Worth Repeating: Gareth Rees on What to Look for in a Coach

Worth Repeating: Gareth Rees on What to Look for in a Coach

From Better Sports Parents by Scott Rintoul

April 24, 2026 · 13 min · Season 1

About this episode

Gareth Rees discusses the qualities parents should look for in a youth coach and shares insights from his coaching experience.

As a rugby player, Gareth Rees was arguably the most prominent Canadian to represent his country on the world stage and was inducted in to the International Rugby Hall of Fame and Canada's Sport Hall of Fame for his efforts. A father of two boys, Gareth has coached professionally and at the amateur sport level, which gives him a unique perspective on what parents should be looking for in a quality coach for their children. In this segment, Gareth highlights important qualities to look for in a youth coach, reveals red flags to be wary of, and shares an example of how creating a great relationship with a player allows a coach to deliver tough feedback when needed. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube

People in this episode

Host: Scott Rintoul

Guest: Gareth Rees

Topics covered

  • coaching
  • youth sports
  • parenting
  • rugby
  • qualities of a coach
  • red flags in coaching

Keywords

  • youth coach
  • coaching qualities
  • rugby
  • parenting
  • red flags
  • feedback
  • relationship with players

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Rugby Hall of Fame, Canada's Sport Hall of Fame

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