Parents watching practice

[stovepipe]

I think this was a good discussion that got befuddled in the the Irish thread.

 

But what does everyone think about this? Lets not focus on parents stopping by to see whats going on. I think everyone would say that was ok. But what do you (wrestlers, coaches, and parents) all think about parents coming to all practices?

 

Pros - keep everyone involved, participation, fan support

 

Cons - coach losing control of practice, wrestler embarassed because momma is there, overagressive fathers, kids turning off the dad's of their friends b/c they whoop up on their son, less room in the room (redundant), distractions (talking, cell phones)

 

I think there are more cons than pros but I am interested on how your room operates.

 

-Stovey

[irishdad]

Since I helped befuddle let me try and expalin how some of our practices go. First, Ryan is a very close community. Most parents that end up @ practice are former wreslters or really understand the sport. It is not unusaul to have parents working with the kids. Remember we have dunnigns and oddo's (Matt wrestled @ Iowa) and others that still can teach our kids. Pat is smart enough to receive help from competant folks.

The danger is when parents do not know the sport. Or have an unrealistic view of a kids talent. Then they want to interject how practice should run. then you have problems. @ FRHS everyone knows who runs our wrestling room. It keeps the peace. Plus a good wrestle-off can quiet even the most zealous parent.

One more point if a parent is a neophyte to the sport it is not bad for them to see how hard the kids work,

[CoachBray]

I always let them come to practices whenever they want. They understand that it is as a spectator. However, wrestle-offs are closed. Enough pressure as it is, no need to have over aggressive parents screaming, yelling, and cheering. They get enough of that from me during regular matches! :justwrestle: Makes it tough on the teammates when little Johnny's dad is screaming for him to win, especially if you're wrestling little Johnny.

[stovepipe]

Man I love little Johnny examples.

[maj]

I deal with primarily club and middle school ages so much if this is likely not applicable at the high school level. More of my problems have been with the mothers screwing up practices.

 

It starts with some mom walking across the mat in her high heel shoes which makes me crazy, then when little Johnny is in about his second lap around a 30 foot practice mat she holds out his water or juice ( sometimes coke) bottle. Incessant banter with some of the other like minded mothers drowns out instruction , god forbid her darling gets a split lip or bloody nose , rather than wipe it or cover it she will take over the treatment telling him to take a rest before he has even broken a sweat. You will have to pry yourself away from her as she corners a coach to give him every detail of any ailment the budding wrestler has ever had , hangnails to hemrhoids , and then go on to tell you how strong and stocky he is ( read obese )... ahh the list goes on but you get the idea.

 

Knuckle dragging dads show up now and again. If he wasn't a wrester he has no idea why his stocky kid ( read obese ) is getting tossed by some beanpole but he will yell at the kid until he finds out. His kid headlocked some other clod on the playground a couple years ago and now dear old dad thinks he has another Gable on his hands , if he can only get the right coaching of course. I digress.

 

Thanks for letting me vent. You parents who let the coaches coach , respect the mats , support your kids and do the mundane task associated with keeping a club viable, and those who have coaching abilty and can do so in a manner that supports the recognized coach are a gift from the gods. Keep up the good work !

[rcpatriot]

Our parents are allowed to watch practice, but are not allowed to participate or communicate with the wrestlers or coaches. I have found that parents at practices are very distractive, but let them attend so long as they don't interupt anything we may be doing.

Just a word of caution to those that let "ex" wrestlers practice with their kids at school during a regular practice. Be very careful here! I know this happens quite alot across the state, if not the nation. My understanding is that if you have someone on the mat wrestling or showing moves with another h.s. wrestler, they must be a certified coach. If not, you are setting yourself and the school up for trouble if the kid you are working with gets hurt. What we have started doing is having parents of wrestlers sign a release stating that they will not hold the coaches, "ex-wrestler", or school responsible for injury. If we don't have a release on file, that particular wrestler will not work out with that "ex-wrestler". They can take instruction, just can't physically wrestle with the "ex-wrestler".

Unfortuantely, this day and age you need to be very cautious and cover your butt more so than in the old days.

