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Skye Eddy: Meet the Parents
In this episode of the Game Plan Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by Skye Eddy, founder of Soccer Parenting and The Sideline Project, a former player, All-American goalkeeper, and coach educator. Her work is helping clubs, coaches, and parents rethink the role adults play in youth sport.
Skye’s mission is simple: inspire players by empowering parents.
Rather than falling into the usual “parents are the problem” narrative, Skye offers something far more useful - a way to see parents as an essential part of a child’s sporting experience. More importantly, she shares practical ways coaches can build trust, set clear boundaries, and create a stronger sense of community around their team.
Three key themes
1) Parents are part of the picture: Parents aren’t on the outside of youth sport, they’re in it. When they’re better informed, better connected, and clear on their role, it improves the experience for everyone. Players benefit. Coaches benefit. The environment becomes more purposeful and less stressful.
2) Boundaries build trust: One of the biggest takeaways. Skye talks about “door open” and “door closed” moments between coaches and parents. Not everything is up for discussion. But when expectations are clear, relationships improve - and coaching becomes easier, not harder.
3) Sidelines and car journeys matter: Some of the most influential moments happen away from the pitch. We explore sideline behaviour, car ride conversations, and how adult stress can impact children. Skye’s framework of supportive, distracting, and hostile behaviours is simple and powerful.
This episode will help you if:
Skye’s work is grounded in experience, backed by research, and focused on real-world application. You’ll come away with ideas you can use straight away and probably a slightly different perspective on parents too.
Links
If this episode made you think differently about parents, sidelines, or the wider environment around young players, I’d love to hear from you. Use the feedback form to share your reflections or suggest future guests and topics.
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By Tom HartleyIn this episode of the Game Plan Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by Skye Eddy, founder of Soccer Parenting and The Sideline Project, a former player, All-American goalkeeper, and coach educator. Her work is helping clubs, coaches, and parents rethink the role adults play in youth sport.
Skye’s mission is simple: inspire players by empowering parents.
Rather than falling into the usual “parents are the problem” narrative, Skye offers something far more useful - a way to see parents as an essential part of a child’s sporting experience. More importantly, she shares practical ways coaches can build trust, set clear boundaries, and create a stronger sense of community around their team.
Three key themes
1) Parents are part of the picture: Parents aren’t on the outside of youth sport, they’re in it. When they’re better informed, better connected, and clear on their role, it improves the experience for everyone. Players benefit. Coaches benefit. The environment becomes more purposeful and less stressful.
2) Boundaries build trust: One of the biggest takeaways. Skye talks about “door open” and “door closed” moments between coaches and parents. Not everything is up for discussion. But when expectations are clear, relationships improve - and coaching becomes easier, not harder.
3) Sidelines and car journeys matter: Some of the most influential moments happen away from the pitch. We explore sideline behaviour, car ride conversations, and how adult stress can impact children. Skye’s framework of supportive, distracting, and hostile behaviours is simple and powerful.
This episode will help you if:
Skye’s work is grounded in experience, backed by research, and focused on real-world application. You’ll come away with ideas you can use straight away and probably a slightly different perspective on parents too.
Links
If this episode made you think differently about parents, sidelines, or the wider environment around young players, I’d love to hear from you. Use the feedback form to share your reflections or suggest future guests and topics.