Parental guidance required

Unlike some of my coaching peers, I treat this role more as a vocation than a job. I’m never off-duty. With a cup final tomorrow, I decide to email the parents this morning with some advice on how best to prepare their boys. Some of these moms and dads already have two or three kids so they could probably do with a few pointers.

Dear Parents,

Just a short note ahead of tomorrow’s game. Please remember, your child will never have another first cup final so he should be the focal point of all activity in your household for the next 24 hours. There should be no swimming or other outside activities today or tomorrow to conserve energy. Fast food is out and all meals should center around his need to carbo-load. Tonight, it might be an idea to have a family movie night. Again, the movie should be of a type to inspire the child ahead of tomorrow’s combat, sorry, match. I would suggest something for all the family like “Braveheart” (all about a guy taking one for the team), “Gladiator” (good lesson on how to bear a grudge against an opponent over time), or even “First Blood” (slightly dated but valuable examples in there about improvising under pressure and refusing to take prisoners). Some of these may look a bit gory for U-10s but you should bend the rules just this once. It’s no harm to allow these kids ingest some blood and guts the night before the biggest game of their lives.

Yours in Sport, Coach