We’ve all heard of the 24-hour rule. It’s the suggested time to let pass before complaining about something that upset you at your child’s practice or game. Parents typically assume this rule of thumb refers to confronting the coach or league administrator in person – which it does, but it also applies to emailing them.

Email can be our best or worst friend in any situation. It’s a communication method that allows us to get our thoughts out and decide if it’s what we really want to say before we hit send. It’s also the easiest way for statements to be taken out of context, especially when emails are shared with others via the “forward” button. When that happens, typically the originally intended message quickly becomes a big ordeal and spins out of control.

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For this reason, just as parents should think through their thoughts before delivering a message in person, it’s a great idea to take the time to do the same before hitting send on an email.

The few times I’ve emailed a formal complaint or made a suggestion to an administrator or coach, I asked my wife and a friend who serves on another organization’s board of directors to take a look at it. It gave me two objective opinions: one from a person who cares about my kids’ experiences as much as I do, and a second from someone who has listened, and in some cases responded, to countless similar messages.

I received recommendations from both on how to state something in a different way or add an example for clarity. I edited and asked them to review again before finally sending.

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The main purpose of waiting 24 hours before emailing, as well as implementing my own system for review, was to make sure that what I wanted to say “came through” in writing, and in the proper tone.

The ability to go through this process is what makes email our friend, providing an effective way to communicate a point we’ve taken 24 hours to think through so it doesn’t turn into our enemy.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.