Coach Correspondence

Coach Correspondence

Each coach has a unique perspective on how s/he would like to communicate to his/her players and parents. It is imperative that the head coach and the captains’ parents determine as soon as possible (prior to the beginning of the season) how they will interact before, during, and after the season to ensure effective, timely, relevant communication is delivered to the team and all impacted parties. Some coaches like to be very proactive when it comes to communicating with the team’s parents, while other coaches prefer to focus their communication on the players, captains, and captains’ parents.

• It is suggested that head coaches plan a pre-season parents’ meeting as soon as possible after the team(s) is selected so that parents have an opportunity to hear directly from the coach regarding team policies, procedures, and expectations.

• It is also wise to ensure that captains’ parents are introduced at this meeting, and that the coach outlines a “communication protocol” so that parents are clearly aware of to whom they should go with questions, concerns, or comments.

The pre-season meeting is also the appropriate time for a coach to distribute a team handbook to all parents so that there is clear understanding of what the coach is expecting in terms of:

• Contact information and protocol

• Coaching philosophy

• Team expectations

• School and team policies

  • • Student participation and eligibility requirements

    • Student attendance policies

    • Chemical violations and penalties

    • Scholastic eligibility

    • Equipment use

    • Racial/religious/sexual harassment and hazing

    • Practice expectations/requirements

    • Multiple activity participation

    • Lettering criteria