How Athletic Directors Can Encourage Coaches To Empower Parents

Paul Snow is one of the Athletic Directors at Menlo-Atherton High School (@bearsathletics_) in Atherton, CA. Prior to arriving at Menlo-Atherton in 2005, Snow coached both the varsity boys' and girls' soccer squads, and served as the athletic director at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School in San Francisco. Snow also teaches history at M-A and served as the head girls' varsity soccer coach. In 2017, Snow and Co-AD Steve Kryger were named the Northern California Girls and Boys Athletic Directors of the Year by the California Coaches Association (CCA).

Snow talks about how he encourages parents and coaches to interact with each other in a positive way. Do not save the first interaction for a negative topic. Parents should approach and compliment coaches for things they feel the coach is doing well. On the other hand, coaches should have a dialogue with parents about things their child is doing well. This opens the door for positive conversations down the line.