Coaches seem to be under a lot of pressure, both in season and out of season.

One of the biggest pressures coaches undergo is choosing the athletes for their team.

Along with choosing the team, parents are big contributors to the stress coaches go through.

If their child is not getting a lot of playing time, parents may complain to the coach.

Mr. Rockland Lasley, who has coached girls’ and boys’ basketball at KHS, said that it is understandable why parents get upset.

“Parents put their kid first while coaches put the team first,” Lasley said.

But Mr. Paul Adas, boys’ basketball coach, avoids that kind of controversy by not allowing those kinds of discussions.

“I don’t take those complaints or talk about playing time with parents,” Adas said.

Mr. Scott Lints has coached football, and he said there is more going on with a team than what the parents may only see in a game. Lints said that he tells the parents to attend a practice.

“If it was the freshmen or JV team, then I would find time for them to play, but in varsity, you have to win,” Lints said. “The reason somebody does not get a lot of playing time is because there is someone in front of them that goes to all the off-season practices and always tries their hardest in practice.”

Some people believe that when complaining is not setting a good example for student-athletes, especially if the coaches listen to the parents and give their child more playing time. It could make them think they can prosper by complaining.

Parents complaining to coaches about playing time has unseen effects to the team.

If the coach does listen to the parent, then what about the player who has to sit out so the other student can get more playing time?

Senior Deitrick Young feels parents should not complain about playing time.

“Coaches typically know what is best for the team and parents are only thinking about their babies,” Young said.

Some parents may believe asking the coaches why their children do not play much is logical, but sometimes the complaint is based off of rumors.

Parents will hear students talking bad about the coaches, claiming that the coaches have favorites and always pick the same people to join the team.

Junior Lyric McMasters believes that parents should not complain.

McMasters believes practice can make or break athletes, and if athletes do not try as hard as others in practice then it is obvious coaches will see that and not give them any playing time.

“If their kid does not play, it is probably because he does not do what he is supposed to in practice,” McMasters said.

Senior Elijah McConico thinks athletes need to be willing to put in the effort and time during practices.

“If the kids want to play the sport, then they have to put a lot of effort in to earn their playing time,” McConico said. “They cannot expect it to be handed to them. It is not up to the parents, in my opinion.