Please, take the time
to fill out this year's Parent Survey.
If you did not get a link (again, it was
sent to the email address you used to register), send an email to general.adm
[email protected] and
we'll get one sent to you.
Greetings Rep Parents,
By now you should have
received an email with a link to this year's Parent Survey. The email is
generally sent to the email address you used for your child’s hockey
registration.
Here are some
important FACTS about the Parent Survey and the importance of
your review and comments:
The Parent Survey is a very
important input in the Coach Selection and Development Process. We have over 50 Rep teams that are overseen by 3
volunteer, and therefore rely on on-going feedback to evaluate our
coaches. That is why we need to hear from you! If you and your child love
your coach, let us know. If you don't love your coach, let us know but be
constructive. If you like your coach but he/she could improve in a few
areas, let us know.
- Parent Survey participation is
decreasing which presents a challenge for
our Coach Selection Committees. If we receive 6 surveys from a team and 2
are positive, 2 are negative, 2 are neutral and 11 don't get submitted,
what are we supposed to do/conclude? Some teams where everyone is happy don't
fill out the Parent Survey because they think 'why bother? I am happy, my
kid is happy'. Some teams where everybody is unhappy don't fill out the
survey because they fear repercussions to their child during tryouts. So,
when a team submits 2 surveys (it happens), they are either a very happy
team or a very unhappy team. This does not help the Club assess the
teams/coaches properly.
- The Parent Survey is always
confidential . Survey details/specifics
are NEVER shared with coaches and never have been. If some general themes
appear in the surveys, those are shared with returning coaches to help
them improve. For example, a coach could be told that practices are
considered poorly organized or that they shorten the bench too early/often
or that there is not enough focus on skill development. They will never be
told any names and they will not even see an excerpt (in case a coach
could identify your writing style). The point is, no kid is getting cut
because their parent(s) submitted a negative parent survey.
- The Parent Survey is very
important BUT it is only 1 part of the Coach Selection Process. There are interviews, reference checks, hockey
program evaluations and result evaluations. There also needs to be more
than 1 qualified candidate! Despite our best efforts, the number of
coaching applications declines almost every year. In some cases, the Coach
Selection Committee has to go with a qualified but ‘contested' coach
because no one else applied.
- Rep Coaches are going to upset
players/parents. It is
built into the job. Coaches need to cut players; need to decide who is on
PP and PK; need to decide who is on what line; need to decide who is on
the ice in the last minute of a tied playoff game. Simple math says that
those decisions are going to upset more people than they please. So, try
to be objective, fair-minded and constructive in your feedback.
- You need to fill out the Parent
Survey today or you
can't complain next year (which happens all the time). Parents come to us
in the Fall and say, 'I can't believe you guys brought back this Coach.'
We then ask, 'did you fill out a parent survey last year?' and 9 times out
of 10 they say, 'no'.
Please, take the time
to fill out this year's Parent Survey. If you did not get a link (again, it was
sent to the email address you used to register), send an email to [email protected] and
we'll get one sent to you.
Thanks in advance. All
the best to you and your family this holiday season! See you around the rinks.
John Verdon
Oakville Rangers
Hockey Club - President