We keep finding the controversies.
This topic, as most on WebBall, began with an email exchange - this time between our Richard Todd and the long-time non-parent coach of a young traveling team. The issue of parents being excluded from the ballfield as coaches came up. And the emails flew back and forth. What are the real concerns? The pros and cons? Should there be an absolute rule, or just guidelines or performance standards? Who benefits and who is hurt in the process? Not only did we get votes - we got comments!

Should parents coach or not? Would you qualify the answer above? What's best about parents coaching? What's best about non-parents coaching? What's worst about parents coaching? What's worst about non-parents coaching?

<-- choose topics

First, as non-parents who coach, we at WebBall might be a little biased on this - except that I was also a coach when my son played, so I have lived on both sides of the argument. (Just for the record we were not paid to do it - we just wanted to help.) Looking back a few years, I must admit that I was not always a good parent-coach - I did get riled up, I didn't always know the right things to do. That's not to say I am perfect now - every coach makes mistakes (parent or non-parent). But I do have a different perspective on teaching and managing the team. I personally believe one of the best arguments in favor of non-parent coaches is that they may have a few added years of wisdom or experience. Call it 'perspective'. But I have to admit I also agree with some of the 'worst things about non-parent coaches' voting patterns. It is tougher to stick with it and tempting to quit. Fortunately, when all else is put aside, having a good bunch of younger players brings out the best in any coach, parent or not. - Richard Todd, WebBall

I have been managing / coaching for several years, this year managing a major softball (11-12 yrs) and AA (7-9). I really enjoy it. It started out just to be with my kids, now it has become a passion to work and watch the kids develope skills while at the same time getting them to enjoy the sport of baseball as opposed to just the game. My biggest frustrations are with Parents coaching who do not take the time to manage properly, learn the rules of the game, work with the kids who need it etc. I am really leaning toward having a system where the manager is not a parent, but the assistants are. My motives, however, might be self-serving. Like most parent coaches, I have made a lot of mistakes but continue to get better every year and would like to continue to be involved after my kids have moved on. - John Galvin

Yes, parent coaches may favor their own kids to some extent. But, why shouldn't they? They, not others, spend the hundreds of hours per season working with the team, dealing with administrative issues, planning for playing rotation, etc. The parent-coach has earned the right to give his kid an extra inning or two of playing time, or of playing him/her in a desired position. Plus, many parent coaches were players once themselves (in our Bronco Division of 12 teams of 12 kids, we have 6 managers who played college baseball or higher, and most of the others did play high school baseball). It would be almost impossible to field a group of non-parent coaches for any division. This topic is really irrelevant; parents will always coach their kids. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. - John Langstaff

My experience is that in most situations you would not have enough coaches if parents were not involved. There will always be a few high caliber travel teams that charge a lot of money to play; these teams are usually set up/managed by a non-parent for profit. They are indeed the best team in the area (win/loss record) but not the best learning team or the most fun for the kids. Parent coaches (with the right attitude and knowledge) can make as big difference in their own child's life and other kids as well. If every communities had a surpluses of ex-major league players or college/high school coaches who were willing to donate time this would be a non-issue, but that is not the case. I would rather have my son spend his teen years playing for a parent who cares about him and teaching him to be a good man than a mercenary who knows baseball. Having said that, if the non-parent coach has the right attitude and experience I would welcome him and offer all of the support I could. - Chuck Hughes

I belive that if there are parents who really want to coach and help their team then they should. Espcially at the younger ages 7-10 maybe 11-12. As they get older the kids really don't care who coaches them as long as they do well. If you have a parent that wants to help and they don't have a lot of experience don't turn them away, let them throw warm-up, soft toss or anything to help the team. when you turn a parent away they might take their child away and then that hurts the child. If a parent does coach they should have an understanding that they are there for the whole team and not just their child and if they can't seperate that then they shouldn't coach. - Ralph Wilson

Your multiple choice answers do not allow as much 'fudging' as I would like. For instance "outside coaches care most about thier own win/loss record not player improvement.", While this is true in some cases, it certainly is not true in all cases; and parent/coaches are apt to be just as concerned about their win/loss records as an outside coach. Under "worst things about parents as coaches" all of the choices there are true and false. In our leagues the parents do very well as coaches. Sometimes there is a lack of knowledge on the part of a parent new to coaching, but the rest of the coaches will take the time to help out, even during a game, and try to set the coach straight. I think that as a parent and a coach, the most important thing to remember is that this is a game for the kids, not the adults, and we need to do everything we can to help these players develop good habits that will help them not only in baseball or sports in general but in life. - John York

