We've already discussed, "never be a child's last coach." But if you were starting a complaint department about your program (not fishing for compliments), what pros and cons would you expect to hear from friends and foes? I don't have answers.
The first question I would ask is, "would I want my daughter/son playing for this coach?"
We can revisit Steven M.R. Covey's 'Cores of Credibility' tree.
What is the coach's philosophy?
What is the program's culture?
What has been the team's identity?
How well does the coach communicate with players and families?
How well does the coach communicate with supervisors?
How transparent is the program? Are practices open?
Is the coach available?
How well does the coach know the game? How well does she teach?
How good is the individual skill development? How good is the team development?
How would you describe the energy within the program?
Are there specific weaknesses that you see? (With a developmental program, I overemphasize offensive development. There is no question that the playing time differential between the top third of players and bottom third of players is not very dramatic, be that a strength or weakness of the program. The "best players" don't get the lions' share of the minutes. I have spent limited time on rebounding. I'm sixty, so I can't demonstrate every aspect of play as well as younger coaches.)
When players have left the program, why did they leave?
What do parents and players who have graduated the program think?
How have players who have been through the program performed at 'the next level'?
Is there anything especially favorable or unfavorable about the program (within control - e.g. schedule, cost, facilities)?
Would they recommend the program? Would the current players and families recommend the program?
