Once again we are hearing how Parents can be overly aggressive, if not abusive toward Coaches in this wild and crazy world of sports.
Given the recent problems and concerns that the NHL has faced over the past while as well as some, but not all of the abusive Parents, can we really blame someone to step down.
Having been involved in various sports for a number of years, I have seen and listened to forms of not only abuse, but profanity directed toward minor sport officials, that only want to be a part of a sport they love.
Why – Lord Knows and quite possibly the Parent, Mom or Dad were not just good enough to excel to reach a higher level and now want to live their dream through the child?
First we should understand that not all coaches are bad, it’s just the few that spoil it for the good ones that are in sports for all the right reasons and it’s not all about winning.
Now we are hearing of a Volleyball Coach in small town USA, Mount Ary who will no longer be part of the school’s coaching staff next fall.
Girl’s Volleyball Coach Tori Braby is stepping away mentioning that “the criticism from parents and the politics of being a coach affected her quality of life so much she decided to walk away.”
This season her team (the Raiderettes) went 12-15, finishing seventh in the Pride of Iowa Conference and during her seven years at the helm of the program, the Raiderettes were 126-85 and were three-time conference champions.
Braby and her team (Raiderettes) have won three (3) Bedford Volleyball Tournament Titles, which is an East Union Volleyball Tournament Title as well as a second-place finish at the Des Moines Christian tournament.
She (Braby) has led her team to three (3) Conference Championships and in seven years of play has won more games than the previous 10 years all combined.
She had mentioned that going out and simply being able to enjoy herself, regardless if she was shopping, at a restaurant and worse yet, some threatened her job at the school.
While it’s hard to believe or maybe not, she received 22 e-mails from one Parent in one day wanting to know why her student wasn’t playing.
It’s no real surprise that the School’s Athletic Director Delwyn Showater understands her position and reasons and mentioned that scheduling, compensation as well as all the negativity that coaches face makes it hard to find good coaches.
This past August the Executive Director of the National Federation of State High Schools as well as Tom Keating, Executive Director of Iowa High School Athletics Association sent a letter out to the Parents.
In total there were over 2,000 Athletic Directors asked in a National survey were asked what they least liked about their job and 62.3% responded “It was dealing with aggressive Parents and fans.”
While we might think this will only happen somewhere else, think again!!
Don’t for your child to play a sport they have no interest in playing and let your Son or Daughter talk to the coach – NOT YOU!!
It’s time that sports associations realize that they need to take a stronger stance towards the abuse caused from the Parents and we can only ask, when will it STOP!!
