How to Deal with Conflict with Your Child's Sports Coach

Sports and conflict go hand in hand, especially when one of the participants is a child. A conflict with a coach only increases the tension, so learning how to defuse it is crucial.

Things You'll Need

• Calm, rational thinking and checking emotions at the door.

Instructions

How to Deal with Conflict with Your Child's Sports Coach

1. Understand the nature of the conflict. Coaches are not always the most diplomatic or most politically correct folks but we put our trust and child in their hands. This can lead to conflicts over many different things, some important, others not. The key for any parent when dealing with a conflict with their child's coach is understanding the importance of it. Ask if the problem is a small one, being overblown by a parent's care, or a larger one that will truly create problems.

2. Walk away if appropriate. If the problem is deemed small, just walk away from it. If a parent bickers over every little thing, the tension will only grow between parent and coach. This may influence a situation later on that is more important. It will also label the parent as a troublemaker and the child will pay the price.

3. Avoid letting personal feelings spill over onto the field. Often a parent and coach will know each other off the field. If there are some hard feelings away from the field, the parent must avoid letting his/her feelings cloud his judgment. Otherwise, small things will boil over into larger problems.

4. Talk to the coach and ask her questions. The parent/coach communication can clear up lots of issues. As a parent, never be afraid to ask questions and find out why a coach did what she did. Often there is a reasonable explanation.

5. Understand your child's skill level. Perhaps the most important step a parent can take to avoid conflict with a coach is to understand the skills of his child. In sports, the strongest will come to the top. Not every child is a sports star so, before blaming the coach, a parent should ask himself if, perhaps, the real issue is that the child is unable to play at a certain level.