Youth Sports Administration 101: Complaints And Conflict Resolution
How to handle situations effectively under pressure
By Jason Schaitz
Those who manage a youth-sports program know there will be times when parents complain. Incidents also may occur at the fields and sports venues that may have to be dealt with on a game day. Regardless of the type of complaint or severity of an incident, it should be taken seriously.
© Can Stock Photo / Robhainer
There are several common complaints that occur repeatedly. Not addressing these issues can lead to further incidents. Here are the top five complaints you will likely hear in any youth-sports league, along with possible resolutions:
There is a discrepancy of playing time each child has. Have mandatory play rules and track playing time when possible.
There are issues with a coach. Have a Code of Conduct. Educate, train, communicate, and monitor coaches.
The fairness/balance of the teams is questioned. Put in the effort to evaluate players in forming teams. If parents still complain about losing, you have backup to show the process was fair, and on paper the team has the same skill level as that of every other team. Always try to shift parent focus away from winning and losing whenever possible.
Someone claims he or she “didn’t know” certain information. Communicate, communicate, communicate! Don’t give parents and coaches a reason to blame you for missing information that was sent out or posted multiple times.
People complain about calls during a game. Train, educate, monitor, and evaluate referees. Referees should meet before every game day to improve consistency week by week. Educating parents and coaches helps as well because they have a better understanding of the rules and won’t misinterpret a correct call as “bad” because they didn’t know the rules.
Handling A Complaint
When a complaint is received, here are some tips to handle it effectively, resolve it, and move forward.
Move away from the kids. This should always be done first if there is a dispute during a game. Whether it is an unruly adult firing at you or two adults getting arguing, remove the situation from the playing area. The last thing you want is for the kids to see this and emulate it.
Be responsive and listen. Regardless of whether a complaint is made in person on a game day, through email, or in a phone call, it is imperative to respond to that person. Listen to what that person says, and if it involves some investigating, respond within 48 hours with a resolution. Most of the time a person just wants to be heard.
Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels
Here are more ways to communicate effectively:
Actively listen
Ask supporting questions if more information is needed
Apologize sincerely
Find out what a person wants from the complaint and verify the resolution
Document the complaint using the proper forms and notify a supervisor, if needed
Resolve the complaint
Thank him or her.
Conflict Resolution
An unfortunate trend in youth sports is conflict between parents, coaches, or referees. It is almost always adults causing the problem and rarely young athletes. Here are more tips to display great customer service while resolving a conflict.
Be calm and try to calm down the person making a complaint
Be friendly
Be respectful
Listen
Be responsive
Be positive
Clearly communicate
Listen to both sides
Say thank you
Keep high standards
Find a resolution.
Discipline
As a last resort, sometimes it’s necessary to take disciplinary action. This should be described in the policies in order to serve as a guideline when a situation arises. It can be anything from a warning to ejection to suspension to expulsion. Be as strict as needed for the betterment of the league.
Regardless of the severity of the complaint or the actions of participants, take them all seriously, listen, and be responsive. Do everything necessary in the way of planning, communicating, training, and being organized to greatly reduce complaints and incidents. If something does arise, you will be ready and have the tools needed to resolve the issue so participants can continue to enjoy the program!
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with 15 years’ experience managing youth sports and recreation programs. He also created and manages www.leaguesource.com, with the goal of providing free resources for any type of youth-sports program. Take your league to the next level by visiting League Source to check out our League Management App, League Resources, Youth Sports News, and Youth Sports Administration 101 educational series.