PSA is grateful to the countless parents who contribute their time, money, and energy to make its traveling teams work. We ask that all families make an effort to share the burden. There are many jobs to be done. Those who step forward deserve the gratitude and cooperation of everyone involved.

Coaching should be left to the coaches. All parents whose children are involved in the program are encouraged to attend the games and cheer on the team, but also to keep in mind that offering any directions from the sideline inhibits a player’s ability to practice the art of perception and decision-making essential to the game. The PSA advises coaches against providing too many tactical instructions during a game or yelling at referees.  All spectato rs who have the development of the playe rs at heart will follow suit.

There are difficult decisions to be made about such matters as who makes the team, who plays where on the field, and how much playing time a player receives. Parents should take care not to undercut those decisions, either when the team is together on the field or in conversations with players off the field. The atmosphere around a team can disintegrate quickly if a few parents begin bad-mouthing the coach. The best thing for a player’s development, even when a coach’s decisions seem wrong, is almost always for the player to cope on his or her own. Players who are encouraged by their parents to handle disappointment by working harder instead of blaming the coach (or the referee) for unfairness tend to develop into strong competitors and responsible young men and women. However, parents are encouraged to provide constructive viewpoints to the coach when off the field and not in front of players.

Parents should keep in mind, first, that children tend to rebound quickly from disappointment when their parents do not seem upset, and second, that parental bias strongly affects one’s view of performance on the field. Special challenges arise during tryout season, when anxieties about the future sometimes run high.  Here again, the players are going to take their cue from their parents, so it is important to keep one’s cool during the entire process. PSA does its best to ensure fairness by involving disinterested selectors in the tryout process whenever controversy seems likely. Parents should expect teams to change from year to year, as families move in and out of town, interests change, and players develop. Becoming excessively attached to a particular team guarantees disappointment down the road.