Here's a summary of what side coaching involves:
- People other than the designated coach/es attempting to provide coaching or instruction to players during a match or practice.
- Parents or guardians, teammates, spectators, or other individuals engaging in this behavior from the sidelines or nearby areas.
- The provision of excessive, irrelevant, or inappropriate remarks or instructions that can potentially influence or interfere with the decisions or actions of players or match officials.
- Side coaches usually don't have the expertise, knowledge, or perspective that the head coach or designated coaches have.
- This behavior can disrupt the coach-player relationship, cause frustration, and promote negative attitudes among players, leading to an unpleasant sports experience.
- Side coaching may violate sportsmanship and fair play principles, as it can give an unfair advantage to one team over another.
- It can also negatively impact the learning and development of players, as it prevents them from receiving consistent and organized coaching from their designated coach.
Addressing and preventing side coaching requires strong sportsmanship, clear rules, and cooperative efforts from coaches, players, parents, and other stakeholders involved in sports.
