Don't Be One of THOSE Parents

At All American Martial Arts we encourage parents to be involved with their child's martial arts training.  We know parental involvement will make a child's training that much more meaningful and will result in better performance, greater commitment, and more satisfaction from the child.  This is why we encourage parents to stay during their child's training session, to practice with their child at home, and to provide the child with growth opportunities through tournaments and special events.

However, there's a difference in being an involved parent and being a sideline coach.  Trying to coach your son or daugther during class is a bad idea for several reasons.  First, it can impact your child's safety.  If you're trying to coach your child during a sparring match and they turn to look or listen to you, they could end up getting hurt.  This is not good for them or you.

Second, it is a big distraction to the students, parents, and instructors.  When you're on the side trying to talk to your son or daughter, the students around them naturally try to listen as well.  In addition, other parents who are trying to watch their children are impacted.  And it interrupts the instructors who are trying to lead the class.  In short, it reduces the effectiveness of that training session.

Third, it is VERY disrespectful to the instructors on the floor.  It tells them you don't think they are doing a sufficient job teaching your child.  Imagine how a teacher would react if you came to your child's classroom and started "coaching" them during the math lesson.  Well, that's the same reaction we have when you are trying to give your child instructions during their training session. 

All of our instructors are black belts.  In addition, they have all attended our Certified Instructor Training Program.  They also receive ongoing training.  In short, they know what they are doing.  Let them do their job.

Finally, sideline coaching causes confusion for your child and other students in the classroom.  They can't listen to you and the instructor at the same time.  So while they are busy listening to you, they will miss what their instructor is saying - and so will the children around them.  This means their progress will actually be delayed rather than aided by your "help."

We know you want your child to succeed.  So do we.  However, in order for that to happen, you have to allow the instructors to do their job, and not interfere.  If you believe your child needs additional help, or is not understanding something in class, visit with the instructor after class.  You also may want to consider enrolling them in some private lessons to help address your concerns.

In order for our training sessions to be effective, our students' attention must be focused on their instructors.  Help them accomplish that by refraining from interfering during class time.  This will not only make the training session more productive for your child and our other students, it will ensure their safety, minimize distractions, and show the proper respect for our instructors.