For youth soccer coaches who ‘get it’ and try to focus on player development over wins, it can be a difficult sell for team parents. Stan Baker recently published a list of ten questions for parents to help them judge if their children and team are doing well:

Parents who understand what the team is trying to accomplish and what our style of play looks like, will be more likely to lend support and back what the coach is attempting to do. With this said, the process will require much more ongoing communication throughout the season. It should be communicated that the process of long-term development requires patience.

I can absolutely speak from experience – coaching ‘right’ is a tough sell that requires frequent parent communication and interaction. You have to ‘coach’ them to see the development instead of the standings table.