The Truth About Youth Sports: Parents Matter More than Coaches
Every youth coach wants to believe they are the reason a young athlete develops into a superstar. However, when a young athlete burns out, youth coaches will never accept any blame. The truth is youth coaches matter a lot less than one would think.
In a 2019 clinical report on youth sports from the American Academy of Pediatrics their research proves this as fact. As stated by Dr. Kelsey Logan, the director of the division of sports medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the co-author of the report:
The coach-athlete relationship is incredibly important, but the evidence shows that parents have an even more central role in helping children get the most out of their participation in sports.
The bottom line is simple. Whether a youth athlete turns into a superstar or burns out by age 13, it’s the parent’s fault. Parents pick coaches, parents manage their child’s schedule, and parents dictate how much or how little a child is pushed.
While it’s true a great coach can make a big difference to a young athlete’s development, a great coach can’t overcome bad parenting. On the other hand, a great parent can overcome a bad coach. For this reason alone, parents will always matter more than coaches in youth sports.