relationship between parents and coaches

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I have seen it mentioned a few times on here questiong how comfortable parents are with their children's coaches and also the other way around- how open/ friendly a coach is with the parents. I am just curious as to what everyone's experience and comments are on this. As a parent, how trusting are you of your child's coach? Coaches, how friendly do you get with the parents? Where I coach, parents are very trusting of the coaches, they feel totally comfortable leaving their children in our supervision at camps, clinics and even sleepovers, and I would personally consider a few of them "good friends." I naively assumed this is the norm, but if it is not, why? Why do some parents allow their children to be coached by someone they would not trust outside of the gym? This has not been my experience, it just makes me wonder.
 
My boys team is relatively small (8 kids currently, not counting preteam), which is great, because it allows me to keep close communication with all the parents. I'm completely comfortable talking with them, and as far as I can tell they are completely comfortable bringing their comments, questions, and concerns to me.

With the girls' team, it's a bit more complicated, due to the size of the team and due to the fact that we don't have a specific head coach, but rather make our coaching decisions as a group.
 
MY girls have had sleepovers at their coach's house and her kids have many time had sleepovers here. We share hotel rooms and child care at meets. We have gone on road trips to pick up gym stuff. She and I go out for lunch and when my brother is in town we all go out together.

I planned her 40th birthday party, I would say we are friends.

I trust her 100% with my kids. Sometimes there are coaching/gym issues but we have worked them out 90% of the time.
 
I would say that I am good friends with dd's coach. Her kids and my kids hang out together and play at open gyms. Her dd sometimes will tutor my ds in the summer as well. Our family's hung out together at the beach when we had championships this past month. I totally trust dd's coach and feel we have a great parent/coach relationship as well as a good friendship.
 
I changed gyms not too long ago, but at my old gym I'd say i was on friendly terms with all the team families. Like, had winter holidays with one family. Have spent time with them outside the gym.

Current gym, the parents have enough faith in us to send their daughters with us to out of town meets. I can't fathom being comfortable coaching somewhere that I was constantly viewed with suspicion...or sending my child to be taught by someone I didn't trust.
 
I trust the coaches at both gyms Flipper has attended completely. That trust is something the coaches have earned by demonstrating that they want the best for my child. It took a bit of time and relationship building, but I am now completely at ease leaving Flipper in her coaches hands.
 
I am very good friends with the head coaches of my kids' gym. We spend a lot of time together outside of the gym since we have kids the same age. The other coaches at the gym I am very friendly with, obviously some more than others. My youngest son's coach has a daughter on the same team as my daughter. My older son's coach has a wonderful relationship with my kids and watches them for me from time to time. My daughter is coached by many of the coaches and I would trust any of them with her. I think this speaks very highly of the coaches at the gym because I don't trust many people with my kids. I'm learning that gymnastics takes over your life and everyone at the gym becomes your second family.
 
My DD's coach is just that a coach. She is friendly and kind and at the Gym sleepovers where there are lots of coaches I don't have an issue but I only know the coach for a year now (she is new) and she is young in her 20's. I would not trust her or any of the coaches on a sleepover at a meet in a hotel. Heck I think only grandma and my brother are trusted with that one. Guess that's on me - growing up in the inner city you become alot more guarded.
 
My DD's coach is just that a coach. She is friendly and kind and at the Gym sleepovers where there are lots of coaches I don't have an issue but I only know the coach for a year now (she is new) and she is young in her 20's. I would not trust her or any of the coaches on a sleepover at a meet in a hotel. Heck I think only grandma and my brother are trusted with that one. Guess that's on me - growing up in the inner city you become alot more guarded.

i call that being prudent.
 
My relationship with dd's current coach is NOT on a super friendly level as others describe. He is simply the coach. I have openly communicated my concerns in the past, but didn't feel super comfortable doing it, just felt a need to do it. His response was less than welcoming. Other coaches she has had were more open to discuss things. I believe we have mutual respect, but certainly NOT a mutual adoration. I TRUST him in a safety way, just don't feel particularly CLOSE to him. As for my dd, she feels the same way...not a lotta LOVE going on.
 
I agree Cher, I have known our coach for 10 years, and our kids have grown up together. She has also known my family for 25 years. I don't think I would be as relaxed without the history!
 
The main thing that brings up concerns would be coaches and gymnasts of opposite genders. I've know many of the girls I coach since before they started gym as they were friends of my daughter. I still think certain situations would be a bad idea simply given the fact that there is a difference in gender between them and I. Even at our gym, I have a few tumbling classes of all teen-aged girls and another coach hangs out in the office until we are done just to keep things from looking a bit weird. Even though most of us are honest folks, there are those out there that make us stay careful.
 
Can't imagine not trusting my daughter's coaches to do what's best for her in the gym--outside the gym though--that's different. If I have an issue with something going on the at the gym, I feel pretty comfortable talking to them, but it's not like we socialize (although some parents do). We do socialize with the other team parents--if Beth ever quits, I'd really, really miss them too.
 
I am very comfortable with my Dd's coaches. I have let her go to Georgia with them (to watch UGA compete), and they are also taking her, along with 3 other girls to a Regional Training Camp in Florida this summer.

If we were at a gym where I didn't feel comfortable leaving my Dd, then we wouldn't be at that Gym anymore.
 
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My relationship with the parents is pretty good I'd say. I talk when I can, give them my email for when I can't. They are hilarious and courteous most often. It's pretty cute when their kids make stuff for us coaches and you can totally tell they helped. Love it! The only time it's strained is when they lean on me for some 100% assurance to get on team by a certain date. I've had conversations that started out civil and curious, that have turned into totally unveiled 'if you can't give me this, you must not be a good coach!' Oy. One parent whose DD stopped gym for cheer, and another whose DD went from rec at my gym to competitive elsewhere are good friends of mine now.
 
I was just thinking of starting a coach's appreciation thread where we could talk about how much we love our child's coach.

DD has only been with her coaches since the end if February, but they are absolutely fabulous. One in particular always has time to tell me how DD is doing or just make general conversation. This week I let her know that DD would have to leave early this Thursday and she asked if I wanted to let her come on Saturday morning for an extra practice. The coach was going to be there anyway because her DD works out. So we went and she worked with DD for 3 hours by herself and she refused to take any payment. She said she just enjoys helping. She's strict with the girls, but let's them be kids and is just so nice. I would feel comfortable letting DD stay with her inside or outside the gym. She seems like she cares about them as people, not just gymnasts.
 
I love my daughter's coaches. She has been with them since she was 3. So we are going on 8 years now. :) They are wonderful. I trust them completely and consider them friends.
 
I have blind faith is my dd's coaches. She has been at the same gym for almost 10 yrs now. Granted she has not had the exact same coaces over those 10 yrs, but I do have blind faith in HC and her (for lack of better words) "assist" coaches.

As for my relationship with the coaches, it is strictly coach/parent relationships - very professional. I know there are some parents that are "friends" with coaches on FB, but I have no desire for that. I, personally, do not want to cross that line.
 
I would say I am close with 60% of my parents. The ones I am not close with are the ones that I only see at meets, drop kids off and pick them up but never come in the gym. Others I will chat with for 15 min before or after practice.

I have taken kids to out of town meets when parents can't leave for the whole weekend, drive kids to and from practices when schedules are busy. Coaches in our gym babysit some of the girls during the summer and the older gymnasts babysit the coaches kids. I love all the girls on my team and the parents that are open and friendly with us we are open and friendly with in return.
 

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