McAuley Catholic High School

Parent/Coach Communication Policy

The Athletic Department exists as a fundamental component of the McAuley Catholic/St. Peter's educational experience, providing multiple opportunities for students to explore personal interests and talents. It is our responsibility to assist in the overall development of our students by offering team-based opportunities that teach valuable life lessons and instill important core values through active participation. In an effort to ensure that the athletic experience is a positive one for all involved, we ask that parents review and become familiar with our Parent/Coach Communication Policy. 

The purpose of the Parent/Coach Communication Policy is to provide guidelines for Parent/Coach communication with the expectation that parents, students, and coaches will treat one another with courtesy, grace, and respect. Parents and coaches must work together, in their respective roles, to help shape our student-athletes into responsible and contributing members of their teams and our school community. In order for this to happen, all parties must approach their role with words and actions that acknowledge our tradition and faith.

While participation in athletics provides life-long values and a sense of pride and accomplishment, we know that there may be occasions when things do not go the way you or your child expect, and it is during these moments where proper communication is critical. In most cases, a student-athlete will meet with their coach independently, and the conflict is resolved through shared respect and open communication. These discussions help the student-athlete understand the situation, help the coach gain insight into the students’ thoughts and actions, and determine where improvement or clarity may be warranted. 

When a situation is not resolved through a discussion between student and coach, a parent may elect to schedule a meeting with the coach. In this case, the parent should reach out to the head coach by phone or email to schedule a meeting with all parties involved. Because emotions tend to run high immediately following a practice or competition, coaches will not meet with parents immediately following these events. Waiting until the next day helps all parties communicate more clearly and calmly on the issue at hand.  When a situation arises that requires immediate attention, contact the Athletic Director to proceed.

Recommended order of communication:

Coaches are professionals who play an important role in the development of our student-athletes. Each day, our coaches are charged with making decisions predicated on what is best for their team and its players. Below are some of the topics and information that you can expect from a McAuley Catholic/St. Peter's Coach.

Communications you should expect from your child’s coach:

Appropriate concerns to discuss with a coach:

Issues not appropriate to discuss with a coach:

It can be hard to accept when your child is not playing as much as you may hope, and we encourage our student-athletes to ask their coach directly when they have questions about playing time. Often, that is a valuable opportunity for students to learn more about what the coach expects from them and how they can improve. However, when playing time and the overall success of a team alone are the metrics that determine the student experience, athletes and their parents miss the bigger picture. 

Participation in athletics is about more than wins and loses or player stats, and it is a privilege to be a part of McAuley Catholic/St. Peter's Athletics. While each member of a team brings a unique set of abilities, all athletes receive the same opportunities throughout the season to demonstrate their ability, perseverance, and motivation in both practice and during competitions, and coaches must make decisions at game time that benefit not just one player but the entire team. While parents might not agree with every decision made at game time, parents and coaches often find enough common ground to maintain a positive relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and the shared goal of helping student-athletes develop and improve. This is the ultimate goal of our coaching staff and school leadership. 

In the rare event that a patron is unable to comply with the Parent/Coach Communication Policy and chooses, instead, to speak to any member of the coaching staff or other school employee in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner, the School reserves the right to take action that may restrict a parent from attending athletic competitions or prevent a student from participating in an athletic practice or competition. Unacceptable parent behaviors include threats against the School and/or its employees and trustees and other acts of uncivil or inappropriate conduct.

Thank you for allowing your child to be apart of a team at McAuley/St. Peter's. We promise to do our part in instilling the positive characteristics they will so desperately need later in life.