Open Letter to Youth Sports Coaches

Dear Coach,

I know I'm just a parent who's never played the game, but I was wondering if you could humor me for a few minutes. Please? Let's consider it a returned favor - I have, after all, continued to humor you with those training payments, even after finding out that you too are just a parent who's never played the game.

So what do you have planned for practice tonight? Is it going to be the one-on-one drill followed by the shooting drill followed by the scrimmage followed by the sprinting? If so, could you help me understand why you've run this same practice every Tuesday and Thursday for as long as I can remember? Are they still not doing it right? Have you thought about speeding up the learning process by offering some direction on what you'd like to see from them? You know, besides "c'mon!" and "step it up!". I'd understand if that wasn't your style, Coach, but then why are you so vocal during the games? When there's a win on the line, I hear you instructing every touch, every play, every tackle. How frustrating that must be for you, to have players that require no instruction at practice but can't make one single decision for themselves during the game. And on that subject, Coach, I have another question for you. Have you noticed that when you tell our players what to do, that the other team usually hears you? And then they know what to do also? I remember once you told our sweeper to pass the ball back to the keeper, and wouldn't you know it, the other team ran right through that pass and scored.

I've heard passing is an important skill to develop in youth soccer. What's your view on passing? This may seem like a silly question, Coach, but I'm just trying to understand what's happening out there on the field. I mean, I see our players kicking the ball, but it usually ends up being a ball that could easily be won by either team. Is that a pass? I've noticed when this happens, you order the intended recipient to tackle and win the ball. I admit this may sound ignorant, but wouldn't it be more beneficial to encourage accurate passing rather than ferocious tackling?