has little to no knowledge of. His understanding of the sport might not be up to the level of other dads and coaches, so it might be wise to pass the torch to someone else. It’s alright to be one of the team assistants on the first go-round.
5. Might be too harsh on your own kid – If your kid makes a mistake in the game or during practice, there is a chance you might come down a little too hard on your kid. Expectations might be higher for your own kid, and as a coach, you would have to fight the discipline urges.
6. Jealousy – The flip side of being too harsh on your own kid is giving the kid more attention and praise than other members of the team. It can lead to jealousy among the team when it came to playing time.
7. Might cause friction with other team parents – Team parents for a youth squad get a unique bonding opportunity. They get to watch kids grow and play together, but if you are the dad and coach, it could cause problems with fellow parents. Some parents may believe they have a better idea of how the team should be run, and that could lead to friction.
8. Siblings might be jealous that dad coaches their team – If you are the dad of multiple children, be careful of a little sibling rivalry. Younger children might not fully grasp why you are coaching the team and not focusing your attention with them. If you do decide to coach, it might be best to put in some coaching time with the other kids to balance everything out.
9. Dad might be a bad sport – There is a chance that the dad could just be a bad sport somewhere deep down. Competitive juices could rise up and lead to friction among the team and other team parents. If there is a tendency that dad is a bad sport, maybe it is best that he not coach the team.
10. Miss out on watching own child play – One of the great joys of being a parent of a sporting child is watching that child play and grow within the game. As a coach, you might struggle with staying objective and keeping your emotions in check. Watching from the stands will give fathers the chance to enjoy their child’s play and not worry about the pressures of coaching.

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