Surveys:
Why do we conduct them?
Fundamentally, there can be issues or concerns that parents have with their child, how the team is managed or how the program functions. Too often, these concerns are not directed to our coaches, sport commissioners or the Booster
board, but are rather voiced as general comments at games or in the community. There are and can be many reasons why communication occurs in this manner, but such behavior is not constructive to our youth, the Booster program or the community as a whole. Rather than ignore these concerns the club decided to conduct surveys as a tool to bridge this communication gap and to certainly collect important information.
This is not to say there are not issues with surveys, but so far the feedback received has been beneficial to enhancing our programs. Admittedly, some comments have been pretty difficult to accept or acknowledge as valid. We’re certainly not perfect, but we’ve learned of issues that we needed to address, i.e., Anti-bullying policy, Parent Code of Conduct, conducting drafts, etc. We’ve addressed many of the issues, but we still have work to do. What I can say is that feedback from the surveys provides insightful information on how well our programs are running. At times, the comments have pointed out deficiencies that can be obviously painful to us, but overall they have been very positive about our programs. I also believe that by just conducting the surveys it illustrates to the parents that we care and that we are willing to listen to what they have to say. That in itself, in providing a sounding board, has fostered communication. The subsequent actions we have taken to correct issues has resulted in building strong positive relationships with our parents, i.e., in essence a Win/Win scenario.
Overall, our position is basically this:
1) Every program is going to have issues that need attention. Ignoring them is not an answer and leads to behaviors that are not constructive, it leads to indifference by involved parties and a host of complaints, whether valid or not in private or in public.
2) Utilization of surveys provides a valuable tool to get at the heart of issues and collect vital data.
3) Coaches are an integral part of the scenario and concerns need to be shared/ conveyed to them with specific guidelines on what program expectations are.
4) Communication is a key and the use of surveys provides a mechanism for participants and/or parents to share their concerns. People have concerns that need to be heard.
5) Survey results are reviewed at Booster board meetings with decisions made on actions that need to be taken.
6) Sharing results of the survey and taking action to correct issues demonstrates a commitment from those running the program that they care and are committed.
7) It will lead to improvements in the operations of programs and build relationships.
Last, we have learned much from our surveys. Some we kind of knew, but had not acted on from a lack of data. Collecting the information forced us to action and honestly we and the youth have benefitted from it. I would like to now share our most recent survey results:
Why do we conduct them?
Fundamentally, there can be issues or concerns that parents have with their child, how the team is managed or how the program functions. Too often, these concerns are not directed to our coaches, sport commissioners or the Booster
board, but are rather voiced as general comments at games or in the community. There are and can be many reasons why communication occurs in this manner, but such behavior is not constructive to our youth, the Booster program or the community as a whole. Rather than ignore these concerns the club decided to conduct surveys as a tool to bridge this communication gap and to certainly collect important information.
This is not to say there are not issues with surveys, but so far the feedback received has been beneficial to enhancing our programs. Admittedly, some comments have been pretty difficult to accept or acknowledge as valid. We’re certainly not perfect, but we’ve learned of issues that we needed to address, i.e., Anti-bullying policy, Parent Code of Conduct, conducting drafts, etc. We’ve addressed many of the issues, but we still have work to do. What I can say is that feedback from the surveys provides insightful information on how well our programs are running. At times, the comments have pointed out deficiencies that can be obviously painful to us, but overall they have been very positive about our programs. I also believe that by just conducting the surveys it illustrates to the parents that we care and that we are willing to listen to what they have to say. That in itself, in providing a sounding board, has fostered communication. The subsequent actions we have taken to correct issues has resulted in building strong positive relationships with our parents, i.e., in essence a Win/Win scenario.
Overall, our position is basically this:
1) Every program is going to have issues that need attention. Ignoring them is not an answer and leads to behaviors that are not constructive, it leads to indifference by involved parties and a host of complaints, whether valid or not in private or in public.
2) Utilization of surveys provides a valuable tool to get at the heart of issues and collect vital data.
3) Coaches are an integral part of the scenario and concerns need to be shared/ conveyed to them with specific guidelines on what program expectations are.
4) Communication is a key and the use of surveys provides a mechanism for participants and/or parents to share their concerns. People have concerns that need to be heard.
5) Survey results are reviewed at Booster board meetings with decisions made on actions that need to be taken.
6) Sharing results of the survey and taking action to correct issues demonstrates a commitment from those running the program that they care and are committed.
7) It will lead to improvements in the operations of programs and build relationships.
Last, we have learned much from our surveys. Some we kind of knew, but had not acted on from a lack of data. Collecting the information forced us to action and honestly we and the youth have benefitted from it. I would like to now share our most recent survey results:
Survey Comments (2012 Baseball/Softball):
40 Responses
Positives: Issues:
Coaches (19 to 1) Need better Communication (3)
Team Building (3) More tournaments (12)
Many on great experience Balance of skill levels (5)
More practice time (9 to 1)
Umpire Experience (2)
Scheduling conflicts (2)
Splitting of teams (6)
Parents (6)
Fee for tournaments (1)
Needs:
Water jugs in dugout (2)
Access to equipment, i.e., pitching machines (2)
Parking or concessions (5)
Roofs on dugout (2)
Bathroom positioning (1)
Heat Index Policy
40 Responses
Positives: Issues:
Coaches (19 to 1) Need better Communication (3)
Team Building (3) More tournaments (12)
Many on great experience Balance of skill levels (5)
More practice time (9 to 1)
Umpire Experience (2)
Scheduling conflicts (2)
Splitting of teams (6)
Parents (6)
Fee for tournaments (1)
Needs:
Water jugs in dugout (2)
Access to equipment, i.e., pitching machines (2)
Parking or concessions (5)
Roofs on dugout (2)
Bathroom positioning (1)
Heat Index Policy