[stovepipe]

Dear Maj,

 

welcome to my level, glad to have you here.

 

Sincerely,

 

Stovepipe

[wrestling101]

I always let them come to practices whenever they want.  They understand that it is as a spectator.  However, wrestle-offs are closed.  Enough pressure as it is, no need to have over aggressive parents screaming, yelling, and cheering.  They get enough of that from me during regular matches!   Makes it tough on the teammates when little Johnny's dad is screaming for him to win, especially if you're wrestling little Johnny.

825417301[/snapback]

 

Coach Bray, Maybe we should all start charging admissions for wrestle-off, another revenue source

[kdxdude]

Parents are allowed at our practices and they stay very quiet. The coaches do the coaching and there is no instruction from anyone that is not on the mats. The only person that talks in our wrestle-offs is the coach who is the referee, no cheering, no coaching to either wrestler, silence, except for the referee and two wrestlers going at it. When the match is over the rest of the team drums the mat instead of clapping for the wrestlers, still no talking, no cheering, no congratulations, just silence. It is pretty awesome!

[harry thornton]

I deal with primarily club and middle school ages so much if this is likely not applicable at the high school level. More of my problems have been with the mothers screwing up practices.

 

It starts with some mom walking across the mat in her high heel shoes which makes me crazy, then when little Johnny is in about his second lap around a 30 foot practice mat she holds out his water or juice ( sometimes coke) bottle. Incessant banter with some of the other like minded mothers drowns out instruction , god forbid her darling gets a split lip or bloody nose , rather than wipe it or cover it she will take over the treatment telling him to take a rest  before he has even broken a sweat. You will have to pry yourself away from her as she corners a coach to give him every detail of any ailment the budding wrestler has ever had , hangnails to hemrhoids , and then go on to tell you how strong and stocky he is ( read obese )... ahh the list goes on but you get the idea.

 

Knuckle dragging dads show up now and again. If he wasn't a wrester he has no idea why his stocky kid ( read obese ) is getting tossed by some beanpole but he will yell at the kid until he finds out. His kid headlocked some other clod on the playground a couple years ago and now dear old dad thinks he has another Gable on his hands , if he can only get the right coaching of course. I digress.

 

Thanks for letting me vent. You parents who let the coaches coach , respect the mats , support your kids and do the mundane task associated with keeping a club viable, and those who have coaching abilty and can do so in a manner that supports the recognized coach are a gift from the gods. Keep up the good work !

825417757[/snapback]

Don't forget the 4 or more younger syblings of the K-2 wrestler that Mom brings to every practice that run all over the mat and up and down the hallways of the school getting YOU in trouble with Security

[CoachBray]

Stovepipe,

I did feel sorry for you because of the parents you had back west. Very domineering.

[michael.geasley]

Parents are allowed at our practices and they stay very quiet. The coaches do the coaching and there is no instruction from anyone that is not on the mats. The only person that talks in our wrestle-offs is the coach who is the referee, no cheering, no coaching to either wrestler, silence, except for the referee and two wrestlers going at it. When the match is over the rest of the team drums the mat instead of clapping for the wrestlers, still no talking, no cheering, no congratulations, just silence. It is pretty awesome!

825418029[/snapback]

 

To me, this is pathetic. As a parent of two wrestlers, you would be my worse nightmare as a coach. It is hard enough to keep kids from burning out on wrestling without a coach running practice like some strange cult. And, I'm sure to you, as a wrestler's parent, I'd be your worse nightmare. At least I'd try to be.

 

I'll agree with the coaches' comments on here that basically say a parent needs to let the coach be the coach. Every coach my kids have ever had knew more about wrestling than I did. I always tell my sons to wrestle the way their coach tells them (even if it is different from the way the last coach told them). Additionally, parents need to do whatever it takes to keep from interrupting practice. These points we agree on.

 

What we may not agree on is that coaches are missing a valuable resource if they neglect to use the participation of parents. Can you imagine a teacher telling the parents not to help a kid with his homework? I watch, tape and critique as many of my sons' matches as possible. A coach is better at telling my son how to work a Peterson. But I know when he is more likely to use it successfully, because I've watched him intently for six years.