I have been thinking this one over and decided to finally chime in! I too coach, and yes my son is one of our clubs better youth wrestlers. I find myself way harder on him then I am on his teammates, and I also find myself much quicker to critique his efforts than that of his peers (he rarely loses!) That being said, there is a fine line between parenting and coaching and it is very difficult not to let them become equals. Today, my son was a bit sluggish and wrestled subpar, losing by 1 in the finals to a kid who he should have and has beaten handily in the past...as a coach, I was frustrated at his efforts, as a dad, I was dissapointed because I know how bad he felt! I often suggest that one of our other coaches coach his matches but to him that means I don't believe in him. I explained that I would be his biggest "cheer-leader" in the stands, but he says that he only wants me to coach. Often I find myself getting way too involved in his matches and it is very difficult to not push too hard. As with all parents, I just want my son to be happy, and if he kicks some tail along the way, then great! BUT, today for the first time, I think having "dad" in his corner may have been more detrimental than helpful. I guess what this novel boils down to is that parents coaching thier kids can be a wonderful thing, but the reality of over-doing it, cannot be ignored!
