Parents Make the Best and Worst Coaches

Abstract

Some parents think they are coaches, and then some parents are coaches. This case study examines a specific instance of a parent coaching his own child and presents the problems that accompany that situation. As the head coach of the Ellerton Trojans football team, Mike Rollins coached his son, Brent, and, during their time on the team together, Mike not only acted as Brent’s coach, but his parent as well, blurring the lines between the two roles. The dilemma arises when one asks, is it fair? Should a parent be allowed to coach his or her own child? This type of situation could be banned, but when parents account for a large percentage of coaches, what would that mean for sports? It would definitely change things, but many wonder if it would be worth it.