8 Tips for a Successful Youth Sports
Preseason Meeting

The most successful sports seasons are the ones that begin with a preseason meeting for parents and players. A preseason meeting sets a positive tone for the season by opening the lines of communication early so that everyone – parents, athletes, and coaches – understands and agrees on what they expect from one another.

If your child's coach calls for a preseason meeting, be sure to attend. It is never a waste of time.

If one isn't planned, ask for one.

What to Expect

A good preseason meeting:

• Gives parents the opportunity to find out the coach's style, philosophy (especially with respect to playing time, expectations and goals for the upcoming season.

• Gives the coach a chance to set expectations for parents in terms of sideline behavior, getting players to practices and games on time and in uniform, etc.

• Provides an opportunity for coaches and parents to develop a team charter

• Provides an opportunity to set behavioral boundaries to prevent abuse and harassment.

• Gives coaches a chance to educate parents on the rules (parents sometimes forget that the rules aren't always the same as the pros or older kids use; knowing the rules can prevent misunderstandings during the season)

• Allows for an exchange of important information between coaches and parents (e-mail addresses, phone numbers, season schedule, maps to away games etc.)

• Provides a forum for parents to have their questions or concerns answered

• Offers parents a chance to become involved in the team as more than just a spectator, such as by becoming a team administrator (a/k/a "team mom"), organizing a "water and orange" schedule, getting and distributing directions to away games, organizing car pools, or helping out at practices.

About the Author: Brooke de Lench is the author of Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports (Harper Collins 2006) and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MomsTeam.com. For additional information on this topic read chapters 10-15.

Article written June 22, 2007
© 2007 MomsTeam.com, Inc.

Preventing Abuse And Harrassment: Setting Behavioral Boundries
TeamBuilders: Techniques For Building Better Relationships In Youth Sports
Walking The Talk: The Importance Of Mission Statements

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