Steve Kerr Discusses Youth Sports, Coaches, and Parents
Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) is the Golden State Warriors Head Coach and a PCA National Advisory Board Member. Kerr is a five-time NBA champion and former General Manager of the Phoenix Suns. He entered the NBA as a second-round selection by the Suns (50th overall) in 1988. He played for six teams during his 15-year tenure (Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando, Chicago, San Antonio and Portland). He was a part of NBA championship teams in Chicago in 1996, 1997 and 1998, and then won two more rings with the Spurs in 1999 and 2003. As a coach, Steve Kerr has won three championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
Kerr says that when his daughter was playing club volleyball growing up, prior to a season, her coach had a parent meeting. The coach essentially said that if parents had any issues with the coaching to address them with the coaches privately, to not trash talk the other team, and to not give instruction to the players. This was in an effort to respect boundaries to foster a productive environment, although Kerr recognizes that doesn’t work for everyone. He says that a possible solution is having both teams’ coaches agree to speak with their parents before their game to ensure positive behavior.