Back to Good Sports Home

A Preseason Meeting Can Set the Stage for Success

As seen in Sports Illustrated September 9, 2002

Posted: Wednesday June 22, 2005

This coach only plays a handful of kids. Why didn’t he tell us parents that before the season began?”

• “My daughter always gets benched because she has to miss practice on certain days. But I don’t have a full practice schedule, so what can we do?”

• “My son and I didn’t know the coach’s policies on discipline, and now he’s punishing my kid for breaking a team rule that we’ve never heard about before!”

If you’re a coach fielding these complaints or a parent making them, there’s a good chance you didn’t grasp the importance of preseason meetings.

For coaches at any level of youth sports, the first date to put on your schedule every season is a meeting with the parents and players. It might only take 15 or 20 minutes, but it can set the tone for the whole season by letting you communicate your coaching philosophy, your approach to practices and games, and, most important, your expectations for the players.

For parents, attending the meeting is vital. Understanding right away where the coach stands will help prevent disruptive disputes during the season that keep your kids from enjoying their sports experience. Don’t let yourself be blindsided by decisions and situations the coach discussed months before.

Coaches: Give the kids and their parents plenty of notice so they can be at the meeting. Make it clear that you want both parents to attend because you’ll be discussing their behavior at practices and games as well.

Start the meeting by handing out practice and game schedules, a team roster with phone numbers, a list of equipment needs and their costs, and directions to away games. Also, if you plan to have a “team parent,” this is the time to ask for volunteers or introduce one you already have in place.

Then you should review league rules, which requires some preparation. Beforehand you’ll have to check with the league board of directors regarding such regulations as guaranteed playing time, eligibility questions and mandatory equipment.

If your league or team has a code of conduct, go over each part of it carefully and make certain every child and parent signs it and gives a copy back to you. Remind them this is an important contract into which they have entered.

Finally, talk about your coaching philosophy—how you will work with the kids and what everyone can expect from you in terms of issues like discipline, playing time and commitment. This is the best way to prevent future misunderstandings.

When you’re finished, be sure to give everyone your telephone number and/or e-mail address. You might also want to include certain times during the week when you know you will be home and available for their calls.

Parents: The preseason meeting is a conversation, not a lecture. When the coach has finished speaking, ask questions—questions about anything and everything you want to know, because this will be your best opportunity.

Perhaps most important, you might find in the meeting that the coach’s philosophy clashes with yours. If it is clear to you that problems are on the horizon, this is the time to see if your child can play on another team in the league.

Regardless of wins and losses, the best seasons in youth sports are those that are fun for all the players, parents and coaches. A preseason meeting is a great way to start down the road to that kind of success.

Back to top

Back to Good Sports Home