how to handle when coach is star player's parent

[Bud_Bundy]

We had that situation for 3 years where the coach moved from one school to another in our league and took his son with him, and made him the starting QB right from the start as a sophomore. We mentioned the relationship a few times, but not in every story or even in every other story. The son was the best QB on a no-talent team that won 7 games in 3 years.

 

[Tarheel316]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went. Otherwise it seems like overkill to mention the coach / QB relationship in every story. Since you are a local paper you have to assume that interested readers already know about the relationship.

If the mother is a 6?

 

[cyclingwriter]

Don't need to overkill, but it is an interesting dynamic. I won a feature writing award once for a series on parent-coaching relationships. If you can talk to the wife and see how she feels. Is there more stresses at home. How do they balance the dad/son vs. player/coach relationship.

My hook was the local basketball team was heading for a state title with the star player being the coach's son. Everyone knew it, but I found some interesting things. The dad had won two previous state titles when his son was little and a ball boy. Had his name on the state championship ball in the school gym. He said that was a greater motivation than anything else to him...he wanted to earn his name this time. Dad really didn't know about that motivation and joked "I thought it was because I made him run more laps than anyone else. They ended up losing in the finals in an upset. Gave me a good final piece as the dad kind of pulled his son to the side and said "I know you wanted your own ball, but we still have each other."

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went.

Yes, have her channel that anger in a positive direction. The coach works long hours in season, and the poor lady is probably feeling neglected.

 

[slappy4428]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

But as Huntsie said, mention only when necessary and in context

 

[Freuchen Icepick]

sidecar, but... it used to drive me crazy when for years theo epstein was referred to by the boston media dinosaurs as some sort of youngster. it was noteworthy when he was hired as the "youngest GM in baseball," but it persisted it to the point where you could almost picture shaughnessy smirking to himself as he typed out another "young theo" this or "boy wonder" that. it seemed to become this full on passive-aggressive paternalistic vibe and that's when i stopped reading the CHB forever.

 

[Tom Petty]

overkill is overkill. slide it in every now and then from this point forward, but my god, not in every story.

 

[Tom Petty]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went. Otherwise it seems like overkill to mention the coach / QB relationship in every story. Since you are a local paper you have to assume that interested readers already know about the relationship.

i thought you weren't a journalist. if that, in fact, is true, why in the heck are you offering up your opinion?
why would a real journalist give two shirts about a non-journalist's opinion in this matter? i do believe this person came to a journalism board to get journalists' opinions.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went. Otherwise it seems like overkill to mention the coach / QB relationship in every story. Since you are a local paper you have to assume that interested readers already know about the relationship.

i thought you weren't a journalist. if that, in fact, is true, why in the heck are you offering up your opinion?
why would a real journalist give two shirts about a non-journalist's opinion in this matter? i do believe this person came to a journalism board to get journalists' opinions.

Please attack JR in a similar manner.

 

[Tom Petty]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went. Otherwise it seems like overkill to mention the coach / QB relationship in every story. Since you are a local paper you have to assume that interested readers already know about the relationship.

i thought you weren't a journalist. if that, in fact, is true, why in the heck are you offering up your opinion?
why would a real journalist give two shirts about a non-journalist's opinion in this matter? i do believe this person came to a journalism board to get journalists' opinions.

Please attack JR in a similar manner.

not attacking anybody. just making a simple point. i believe boom has long pointed out, in broken english, that he is not a journalist and never has had a connection to journalism. why should his or her opinion on this manner matter?

 

[outofplace]

Every story is definitely too much. The mother probably has a point here.

I can only think of one time I dealt with this, but it was easy. The first time I covered the kid, he pretty much carried his team's offense in a playoff game his freshman year, the only one of his four years as a starter they didn't win a championship.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Ignore the mother's message.

This is not a big deal.

Hit on the mother and come back and tell us how it went. Otherwise it seems like overkill to mention the coach / QB relationship in every story. Since you are a local paper you have to assume that interested readers already know about the relationship.

i thought you weren't a journalist. if that, in fact, is true, why in the heck are you offering up your opinion?
why would a real journalist give two shirts about a non-journalist's opinion in this matter? i do believe this person came to a journalism board to get journalists' opinions.

Please attack JR in a similar manner.

not attacking anybody. just making a simple point. i believe boom has long pointed out, in broken english, that he is not a journalist and never has had a connection to journalism. why should his or her opinion on this manner matter?

Please make points to JR in a similar manner.