Imagine your child walks across the road. They’re heading over to play at the Parker’s house. That’s where their best friend Peter lives. Your child and Peter Parker have fun when they’re together. And Peter’s Aunty keeps a good balance. She encourages them to do their homework together and she gives them healthy snacks. She sends them outside more than she lets them watch TV. And she is just generally a positive influence on your child’s life. 

A coach, perhaps obviously, should be like Spiderman’s Aunty across the road.

If only for this reason: a child raised by a community is better off than a child raised only by the nuclear family. Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim found this to be true, by interviewing adults who had been raised within a large community. Before the study, Bruno thought the adults who came out of this environment wouldn’t have much impact on the world. Yep, he was wrong. In fact, a large majority of them had become successful professionals and positive contributors to our world.

The ability to choose a coach is like shopping around for a casual back-up parent. This person is going to have a big impact on your child’s life. And that’s a really good thing. So it’s worth doing some research. 

Perhaps, this is even more important than even which sport your child chooses.

You’re the best gauge on whether a coach will be a good fit for your child - a coach should match your goals for your parenting, your values. It can be helpful to have a few questions to ask a new coach, if only to get the conversation started. 

Whether you dream about your child reaching the Olympics, becoming an Avenger, or just forming a positive relationship with movement, there’s several coaching skills that are important to look for.