Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Don’t Like How the Coach is Using Your Child? Sue Your League.

Don’t Like How the Coach is Using Your Child? Sue Your League.

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Apr 08, 2015

No Comments

judge-gavel

Unhappy with the way your child is being used by his youth sports coach, but don’t know what to do?  You could exercise patience and see how things play out, or you could politely find a time to talk to the coach to learn what your child needs to do to increase his chances for playing time.  You could also, as one family in Virginia recently did, sue the league (though sport psychologists would strongly discourage parents from pursuing this option).

Yes, if you didn’t think youth sports already had enough issues (i.e. sports burnout, hazing, performance supplements, untrained coaches, etc), you can now add parent litigation against youth sports leagues to the list.  Ironically, as crazy as it may sound to sue your child’s sports league, there are some who believe that youth sport coaches hold a lot of weight when it comes to playing time (and, consequently, a child’s chances for an eventual “full-ride” athletic scholarship).  When you put it all together — a lifetime of investment into a youth sports career and a small window for an athletic scholarship opportunity — it becomes more clear why some parents consider legal action, even if it’s an extreme measure to take.

A sign of the times?

Perhaps the concept of “suing a youth sports league” shouldn’t be looked at in terms of right or wrong, but instead more a sign of the times and the lengths in which some families will go to help their child earn a college athletic scholarship.  Whether more families will decide to sue youth sports leagues in the future remains to be seen, but the guess here is that this is probably just the beginning of youth leagues being sued by unhappy parents.

Are there “politics” in youth sports?  Sometimes, yes, but keep in mind there are “politics” in everything in life when human beings are asked to evaluate and appraise.  Subjective coaching decisions will always run the risk of being called “political” by the family of a child not elected to start or play, and with the option to pursue litigation available it’s likely some families will take their concerns to the courts.  Still, at the end of the day it is important to remember that simply because a coach doesn’t play your child doesn’t mean you should immediately think there’s an “inside job” going on that only a lawsuit can make right.

Resiliency is the answer, not lawsuits

Interestingly, perhaps the best thing to do when your child doesn’t play is to help him understand the importance of resiliency, and working to improve his chances for the future by soliciting feedback from the coach and setting future goals around the advice given.  Pursuing litigation should only be considered (if at all) in the most rare of instances, and after every other possible solution has been exhausted.

www.drstankovich.com

Pick up the only e-book your child will need for mental toughness here!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ac9PPNtKuQ[/youtube]

coach litigation, lawsuit, parenting, problems, psychology, sports, youth

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • June 29, 2022 Don’t Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • June 20, 2022 Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • June 15, 2022 Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • June 14, 2022 Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • June 8, 2022 Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

NCAA Conundrum Balancing Academics with the Riches of Athletics

NEXT POST

Sport Psychology 101: The Gift of Failure

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Coaching , College Portfolio , Communicating with Coach , Cuts , Evaluating Talent , Mental Toughness , Parent Training , Performance Enhancement , Playing Time , Prep , Quitting , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Media , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Sports Safety , Team Building , Team Chemistry , Team Cohesion , Training and Development , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports , Youth Sport Burnout , Youth Sports

Tags

coach litigation, lawsuit, parenting, problems, psychology, sports, youth

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Don't Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • Avoid the Dangers of "Whataboutism" for Better Relationships & Improved Mental Health
  • Help Kids Maximize Youth Sports by Using Athletic Transferable Skills
  • Improve Mental Health by Means of Catharsis & Purging Negative Thoughts
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2022 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