[Locke]

As a coach myself (soccer) I strongly abide by the 24 hour blackout. Only after games though, and its usually just to let the parents cool down so they can rationally explain their issue rather than have a screaming match with me.

The parents of kids that I coach learned quite quickly that they'll not win a yelling match with me, I am my father's son and I can be louder than anyone if I want to be. But thats not the point right?

I usually have an exception to the 24 hour rule, particularly in indoor soccer, which is that I stay at the pub after the game writing up my post-game notes and match report, if a parent wants to come in and talk to me, they are welcome to do so, but the pints are on them.

True story:

I coached a kid for a year and a half and this season would have made it 2 years, but I took all I could, as soon as another team opened up I flat out refused to take him. As soon as they handed me the registration list I crossed his name out immediately, and I mean literally within seconds of holding that list there was a line through his name rather than under it. Its that simple.

Why? His Dad. Plain and simple. His father was the single greatest soccer coach the world has ever seen that has never volunteered or coached a day in his life. The true story is that this man's kid was awful. I mean, absolutely, flat out, downs syndrome brutal, but he had a great attitude, was a wonderful team player and the whole team liked him, but he got less playing time than others and he understood why. Up until last season when he seemed to have finally inherited his dad's attitude and walked off the field after making a really hilariously awful mistake.

He quit on the team. That was the last straw. I was willing to put up with his father's attitude for a while based on the kid himself, but as soon as he displayed the same attitude he was cut right then.

This season, hes not on my team and hes upset about it. His friends are on my team but he made the final cardinal mistake, he got his dad to complain first to me, then to the club. Club had my back, and when I finally talked to him he knew exactly what he'd done.

Parents have a huge influence, no matter how badly you wished they didnt. That influence can go either way, it can be very positive, or it can be disastrously cancerous. Be a good parent, and you know what, if you have that much of a problem with the coaches then become one and change it.

As for me, I've taken more abuse over the last 5 years than I'd care to admit to, but I've also had 100% backing from a large majority of parents and the club, and it makes a huge difference.