Backseat Coaching in the QT? Okay or Not?

So I got to watch several QT games this past weekend, and saw something occur on at least two occasions (to my knowledge). A team was playing some key opponent with the head coach at the helm, and next thing you know, 3-4 club representatives - DOC, girls' DOC, academy director, etc. - show up at the game and start coaching LOUDLY. In at least one of the matches, I knew for a fact that none of these club reps had ever spent any time with the team. The coaches didn't even know the girls' names and had never so much as assisted in a practice, but there they were taking over the show and coaching a team that was not theirs. In another game, I watched FIVE coaches (again, I assume DOC's or whatever from the club) shouting commands to a team. Obviously, the team only had one coach and perhaps one assistant or team manager; but there they were - taking over the place.

I'm curious as to why this would be acceptable. I could understand if it were a single club "bigwig" with some history with the team or coach. But to just show up and take over a team? It seems counterproductive to me and probably more than a little confusing to the girls. 4-5 coaches shouting commands from the sideline? Do you think it's necessary or beneficial? I wonder how the head coaches felt about it.

Not ok. I've seen it happen the last two QT tourneys
They think they are helping but really they're just creating an unnecessary distraction.
Quit stepping on your coaches' toes!

Not ok, but the clubs live or die by getting teams into Classic D1/D2. Stability - you don't risk having your team fall apart every year like the Plano teams; recruiting benefits - more players come to you; prestige

Or maybe the DOC intends to take the team or hand it to someone if it qualifies.

Sting comes to mind

I recall a very important match my daughter's team had about 5 years ago or so where a bunch of "higher-ups" from the Club came to watch the outcome. The girls were completely rattled by these guys watching the match... they ended up winning and getting the bye/promotion, but they all mentioned the perceived pressure of looking over and seeing those guys... distraction for sure.

The "extra" coaches mentioned in the op might think they are helping the situation... reality is they are not doing the girls any favors.

Forgot to mention that there is a limit to the number of coaches/trainers/managers on the bench during a match (usually 3 total), so league rules would have been broken.

I liked the way our DOC handled it from this weekend. He was at the game, out of the coaches box/bench area and he was observing. Now today the girls had practice looking forward the round two and he shows at the field and starts to discuss and walk through with the girls and coaches some things he would like to see improvement on. The girls worked extra hard and were able to actually discuss the changes they needed to make for the coming games. This in my opinion was a classy way to show leadership in his club.

Valjoux13 wrote:So I got to watch several QT games this past weekend, and saw something occur on at least two occasions (to my knowledge).  A team was playing some key opponent with the head coach at the helm, and next thing you know, 3-4 club representatives - DOC, girls' DOC, academy director, etc. - show up at the game and start coaching LOUDLY.  In at least one of the matches, I knew for a fact that none of these club reps had ever spent any time with the team.  The coaches didn't even know the girls' names and had never so much as assisted in a practice, but there they were taking over the show and coaching a team that was not theirs.  In another game, I watched FIVE coaches (again, I assume DOC's or whatever from the club) shouting commands to a team.  Obviously, the team only had one coach and perhaps one assistant or team manager; but there they were - taking over the place.

I'm curious as to why this would be acceptable.  I could understand if it were a single club "bigwig" with some history with the team or coach.  But to just show up and take over a team?  It seems counterproductive to me and probably more than a little confusing to the girls.  4-5 coaches shouting commands from the sideline?  Do you think it's necessary or beneficial?  I wonder how the head coaches felt about it.

This happened to my dd who is a keep last year. She came from a team where the coach let her do her thing..didn't even talk to her much at all during games. She went to a new team right before signing and at King Tut and QT found she had three coaches, two of whom she didn't even know, standing on the sidelines yelling constantly. At times they were crazy intense and yelling at everyone and the referees. What a mess. Totally overwhelming for her. Needless to say, she isn't there anymore. Totally ridiculous!

Good coaches address this with their players ahead of competition. Dad's, Mom's and in this case other coaches usually have no idea what they work on in practice and should stick to being supporters. The only voice they should be listening to is their coach. All others should be tuned out. Parents should be told the difference between coaching and supporting. I was at the QT last Friday night and was blown away at the coaching coming from the parents side. If I were a kid, I would be totally confused if the coach hadn't told me to tune it out. Weird things happen to grown-ups when they step on that grass.

kickballrules wrote:Sting comes to mind

How many coaches does it take to tell the kids to kick it over everybody's head and go chase it?  LOL

Erod wrote:

kickballrules wrote:Sting comes to mind

How many coaches does it take to tell the kids to kick it over everybody's head and go chase it?  LOL

Are we counting the unofficial assistant coaches (16 sets of parents)?

