Parent - Coach Communication Guide

Communication You Should Expect from Your Child's Coach

  1. Coach's and program's philosophy
  2. Individual and team expectations
  3. Location and times of all practices, special equipment, off-season conditioning
  4. Team requirement, i.e., special equipment, off-season conditioning
  5. Procedure followed should your child be injured during practice or games
  6. Any discipline or behavior that may result in the denial of your child's participation on the team.

Communication Coaches Expect from Parents

  1. Concerns expressed directly to the coach
  2. Notification of schedule conflicts well in advance
  3. Specific concerns with regard to a coach's philosophy and/or expectations
  4. Support for the program and dedication, commitment, and responsibility that are essential ingredients for success and excellence. Encourage your child to excel. It is also important to understand there might be times when things do not go the way you or your child wishes

Appropriate Concerns to Discuss with Coaches

  1. The treatment of your child, mentally and physically
  2. Ways to help your child improve and develop in a sport
  3. Concerns about your child's behavior. It is very difficult to accept your child not playing as much as you hope. Coaches are professionals. They make decisions based on what they believe is best for the team and all the athletes involved. Practice times are when teams are determined.

Issues Not Appropriate to Discuss with Coaches

  1. Playing time
  2. Play calling
  3. Team strategy
  4. Other student athletes

Discussions with Coaches

  1. Call to set up an appointment
  2. If the coach cannot be reached, contact the Activities Director, Lance Abendroth at 882-2591.
  3. Please do not confront a coach before, after, or during a practice or game. These can be emotional times for both the parent, student, and coach

The Next Step

  1. Call and set up an appointment with the Activities Director, Lance Abendroth, at 882-25919 to discuss the situation

What Are the Benefits to Participation in Athletics

  1. Athletics support our school mission statement. They are an extension of a good educational program. Students participating in athletics tend to have a higher grade point average, better attendance records, lower dropout rates and fewer discipline problems
  2. Athletics are inherently educational. They provide valuable lessons on many practical situations: teamwork, sportsmanship, winning, losing and hard work. Self-discipline, self-confidence, and many skills are developed through participation which help to mold productive and responsible citizens.
  3. Athletics foster success in later life. Participation is often a predictor of later success in college, career, and becoming a contributing member of society.
  4. While your children are involved in interscholastic athletics, they will experience some of the most rewarding and inspiring moments of their lives.
  5. Research indicates that students involved in athletics are most likely to succeed at their chosen profession and make creative contributions to their communities. Many of the character traits, qualities, and attributes required to be a successful student athlete will also promote a successful life.

Survey of High School Principals

  • 95% believe that valuable lessons are learned that cannot be taught in a regular classroom routine
  • 99% agreed that citizenship is promoted
  • 95% agreed that athletic programs contribute to school spirit among students
  • 76% believe that demand on students' time by athletics is not excessive
  • 72% said there is strong support for school athletic programs from parents and community

Survey of High School Students

  • A majority said that participation is a very important part of a high school education
  • 63% said that athletics helped make high school much more enjoyable

Parents Should be a Positive Influence

  • Encourage your child to succeed
  • Be positive through the good and bad times
  • Be there with support
  • Give credit to the team
  • Show respect for the coaches
  • Exhibit respect for the officials
  • Demonstrate respect for opponents
  • Help us to create a terrific environment for athletics at both Moscow Middle School and Moscow High School
  • Provide a model of behavior that an athlete can be proud of at all times

The Role of Parents and Coach

Both parenting and coaching are extremely difficult jobs. By establishing communication and an understanding of each position, we are better able to accept the actions of the others and provide greater benefit to our student athletes. To be successful, communication is vital and requires involvement, dedication, sacrifice, and commitment from parents, student athletes, and coaches.

Please Support School Rules and Regulations Regarding Participation for Student Athletes

It is expected that the athlete will display appropriate behavior in school, contribute to school spirit by participating in various events such as rallies, respect the abilities of the other sports, and show a spirit of cooperation with teachers, coaches, teammates and opponents.

Moscow School District Code of Conduct for Athletes and Coaches

  1. To uphold the dignity, honor and integrity of our school
  2. To develop positive relationships for our athletes about the importance of family, academics, and co-curricular activities
  3. To encourage and promote sportsmanship among the home team, visiting teams, the coaching staff and spectators.
  4. To take an active role in the prevention of the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco
  5. To encourage safety before success
  6. To work with and respect the official in and out of the athletic arena

Good Sportsmanship for Students and Others

One of the goals of high school athletics is learning lifetime value. Sportsmanship is one such value that makes these games an educational experience. Remember good sports are winners. To this end they should remember that:

  1. A ticket is a privilege to observe the contest, not a license to verbally assault others and be generally obnoxious
  2. A spectator represents his/her school the same as does the athlete
  3. Respond with enthusiasm to the call of the cheerleaders for yells in support of the team, especially when it is losing
  4. Learn the rules of the various athletic games so that, either as spectators or critics, comments will be intelligent.
  5. Express disapproval of rough play or poor sportsmanship on the part of players representing the school
  6. Express disapproval of any abusive remarks from the sidelines
  7. Recognize and applaud any exhibition of fine play or good sportsmanship on the part of the visiting team
  8. Be considerate of the injured on the visiting team
  9. Insist on the courteous treatment of the visiting team as it passes through the streets or visits the local school building and extend them every possible courtesy
  10. Acquaint the adults of the community and the pupils with the ideals of sportsmanship that are acceptable to the high school
  11. Impress upon the community its responsibility for the exercise of self-control and fair play at all athletic contests
  12. Any spectator who continually displays poor sportsmanship will not be allowed to attend future contests
  13. Noise makers, i.e. cow bells, horn, etc. are not allowed at athletic contests
  14. The police will remove anyone from the premises who is under the influence of alcohol, drugs or chewing tobacco
  15. Refrain from cheers which put down the opponent or which use profane or abusive language