Way of Champions Podcast

#441 How to Be a Better Parent Coach: A Discussion with Skye Eddy, Jerry Lynch, and John O'Sullivan

22 snips
Aug 7, 2025
Skye Eddy, founder of SoccerParenting.com and a former All-American athlete, joins the discussion alongside Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan. They dive into the challenges parent coaches face, especially when coaching their own kids. Key topics include establishing boundaries, managing biases, and fostering a positive sports culture. They emphasize the need for resources to support these volunteer coaches, and share practical tips for balancing coaching responsibilities with parenting, ensuring children enjoy their sports experience.
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INSIGHT

Parent-Coaches Are Underserved

  • Parent-coaches are a vital, under-resourced group inside youth sport ecosystems.
  • Clubs must intentionally support them or grassroots player development suffers.
INSIGHT

Don't Ban All Parent Coaches

  • Distinguish a qualified coach who happens to be a parent from a parent coaching only their child.
  • Blanket bans on parent coaches risk excluding skilled coaches and weakening clubs.
ANECDOTE

Raised On Pickup Play

  • Jerry described growing up with 63 kids on his street, no coaches, and endless pickup play.
  • He links that free play culture to less early burnout compared to today's specialization.
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