We’ve all met one. You know, one of those crazy superfan parents that come to every game and cheer louder than the rest of the crowd, leading everyone to know exactly which athlete is their child. Sometimes, you get the occasional coincidence in which a coach and their child both have a passion for the same thing. These are the athletic relationships that make every practice worth it.
In Hastings High, there are six coaches who have children who play on their team. One of these is Tigerette’s Coach Meagan Stoner. Her daughter, sophomore Amelia Stoner, is in the midst of dancing her second year on her mom’s team.
Amelia has been dancing all her life, so the dance team is nothing new to her. However, having her mom as a coach means she has bigger shoes to fill.
“I try a lot harder. Not only do I have to live up to my coach’s expectations, but I have to live up to my mom’s expectations as well, so that pushes me,” Amelia said.
Of course, being the coach’s daughter, stereotypical comments are a regular conflict for both Meagan and Amelia. They have been confronted about the issue of favoritism by parents and other athletes.
“We play to people’s strengths, and I think people see that as favoriting in certain areas, but that’s something you do in any walk of life,” Meagan said.
There are instances in an athlete’s life when they have an accomplishment that goes unrecognized because another person is envious of their triumph.
“It bothers me when people say, ‘you only made the team because your mom is the coach’ because I worked really hard to get where I am and I think I deserve it just as much as any other dancer on the team,” Amelia said.
The Stoners agree that there is more support and more of a bond between the two of them, as opposed to if they were not from the same family. However, there are times when Meagan has to push through to be more of a coach and play fair with the entire team.
”There’s normal girl drama, in which the girls don’t get along, and I see her hurting because of it, but I have to keep myself businesslike and remember that I have a whole team to worry about. I have to just let her find a way through it,” Meagan said.
Even with the stereotypical comments that coaches may hear about their children, Meagan always finds a way to push through it.
“When it all comes down to it, seeing Amelia out there dancing and seeing her progress throughout the learning process and being able to critique her as we go, is the best part of coaching her. I get first hand at seeing her through every stage of her performance,” Meagan said.
But there is another side to this story. Reading this can lead you to believe that girls are the only ones that have a soft family side while competing in an intense sporting competition. Coach Lance Creech has coached two of his sons, one being freshman Connor Creech. Connor is playing his first season with the Hastings High boys basketball team, his dad coaching the current team.
The two athletes have similar thoughts on the bonds, as well as the struggles, of coaching their child.
“Since we’re so close and together all the time, he can help me with certain areas of the game,” Connor said.
Coaches push all of their athletes to their fullest potential, but sometimes it seems as though the athlete they push the hardest is their own child.
“When things don’t go well, I’m probably harder on him than I am on some of the other kids, but I think he understands. We’ve communicated a lot,” Lance said.
In the Creech family, basketball seems to be a major focus.
“My dad coached at the college, but he didn’t start coaching me until about fourth grade. He let me develop my own love for the game and he didn’t want to force anything on me,” Connor said.
A 2008 study by McCarthy, Jones and Clark-Carter shows that when children receive positive parental involvement in their sports, they are more likely to enjoy their experience while playing.
“They have proven through their ability that they deserve to be where they’re at and the playing time they are given,” Lance said.
Despite the flaws that there may be, these parents are proud to coach their children, and the athletes are just as proud to be coached by them.
