What is appropriate parent behavior? (and some great resources to share!)
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The Parent . . .
1. Does not coach the players (including their own child) from the sidelines during the game. 2. Respects the judgment of the referee and does not criticize officials. 3. Focuses on mastering soccer skills knowledge and, to some extent, game strategies. 4. Decreases the pressure on their child to win. 5. Believes that soccer's primary value is to allow youth the opportunity for self- development. 6. Understands the risks. A soccer game is full of mistakes. Playing soccer is a willingness to chance a failure. 7. Communicate with the coach and create a positive working relationship. 8. Controls negative emotions and thinks positively. Great Resources for ParentsWhat Makes A Nightmare Sports Parent -- And What Makes A Great One
Hundreds of college athletes were asked to think back: "What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?" Their overwhelming response: "The ride home from games with my parents." - - - Those same college athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame. Their overwhelming response: "I love to watch you play." The Adultification of Youth Sports
Youth sports has become less a tool to educate children about sport and life, and more often a place where parents go to be entertained by their kids. They pay good money, add a great deal of chaos to their lives, and spend their valuable time travelling far and wide watching their kids play sports. When the product they see on the field does not live up to their perceived notion of the value of their investment, they get upset at the kids, the coaches, and at the schools and clubs. They want their moneys worth. They want to be entertained. But at what cost? |
Six words you should get in the habit of saying to your child: "I love the way you play!"
The Ride Home: Not a Teachable Moment
One of the biggest problems on the ride home is that a simple question from you, often meant to encourage your own child, can be construed as an attack on a teammate or coach by your child. Our kids do not need us to question their actions or those of their teammates or coaches in the emotional moments after games. The Enemy of Excellence of Youth Sports
"Sadly, this girl and millions of kids just like her are playing sports in an environment not designed to make them better in the long term. They are caught up in an adult obsession to solely measure youth sports results in wins and losses, and it is killing youth sports in our country." |
Why Kids Quit Sports
“It’s my dad. He loves me and I know he only wants the best for me, but he just can’t stop coaching me, in the car, and from the sideline each and every game. I can’t play when he is around, and he insists on coming to every game, every road trip, you name it. It’s like it’s more important to him than it is to me.”
“Coaches and parents who keep a running commentary going on the sideline, second guessing every decision and action players take, and yelling at players for trying their best and failing, create a culture of fear that drives players out of the game.”
“It’s my dad. He loves me and I know he only wants the best for me, but he just can’t stop coaching me, in the car, and from the sideline each and every game. I can’t play when he is around, and he insists on coming to every game, every road trip, you name it. It’s like it’s more important to him than it is to me.”
“Coaches and parents who keep a running commentary going on the sideline, second guessing every decision and action players take, and yelling at players for trying their best and failing, create a culture of fear that drives players out of the game.”
