Many schools have codes of conduct for student-athletes and extensive lists of responsibilities for their coaches. However, in addition to student-athletes and coaches, expectations for parents need to be considered. While most parents are positive and support the school’s programs, there are some who are not. Therefore, it is vital to establish parameters for parents in the school’s community.

In the Fountain-Fort Carson School District in Colorado, the effort to communicate parental expectations starts with a preseason meeting. In these sessions, Jared Felice, district administrator, points out that the department’s philosophy, mission and vision is included in the Athletic Handbook, which is posted online.

“It is extremely important to explicitly define the purpose of our program and the accompanying parental expectations,” Felice said. “Everything from procedures, communication practices with regard to questions and complaints, sportsmanship protocols and the athletic code of conduct are covered.” read more at nfhs.org