Parent coaching ECNL-RL team?

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[Post New]07/07/2023 00:53
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Wakawaka
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I will preface this by saying we’re not in the DC area, so want to see what parents with experience in a variety of clubs at this level think.

We just found out that a parent on the team who had been the assistant coach for the ECNL—RL team our kid is playing for is now the head coach. The coach we were supposed to have will help out but probably not until later in the season—taking a step back for personal reasons.

On top of being a parent to a player on the team, the new coach is not qualified to be coaching at this level—hasn’t coached an 11 v 11 team before, and only has have a D license. Never played college level either.

So—is this something that would be allowed to happen in your clubs? We know another parent in the club who has a B license who was told he couldn’t coach his own daughter’s team (and is actually now coaching a boys team) but for some reason they’ve made an exception here.
[Post New]07/07/2023 14:43
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Weghorst
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No - run the other way. No decent club is doing that at that level. Nobody is going into a tryout for an ECNL-RL team with the expectation that the coach is going to have a kid on the team, so it’s shady for the club to pull that.

And, maybe more importantly, no parent with their head screwed on straight is trying to coach their kid at that level. They are there for their kid and if they are being honest with themselves, they know they belong on the opposite sideline.
[Post New]07/08/2023 15:43
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SocAnon
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Unfortunately, pre-season shake-ups happen. Some parents might be in support of this situation and some would not be in support of this situation. But you have to look at the long term instead of the short term. I'd say, stay with your current club and wait until the 'promised' head coach returns. If the parent coach can devote more time to practices, it might work out for the better. We have had some coaches with lots of experience try to coach 3 teams at once and it showed in practice.... i.e. they were right on time and scrimmaged the kids a lot! The drills were almost after-thoughts and poorly executed and abandoned when kids didn't get it.

But yes, at tat level, ideally you would want a non-parent head coach with a great coaching style first, then a good resume second.

If that is your only option to play, stick with it and lobby the club director. Make the most of it and wait for the situation to change.
-Good luck!
PS -We had our 'promised' coach switch out at the last minute last year, but we all got over it and moved on!
[Post New]07/13/2023 13:25
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Anonymous
This is terrible, ENCL-RL costs $2k+ and you are getting a parent coach? The kids should given coverage by another, paid, coach or the DoC/DoF should come down and run things until the club can meet the commitment.
[Post New]07/13/2023 13:54
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Anonymous
I'd look at what the club advertises in terms of its travel program. If professional coaching is listed, I'd want a partial refund.
[Post New]07/13/2023 14:04
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SocAnon
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Anonymous wrote:I'd look at what the club advertises in terms of its travel program. If professional coaching is listed, I'd want a partial refund.


A 'D' License is generally regarded as 'professional' coaching, likely the parent-coach has one. They probably wouldn't offer a refund if the parent-coach has a D license. Also, from a management stand point, they would have to offer everyone a refund. --But that might drive the club to find a different coach at the threat of loosing so much money. That could help or force the club to act. However, its likely they already considered it each time a parent-coach has to coach. Let us know if they replace the coach, you get a refund or if things work themselves out. -Good luck!
[Post New]07/13/2023 14:53
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Anonymous
Some coaches were coaching before they were dad-coaches, just saying.
[Post New]07/13/2023 14:59
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Anonymous
SocAnon wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'd look at what the club advertises in terms of its travel program. If professional coaching is listed, I'd want a partial refund.


A 'D' License is generally regarded as 'professional' coaching, likely the parent-coach has one. They probably wouldn't offer a refund if the parent-coach has a D license. Also, from a management stand point, they would have to offer everyone a refund. --But that might drive the club to find a different coach at the threat of loosing so much money. That could help or force the club to act. However, its likely they already considered it each time a parent-coach has to coach. Let us know if they replace the coach, you get a refund or if things work themselves out. -Good luck!


