This week, I was tasked with chairing a meeting on the pre-season goals and rationale. The pre-season meeting is meant to foster interaction between parents, coaches, and student-athletes. The meeting will allow the involved parties to discuss any issues they have while the coaches give team rules and expectations for the fall season. First, I had to select a spacious and conducive environment for the meeting to take place. I did this with regard to the social distancing provisions of the CDC as the Coronavirus 2019 disease is prevalent in the USA, and it is easily transmitted in group settings. During the meeting, I was charged with calling the meeting to order and introducing the athletes, their parents, and the coaches to one another. Research shows that interaction among student-athletes is important as it helps them in developing relatedness and competence (Chu & Zhang, 2019). The meeting helped the parents, teammates, and coaches to communicate freely and know each other better. Research also shows that interaction among student-athletes and coaches helps them in developing autonomy (Chu & Zhang, 2019). I believe that during the meeting, I was able to foster sportsmanship and promoted communication among the athletes that helped develop a bond of cooperation and mutual respect for one another.
I was also able to have talks with the parents on the kind of conduct they should display throughout the fall season games. Studies have been done on the roles of parents in the athlete’s development and have found parents to be essential to the success of student-athletes (Holden et al., 2015). Parents need to understand their place in the school-sports dynamic. I understand that parents are normally proud of their children, and they want the best for them. This may lead them to have differing opinions from the coaches on their child’s participation in the school sports and bypass existing protocols, which result in undue frustration (Hoch, 2017). By interacting with the parents during the meeting, I was able to make them aware of the expectations coaches had for them, such as transporting their children to and from sporting events and exhibiting positive behaviors at games (Holden et al., 2015). Going through the provisions and expectations that the various teams, organizations, and coaches expect from them helped me understand how best to handle parents in the future as I pursue my career in sports management.
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I was also tasked with bringing coaches, parents, and athletes up to speed with the new fall season rules and requirements. I informed them of the upcoming activities, expectations, and schedule of the various sporting events of the fall season. With the Coronavirus 2019 disease being prevalent, the NFHS came up with a three-phase plan to help in combatting the disease. The new rules revolve around preparticipation physical evaluation, mandatory online training courses for CPR/AED, equipment reconditioning, and the conduct of conditioning and practice sessions (NFHS, 2020). The rules are dependent on each state’s provisions and plan to “open up” their region. Mandatory screening, limitation on gatherings, regularly disinfecting of sporting facilities, and mandatory self-isolation of individuals found positive with the virus are among the key new rules that teams, coaches, and parents must learn about and adhere to (NFHS, 2020). These new rules added upon the athletes, coaches, and parents will help in protecting and saving their lives by preventing themselves from contracting the disease. I helped both parents and athletes understand the rules and expectations of the state high school association, middle school league, the school, and various teams represented in the meeting. I also helped the athletes’ coaches and parents come to terms with the policies, rules, and expectations for the fall sports season.
During this week, I had the chance to set up a pre-season meeting where parents, athletes, and coaches met and communicated about the upcoming fall sports season. During the meeting, I was able to interact with the athlete and parents, and I was able to see how they interacted together. I got a chance to explain the novel rules that the NFHS introduced due to the pandemic. I also got to explain the various expectations that were required from the parents, athletes, and coaches. The responsibilities that I had during this week have helped me in my journey to pursue my career. I believe that interning during this period will teach me a lot about sports management. I will get a chance to see how athletes, coaches, and parents will behave during this period to give me insight on how best to handle a similar situation once I become a sports manager.
References
Chu, T. L., & Zhang, T. (2019). The roles of coaches, peers, and parents in athletes' basic psychological needs: A mixed-studies review. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 14(4), 569-588. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334200216_The_roles_of_coaches_peers_and_parents_in_athletes'_basic_psychological_needs_A_mixed-studies_review
Hoch, D. (2017). Athletic directors offer suggestions for handling problematic parents. https://www.nfhs.org/articles/athletic-directors-offer-suggestions-for-handling-problematic-parents/
Holden, S. L., Forester, B. E., Keshock, C. M., & Pugh, S. F. (2015). How to Effectively Manage Coach, Parent, and Player Relationships. Sports Journal. https://thesportjournal.org/article/how-to-effectively-manage-coach-parent-and-player-relationships/
NFHS. (2020). Guidance for opening up high school athletics and activities. https://www.nfhs.org/media/3812287/2020-nfhs-guidance-for-opening-up-high-school-athletics-and-activities-nfhs-smac-may-15_2020-final.pdf
