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You're coaching your own kid. The two rules that save the relationship.

8 min read

An Australian parent-coach kneels at the edge of a community football training pitch in late afternoon light, talking calmly to a young player on the team. Other kids are warming up in the background. The coach's posture is engaged and patient.

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You signed up to coach the team in March. Your kid is in the squad. Fourteen other kids are also in the squad. It is Tuesday training six weeks in and you have just told the team to do a recovery run, and your kid is jogging, slowly, while the others are running. You can feel every parent on the sideline waiting to see what you do.

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