The more parent involvement the better, especially at the younger ages. It's more about kids and families having fun and learning about teamwork than absolute baseball skills. High school and club teams are the right place for the pure baseball side of the equation. - Erik Loose

First, I don't know how you could run a Little League program without parent coach participation. As with all things, the level of baseball knowledge and competency will vary but I can tell you that at our Majors division the level of coaching is very high and all of them are parent coaches.The worst thing about parent coaching is coaching your own kid. The hardest kid to coach is your own. - Jim

I believe it is much more important to have requirements such as sportsmanship, self-control, respect, work ethic, commitment, and fairness than to be debating the genetic relationship of the coach to player. - Scott Killmer

This whole subject, in my mind, really depends on the individual. As a youth coach, the biggest benefit you can bring as a coach is the ability to instill confidence in the children you are coaching. As the parent of one of the kids on my team, I make sure my child earns what he gets. He is not automatically the shortstop and starting pitcher. If he does not earn it, you know it deep down, the child knows it, and the other kids on the team know it. As long as you can teach the basics of the game, and help them play with confidence while having fun, regardless of their ability, you have done your job as a youth coach. In the Teener level, there are many more things to teach the kids, and I have seen many who think the kids should know everything at that level. More parents do drop out because they have not played at this level or don' have confidence in themselves to teach at this level. I think there are many capable parents out there, and many time, these parents bring a great wealth of knowledge that an outside coach, who is seeing these kids for the first time, does not. - Steve S

I am a parent of a 7 year old and the head coach of his team. I have 4 assistant coaches who also happen to have players on the team. First, I am deeply involved in these kids lives and I am looking at building their skills for the long haul together. Sure I enjoy winning as much as the next guy, but most of all I want the kids to love the sport and get better. I think this debate depends on the person. There are bad parent coaches and there are bad non-parent coaches. I think the main difference is commitment. The Dad's that have kids on the team tend to work harder at home if they have a personal stake in the outcomes. - Johnny Richardson

I applaud you for digging into this subject. Today, many parents are trying to live their past through their child. Overall, many parents push their children to hard in a negative fashion. Eventually the child is burned out on the sport and learns to hate it. Some leagues have banned parents, even in the stands. It's sad that society has come to this. - Rob Satterlee

Unfortunately without parent coaches there would be very few youth coaches in any sport. You should be able to observe a practice or game and not be able to tell who the coach's kid is. In the long run the parent coaches who give preferential treatment to their kids and the kids of their friends will only impede the developement of those particular kids. The favored kids will tend to work less and not be able to handle adversity and more importantly, they will not learn how to compete. The other players are 'inadvertantly' provided an opportunity to become mentally tougher and will learn to work at their game more.

'Favored' does not apply to the kid who is obviously better regardless of who his parent is. - Sean

As a parent/coach I might be partial, but I coached for years before I had children and coach my children now. I honestly believe that a good coach is a good coach whether they have a child on the team or not. I have worked with both and found the same problems whether the coach has a child on the team or not. When my child plays for a team I look for the coach to be a strong leader who is committed to helping and guiding the young player. But most of all they have to have a good perspective as the the age group they are coaching. - Mark Moyer

This issue becomes a kind of double-edged sword. Certainly there are no absolutes and as a parent and coach it really depends what you hope your kid to get from the experience. I am in favor of parents as coaches if they are qualified to teach the sport. They need to know enough about the sport to be able to effectively instruct their players. They need to either have a significant knowledge of the game from past experience or should have studied coaching tapes and learned the fundamentals, proper mechanics and the vast host of nuances of the sport. Anyone can go out and throw batting practice, hit ground balls and do a line-up. The responsibilities of the coach need to far exceed this. They need to be able to instruct and teach their players in preparation for the next level. Some parent coaches are capable of this. In my experience most are not, and they are certainly not qualified once the athletes begin playing at a level above little league. ... They run through the same practices time and again and their players never improve, at least not as a result of the experience. This is where the case for outside, professional coach can be made. If I can find a coach that can teach my kid better that I am able, that is the coach I want. Bottom line is, I want the best man for the job. Someone that is knowledgeable, able to relate to the kids and teach them and someone who will not play favoritism to the point that it becomes laughable. - David Mink