BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES
Scott Riewald | PSA Conference
Parent Management B Y T E R R I M I L N E R TA R Q U I N I
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t’s no secret that when a coach, athlete and parents have a symbiotic relationship, great things can happen. The challenge is in striking that peaceful and supportive balance. “It’s a three-way relationship,” said Scott Riewald, senior director of high performance for the USOC, “and all three of those pieces have to work together.” Currently, it’s a closeness that parents are even more insistent on. “In the current sports landscape, parents have more of a desire than ever to know what’s going on with their child’s development; the ‘holding them at arm’s length’ philosophy isn’t going to cut it,” Riewald said. “Parents want to know more, not less—and that is not an unrealistic expectation.” It can be a concept that sometimes strikes loathing in the hearts of coaches. “Yes, some parents can be difficult and challenging, but, at the end of the day, parents want to help—they just don’t know how to contribute,” Riewald said. “The person who has the most information and knowledge about what is trying to be accomplished and how to get there is the coach. That means you have a unique opportunity to invest some time to build a parent’s understanding and set a foundation that can be productive as the relationship moves forward.” Riewald presented to coaches with regards to performance management and parent engagement at the PSA conference in May.
1. Have a Coaching Philosophy—and be able to articulate it “What am I doing and why am I doing it?” Riewald said. “This philosophy serves as the foundation of your program. These are the non-negotiables that your program and coaching approach are based on. Being able to articulate what the cornerstones of your coaching are—and, by extension, what their child will experience—will help parents to understand the how’s and why’s.” These expectations travel on a two-way street, however. “It goes a long way with a parent if you lay out your
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accountability, too—those things they can count on you to deliver,” Riewald said. “You are not above reproach and it speaks to parents when they don’t feel like it’s just ‘my way or the highway.’ It reinforces you have some skin in the game if your approach discusses what you will hold them accountable for, as well as what they can expect from you.”
2. Establish Communication with Parents—and continue to touch base “In the absence of information, people will fill in the blanks with what they believe to be true—don’t allow that to happen,” Riewald said. “In the initial sit-down, talk about your philosophy and discuss the upcoming season and lay out the goals. Be clear about what your expectations are for tests and competitions and how you evaluate performance and progress and why you take the approach you do. It shows that you have thought out the next year and are not just shooting from the hip.” It also provides reasons as to how you are approaching things vs. how another coach might be. “There’s a much bigger push now, in all sports, to develop long-term athletes,” Riewald said. “Sometimes a focus on long-term athlete development means sacrificing showy, short-term gain for the greater long-haul good. You might get a parent who is saying that their child isn’t progressing as quickly as an athlete who has a different coach. Having your points clearly thought out and being able to go back and reference how this aligns with your coaching philosophy can help.” After the initial sit-down, periodically meeting with parents to revisit objectives, progress and specifics about how their son or daughter is developing can keep everyone on the same page. “It doesn’t have to take hours of time, but quick touchpoints throughout the season to reassess and providing time for parents to ask questions can diffuse potential problems,” Riewald said. “If you can communicate the larger plan, it gives everyone a better idea of the road map.”
