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Tips For Coaching Your Own Child: A Coach Hat

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Jim Thompson (@JimThompson18) is the Founder of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a non-profit organization founded at Stanford University with the mission of helping to transform the culture of youth sports to give all young athletes the opportunity for a positive, character-building experience.

In this video, Thompson discusses how coaching your child can be a great joy, but that the greatest difficulty lies in finding the balance between coach and parent. The most important thing a parent can do before committing to coaching their child is to ask how their kid feels about it. Often, children will be excited for their parent to coach them, but if they are not sure or lukewarm, then the parent should re-consider.

Coaches coaching their own kids should strive to treat their kids like all others on the team. The "coach hat" -- literally and figuratively -- is on at practice and games. It is important that parents act as parents away from practice and as coaches while at practice. Maintaining separation between the two roles in different environments is crucial.