DD was at a club where this happened. Team members were refunded the share of their team dues used to pay the coach's salary. That's why I think it is a reasonable ask. If I was in OP's position and I was strongly rebuffed, I'd probably go to small claims court once my kid left the club. Professional (no mater how debatably professional) coaching is a major differentiator between rec and travel and is part of what justifies travel fees
[Post New]07/13/2023 15:08
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Anonymous
Parents and professionals are not mutually exclusive.
[Post New]07/13/2023 15:16
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SocAnon
Member Offline
""DD was at a club where this happened. Team members were refunded the share of their team dues used to pay the coach's salary. That's why I think it is a reasonable ask. If I was in OP's position and I was strongly rebuffed, I'd probably go to small claims court once my kid left the club. Professional (no mater how debatably professional) coaching is a major differentiator between rec and travel and is part of what justifies travel fees ""

Thanks for sharing your experience, I would completely agree with your suggestion to ask for a discount/ refund as an option. Also at our club, if a parent is also a Coach, their kids participate for free (thus doubling their incentive to Coach.) I'd rather we not have parents coaching their own kid's teams, but our club has struggled to get good coaches, not just qualified coaches; so clubs frequently end up with this situation. Some parent-coaches are very good. Some professional Coaches are terrible.

Perhaps the OP should bring it up to Club leadership now, but maintain a wait and see approach after 1 month? Or perhaps, they already dislike the parent-Coach based on previous encounters; if that's the case, they likely will not be happy remaining on the team.
[Post New]07/13/2023 15:25
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Anonymous
It sounds like this parent-coach would be considered a professional coach so I’m not sure they are truly a parent coach and as other PPs have said, not sure if there is much more u can do.

FWIW, I don’t think a parent coach is necessarily a bad coach even if they have a kid on team. Nor do I think a coach that has not played in college is a worse coach than one who did.

Every parent coach I’ve dealt with either has a kid that was really good (no one doubted that they deserved their playing time) or not very good and treated accordingly by the parent coach so no parents ever got annoyed.

Also, my kid tried out and got a few offers from at least MLSNext/ECNL teams and they have been coached their entire life by coaches who never played in college (at most high school and/or semi-pro). So it really is not the end of the world if the coach is not Uber credentialed
[Post New]07/13/2023 15:34
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like this parent-coach would be considered a professional coach so I’m not sure they are truly a parent coach and as other PPs have said, not sure if there is much more u can do.

FWIW, I don’t think a parent coach is necessarily a bad coach even if they have a kid on team. Nor do I think a coach that has not played in college is a worse coach than one who did.

Every parent coach I’ve dealt with either has a kid that was really good (no one doubted that they deserved their playing time) or not very good and treated accordingly by the parent coach so no parents ever got annoyed.

Also, my kid tried out and got a few offers from at least MLSNext/ECNL teams and they have been coached their entire life by coaches who never played in college (at most high school and/or semi-pro). So it really is not the end of the world if the coach is not Uber credentialed



Professional is whether or not they are being paid. If the parent is an assistant who stepped in when the coach left and isn't getting paid, they aren't a professional coach
[Post New]07/13/2023 16:00
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like this parent-coach would be considered a professional coach so I’m not sure they are truly a parent coach and as other PPs have said, not sure if there is much more u can do.

FWIW, I don’t think a parent coach is necessarily a bad coach even if they have a kid on team. Nor do I think a coach that has not played in college is a worse coach than one who did.

Every parent coach I’ve dealt with either has a kid that was really good (no one doubted that they deserved their playing time) or not very good and treated accordingly by the parent coach so no parents ever got annoyed.

Also, my kid tried out and got a few offers from at least MLSNext/ECNL teams and they have been coached their entire life by coaches who never played in college (at most high school and/or semi-pro). So it really is not the end of the world if the coach is not Uber credentialed



Professional is whether or not they are being paid. If the parent is an assistant who stepped in when the coach left and isn't getting paid, they aren't a professional coach


Yup, I assumed they were professional based on the fact that they had a D license and presumably getting paid (although not sure from the original post whether that was the case).
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