Spouse, "Why didn't Suzy play at all this game?"
You, "Well, I guess because it's QT."
Spouse, "Huh... So it that OK?"
You, "I don't know.  I hope that isn't what this is going to be like for the next 11 months."

I think the loaded competitiveness of QT draws out the worst in many of us.  I think it forces out the worst parts of your coach.  I think it provides a good excuse for the clubs to bypass their own mission statements and focus only on results.  I also think it makes us, as parents, show our truest colors as well.  

If your team was losing this weekend, how did you handle it?  If somebody posted a utube video of you while you were on the sidelines, how many hits would it get?  If your team lost this weekend, what was your behavior like in the car on the way home?

I'm unsure about this "Backseat Coaching" issue.  I actually like that the club's leadership was there to support the girls.  I think if your coach didn't like having his "toes stepped on" then it's his responsibility to stand up for himself.  If he didn't stand up for himself then, it seems to me, that he made the decision to let that happen.  Maybe they felt that having extra support was in the best interest of the team.

QT definitely exposes some of the uglier parts of this environment.

The DOC helping out makes more sense to me than any parent commenting about play or officiating during any game.

The placement of teams can make this year the last year of the team or beginning of a long run for it. I would say it's probably rare if your child doesn't play in QT that they will play substantial time during the season, unfortunately. I'd be in favor of rules that allow departing a team if a player gets below a minimum amount of playtime. Some kids/parents make mistakes in the last-minute roster-filling crush of recruiting.

Some coaches actually do ask for help from their superiors - believe it or not, I've seen it numerous times. Other DOCs have their head on a plate if teams outside of their immediate control don't 'make' - goes with the job.

Agreed that QT is the beginning of the horrid player contract commitment environment in which we all chose to participate. Good Luck to everyone - hoping your DOC's instruct your dd's to score - that might work.

I am not torn on this issue. The Coach is the leader of the team on the field. I absolutely do like the support of all the other Coaches, but I feel they should hang with the parents of the team. The only way "other Coaches" should be with the team, is if they they are invited to be there by "the Coach". If you've got "other Coaches" coming and going and interjecting as they please, it subverts "the Coach's" authority and by extension, their leadership. One team, one leader, one Coach. Off the field, "the Coach" has bosses, but on the field, the team belongs to "the Coach". Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are the poster children for the other way of doing it, but Al Davis invented it.

clueless wrote: I would say it's probably rare if your child doesn't play in QT that they will play substantial time during the season, unfortunately.  I'd be in favor of rules that allow departing a team if a player gets below a minimum amount of playtime. Some kids/parents make mistakes in the last-minute roster-filling crush of recruiting.

This is already being seen, 3 girls left right at the bitter end to the salespitch and now have the opportunity to get really sunburned knees when all they want to do is make a contribution to the team. Talented kids with a lot of drive but I guess from watching their participation not what the club was really looking for in a solid replacement.

Gumby wrote:I am not torn on this issue.  The Coach is the leader of the team on the field.  I absolutely do like the support of all the other Coaches, but I feel they should hang with the parents of the team.  The only way "other Coaches" should be with the team, is if they they are invited to be there by "the Coach".  If you've got "other Coaches" coming and going and interjecting as they please, it subverts "the Coach's" authority and by extension, their leadership.  One team, one leader, one Coach. Off the field, "the Coach" has bosses, but on the field, the team belongs to "the Coach".  Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are the poster children for the other way of doing it, but Al Davis invented it.  

JERRY !!! JERRY !!! JERRY !!!

bigtex75081 wrote:[i]

.....I'm unsure about this "Backseat Coaching" issue.  I actually like that the club's leadership was there to support the girls....... Maybe they felt that having extra support was in the best interest of the team.

...but they weren't 'supporting' the girls...they were yelling and screaming at them apparently.....just stfu and let the girls play the game...club soccer at it's worst...

tornado11 wrote:

bigtex75081 wrote:
.....I'm unsure about this "Backseat Coaching" issue.  I actually like that the club's leadership was there to support the girls....... Maybe they felt that having extra support was in the best interest of the team.

