While we talk a lot about youth athlete burnout here it is also important to recognize that youth coaches themselves can get burned out too. Burnout at higher levels such as pro and collegiate coaches is understandable as their livelihood often depends on the coaching position but when talking about youth coaches it's a whole other ballgame. Most youth coaches are volunteers and usually also have to contend with regular day jobs and their family on top of trying to keep a team together and running smoothly. Even 6+ hours a week for 3-4 months a couple times a year can…

Although your primary role as a coach is to develop athletes, you must also accept the responsibility for educating and communicating with parents on a routine basis. Before the season’s first practice, you should hold an some type of interactive meeting with the coaching staff, athletes and parents to develop effective lines of communication. The meeting’s primary purpose should be to establish agreed-upon expectations for all parties in regard to coaching style, team rules, appropriate athlete behavior, etc. The meeting’s secondary purpose should be to help parents understand how best to support their children’s sport participation and what constitutes appropriate parent behavior in the youth sport environment.…