COACHING LIFE

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II I I
I I I I
Dave Lubick, Head Boys'
II I I Coach at St. Mark's High
I I I I~r--r School in Southborough,
Mass., watches his son
I I I I I I I I Nate Lubick defend during
a game last season.

I I I I I I I I
II I I I I I
T IS THE START OF PRESEASON AND
THERE ARE 101 TASKS TO BE COM-
PLETED. One of those early season
hurdles, the parents meeting, is
usually a no-brainer. You have
always felt comfortable walking
into a room full of your student-
athletes' parents and discussing
your rules and philosophy.
But this year, the thought of the
meeting is accompanied by some anxi-
ety. One of the members of the current
team is your son, and it's a situation
you've never faced before. A friend tells
you there is talk that you have already
decided your child will be the starting
point guard. Another rumor is that your
son and his friends are receiving prefer-
ential treatment in practice.
Coaching is a tough job. Unlike most
professions, you work with young people
under public scrutiny. Furthermore,
people tend to measure success and fail-
ure only by what is on the scoreboard,
not the teaching you do in practice.
Do you really want to add to the
pressure by coaching your own child?

Larry Lauer, PhD, is Director of Coaching

Education and Development at the Institute
for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan
State University, where one of his research
interests is parents' involvement with their
children's athletic teams. He can be reached
at: lauer/@msu.edu.

Coaching your son or daughter can be a rewarding experience, as long as both of you are
prepared for the unique challenges your relationship may face.
BY DR. LARRY LAUER

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