Sports Coaching & Parental Pressure by Paul Miceli

 The role of the modern sports coach encompasses a variety of different roles and when an individual undertakes the position at a junior level, the responsibilities of those roles are significantly increased. A coach, irrespective of the sport that he chooses to teach, will be a mentor, a confidant and a conduit between an individual child and their parents. The role is a position that many would strive to avoid but once a sports coach finds a level of trust and familiarity with his charges, the significance of the roles to be played multiplies greatly.

One of the biggest pressures children face when taking part in competitive sports is the kind that is heaped upon them by eager parents who are often desperate to see their child succeed. The reasons for this pressure are numerous and many believe that some parents have a latent desire to see their child fulfill the sporting dreams that they never managed to fulfill themselves. Others will declare that a Mother or Father may occasionally feel the watching eyes of other parents making studious assessments of an offspring and will urge a child on to greater glory to relieve the pressure they feel themselves. Some parents may simply be incredibly competitive in their own right and find that they are unable to contain that particular side of their personality when the child performs.

For the greater part, the fact remains that parents simply want their child to do well in whatever task they undertake. Often, parental pride becomes a significant factor but on most occasions, a parent will want the child to enjoy that sense of fulfillment that comes with carrying out a task to the best of their abilities. As a reversal, parents will have a protective urge to shield their offspring from the daunting prospect of failure.

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