...but they weren't 'supporting' the girls...they were yelling and screaming at them apparently.....just stfu and let the girls play the game...club soccer at it's worst...

Ironically enough though, the portion of the fees that we pay that goes to the clubs, it covers the costs of these sweet services.

So last high school season the daughter of a good friend of mine is playing for her school team..(the girl also plays high level club soccer) her school team was playing against a TAPPS school where, as it happens, one of her club DT's coaches on the BOYS side...during the GIRLS H.S. game he takes it upon himself to start yelling at 'his' club player to do this, do that, go here, run there etc, and apparently his instructions were contradictory to what her H.S. coach wanted her to do (she plays a different position for the school than she does for her club) thus confusing the girl no end....just where do these idiots get off involving themselves in a game that has NOTHING to do with club soccer..?

my bad, i thought this thread was about parents yelling from the parents' side. i was confused when i saw that it was actually about coaches trying to coach. Hmmm, that's an interesting concept there.

now, i get the fact that a random coach comes up and starts shouting instructions without knowing the team. but many DOCs and older age coaches actually do know the players on younger teams. it's apart of their job to know them and know what's coming up in the club. is a big tourney like the QT the spot to interject, probably not, but just cuz they haven't been around DOES NOT mean they haven't gotten feedback from the team coach and given suggestion/directives on what to implement from above.

And did i really read someone say the DOC and upper level coaches should join the parents on the parents' side and observe? huh???? dont think you really want that, since there would be some of you without a team anymore simply because of YOUR actions on the sidelines. don't agree.... ask a college coach if they stop recruiting a player cuz of a problem parent. If their honest with you, you'll get 95% "Yes". the other 5% actually wants your kid bad enough they'll put up with you for a season before pulling the scholarship.

twotone wrote:my bad, i thought this thread was about parents yelling from the parents' side. i was confused when i saw that it was actually about coaches trying to coach. Hmmm, that's an interesting concept there.

Yelling and screaming at kids during the game is not 'coaching'....unfortunately having seen this sort of behavior by many 'coaches' over several years most parents thing this is 'coaching'....it is not....Real coaches do their work during the week and apart from making the occasional point or have a couple of players change positions, make a sub, or tactical switch rarely say much at all during the games.......ever watch any top burro soccer..? ever watch Alex Ferguson during a Manchester United game...? the coaches/managers sit on the bench or sometimes stand in the technical area....they are not constantly yelling at the players....

Soccer is a players game, so stfu and let the kids play without the constant, non stop ear bashing....

On the contrary, Juergen klinsman seems to be active on the the sidelines barking out instructions at points in the game. At least in the gold cup he seemed to be more animated on the sidelines. Good coaches can communicate , and at the youth levels, sometimes need to communicate to players while on the field. It's a fine line between constructive leadership or constant yelling.

I don't have an issue with a coach yelling from the sidelines during a game if he sees players or the team getting off base. For instance, I see so many teams playing kick ball which wears down an opponent until they eventually start playing the same game instead of whatever they have learned during the week. Or they run up against a team that is taught to herd the opponent to one sideline while leaving a couple of their players as outliers on the opposite side waiting to get a burro. Many things can break down a team's efforts and a coach directing from the sidelines can often get their collective heads back into their game.

Now then, as to DOCs and other coaches coming into a QT game and yelling instructions to the team, sorry, but it seems a bit off to me. If they don't trust the coach enough to allow him to coach alone in a QT then they should have done something about it long before that point. And while I am sure that some DOCs may know some of their team players, I would venture to say that the majority probably don't.

So why would they come and duplicate coaching at a QT? Is it desperation, a need to ensure that they have a team in LH in that division and no other team has stepped up, or just OCD behavior? If they have correctly chosen the right coaches to coach and provide guidance to those coaches then there shouldn't be a need to show up. If they have provided the right kind of training to their teams, again, they shouldn't need to show up.

Of course, if they are simply on the sidelines shouting cheers to encourage their teams on, then I would suggest they wear cheer outfits next time and whip out those pom poms.  

If you ever get lucky enough to be a field marshal and see this happening,you get to do something about it.

And thankfully, I have been (and will be) field marshall (not in QTs but regular season). And yes, if they are not the team coach, manager or assistant coach, I can kindly ask them to move to the parent side of the field. (Maybe a cupcake would lure them away.)