What Do You Do if Your Coach is Not Qualified?

We asked you to provide input regarding what to do if your child’s coach is not qualified for his or her position. The individual who provided the best answer would win a $50 gift certificate to HockeyShot.com. We received many great responses. Congratulations to Jeff Konin for providing the following winning response:

Jeff said: Coaching hockey encompasses two entirely different skill sets. The first involves understanding the game of hockey and being able to translate the fundamentals of on- and off-ice training in a manner that facilitates development for the specific age group that is being coached. Though anyone can learn hockey coaching techniques, it does help if the coach has played the game to better understand what the players are going through.

The second skill set requires interpersonal skills. A coach of any sport, regardless of their knowledge of the game, should be able to communicate with children in a manner that endorses positive reinforcement, and with parents openly and honestly. In addition it is important to remember that the money spent for youth ice hockey participation is not only an investment in skill development but also one in learning about citizenship.

In youth hockey, the emphasis should be on development and not necessarily winning. As such, a coach who is deficient in either the knowledge of the game or the ability to openly and honestly communicate with parents and young children should seek others to mentor them and/or assist them in these roles. For example, a volunteer parent who connects well with people but doesn’t know the game can easily partner with someone who can teach the game and run drills at a practice. The excellent communicator can play a significant role in keeping kids involved and enjoying the game, being a part of the team and involving parents to the point where they are comfortable knowing that the fees that they have spent are well worth the investment.

A coach who knows the game of hockey but is not necessarily seen as a good communicator should seek out an assistant or parent from the team to serve in this role. The assistant can buffer communication in a way that is handled more gently, done in a timely manner and explains circumstances proactively.

Hockey is a team sport, and just like the players, coaches and their assistants should work to form a team of their own to provide an optimal environment for both the kids and parents.

In the circumstance where a team is comprised of a coaching staff that possesses neither knowledge of the game or the appropriate interpersonal skill, the burden falls on the association’s hockey director to make the difficult but necessary change in coaching on behalf of an entire organization. Without doing so, small concerns can quickly mount into larger issues and the positive attributes of a coach will be downplayed while the negative attributes will be magnified.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Jeff Konin for winning this week’s contest. As a thank you for his answer, HockeyShot.com is giving Jeff a $50 gift certificate to HockeyShot.com. Want to win this week’s prize? Be sure to click here for the latest Grow the Game contest.

Most Popular Articles

Written by Shelly · Filed Under Contest
· Print This Article

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.