One of the most important aspects of a successful youth sports program is having good communication and mutual support between coaches, players and parents.

The parents and families of our GBN Feeder Basketball players have been very supportive in the past, and we hope that support will continue to grow each year. However, we understand that basketball can be an emotional sport for all parties involved, so to prevent frustration and conflict and make this a positive experience for all, please follow these guidelines throughout the season:

• We encourage parents to support their athlete by attending their games and giving positive encouragement that includes refraining from criticizing your child, their teammates, coaches, or officials.
• Support your athlete in following their coach’s instructions and leave the coaching to the coach.
• Align yourself with the coach when teaching your player how to cope with the natural frustrations of being on a team and the realities of competitive situations.
• Help your player learn how to be a cooperative team member, make use of both positive and negative feedback, cope with adversity, achieve mental toughness, and be a gracious winner or loser.
• Please email your coach as soon as possible to inform them if your child will be missing a practice or game.

With the exception of situations involving player safety or abuse, the following steps should be taken if a player has a concern with the coach:

• Step One: The player should discuss the problem/concern with the coach and try to arrive at a solution to the problem.
• Step Two: If the coach and player cannot resolve the problem, the parent may contact Program Director Scott Lidskin and schedule an appointment for the player, parent and coach to meet together at an appropriate time.

Under no circumstances is a parent to approach a coach with a complaint or an evaluation of coaching philosophy. The above procedure must be followed in dealing with any situation that may arise.