High school coach Eric Singletary devises simple plan to attract parents to cheer for the team rather than just student athletes

Eric Singletary, the basketball head coach of Sidwell Friends School Wisconsin Ave, has come up with an ingenious idea to bring more energy to the team and charge the players to give their best. GameUP's Instagram handle uploaded a video of Singletary talking to actor and Sidwell Friends alum, Jon Bernthal, on December 20.

In the video, Singletary talked about his idea of involving parents more in the game and encouraging them to cheer for the entire team rather than just for their kids.

“Most coaches have an attitude like keeping parents at a distance, and that's the complete opposite of what I do,” he shared with Jon Bernthal.

According to Singletary, parents sitting in silos only have eyes for their kids, doing so, they only focus on their kids’ performance and play no part in cheering for the whole team.

To overcome this issue, Eric Singletary has devised a simple plan:

“So one of the things I have gotten the parents to do over these years that I've been here is to sit behind us. I was like, If you sit behind us, it’ll force you to cheer for us; you won't sit in these places and won't only cheer for your kid,” he shared his innovative idea.

Singletary’s simple plan actually has merits. Players feed off the crowd’s energy, especially when it’s their own families cheering them on. It can significantly fuel a player's performance, which in turn will reflect in the team's overall growth.

Is Eric Singletary’s bold plan boosting team performance?

Coach Eric Singletary has undoubtedly created a dynamic environment by getting parents off the sidelines and into the stands. Players feel supported, fueling their drive to succeed.

But does the idea actually work in practice? A simple look at Sidwell Friends School’s current schedule says it works. Sidwell Friends is 5-2 this season. In their last game against Saint Andrew's Episcopal on December 17, coach Singletary’s team managed a 66-65 victory.

They have suffered defeat from Highland and Bishop O'Connell Basketball. On top of that, Sidwell Friends is top 2 in the DCSAA League with a 2-0 win and No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic League. Besides, Singletary's squad is also the No. 2 team in Washington, DC, as per MaxPreps, with their current 5-2 win ratio.

Sidwell Friends basketball coach’s ‘Parent Power’ initiative does seem like an impactful idea. Parents cheering for the team will amplify the intensity of the game and make it more memorable for the players.