Parents of youth football players know that when fall comes around, it's time to stock up on sports drinks, make sure their kids have the equipment they need and mark their calendars for practices, games and meetings. One of the first events on those calendars is the meeting between parents and football coaches. This meeting is an informational session that gives parents the opportunity to know what's ahead for their child's football season.
"The parent meeting is important because you want to open lines of communication with the parents as far as establishing a schedule, team rules, expectations and answer any questions the parents my have," said Rick Peacock, USA Football's Southeast Regional Manager and president of the Anne Arundel Youth Football Association. Peacock is also a coach for the 13-and-under GORC Wildcats.
Don Lipari, president of Central Florida Youth Football League and coach of the fourth and fifth grade Pee-Wee team, Oviedo Knights, said parent meetings are not only important for the team, but for the league as well.
"For the league to be successful, the biggest thing is to get everyone on the same page and let them know what the expectations are at the league and what the expectations of the parents are," said Lipari, also a USA Football coaching member.
Other communication issues can also be resolved by parent meetings, such as eliminating hearsay or information from other sources.
"Parents don't get third party information - 'Well someone told me...' it's more of a forum where we can give them the information of what we have in store for them," Lipari said.
Most parents ask common questions about practices and game dates and whether football is safe to play. To address these issues, coaches must anticipate these types of questions and have this information readily available to give to the parents.
"When practice will be, what the kids need to bring, team rules, league rules, schedule as far as practice and games are information the parents need to have," Peacock said. "Parents also need to know their role in regards to having their kids coming hydrated, as well as health and safety issues."
Other questions, such as what position a child will play and playing time, are not as easy to answer. This makes it more important for coaches to have policies to present to parents at the meetings.
"We have a league rule that every kid gets a fair shake," Lipari said. "We also have a minimum play rule where kids have to play a minimum of eight plays. But you can let the parent know your kid is going to determine if he's a minimum play kid or a maximum play kid by his effort and his production."
Perhaps the most important part of the parent meeting is informing parents about the league and coaching philosophy. Peacock has been coaching for 24 years and has conducted a number of parent meetings throughout his career. Even as league rules and practices may change, a coach's philosophy should not.
"The main thing is to establish a coaching philosophy that is consistent with your personality," Peacock said. "It will help you during the times when you may not be consistent with how you approach games. You say, 'Hey, I'm all about the kids and playing them.' Then you get into a situation where the game is tight and certain kids don't play, and you forget about the kids.
"So it's very important to have that philosophy and be able to exercise that. That to me is the single most important thing."
Lipari has been coaching for four years. He said validation from local high school coaches and USA Football's Certified Coaching Education Program (CCEP) are beneficial for parents, especially when they have concerns or doubts in a meeting.
"Ensure the parents that the coach is prepared through coaching certification in a clinic so he can have a plan for what he's going to do for the season," Lipari said. "The high school coaches are the guys that are looked upon in the local area. Getting validation from them and organizations like USA Football can help ease the parents' minds."
Parents can also check out usafootball.com as a resource for information about health and safety, coaching certification programs, advice and assistance from regional managers and other useful tools for youth and amateur football.
