If you’ve ever been to a youth sporting event, you have probably seen those parents that go crazy over a missed call or shot. You may have even been the parent screaming at the coach on the sideline, exclaiming that the referee made a bad call. It can be easy to let your competitive nature come out during a youth sporting event, however this behavior can teach your kids all the wrong things about sportsmanship. These 18 blogs will teach you how to be a good sports parent for your child, helping you teach good sportsmanship to your children through your own shining example.
No Sideline Screaming
Watching a sports game is an emotional experience, especially when your child is one of the players. Winning is the end goal of every game, but you also have to weigh the importance of winning with the importance of your child having a good experience. Screaming at the coaches, referees and other players can leave your child embarrassed and hurt. Try to keep your inner coach in check, letting the actual coach tell the kids what to do and the ref call the game as he sees fit. Your job is to cheer for your team and offer encouragement.
- 20 Things You Need to Know to Be a Good Sports Parent Screaming directions to your child from the sidelines will only serve to confuse him; instead, let the coach be the one giving direction.
- Hey Psycho Sports Parents. It’s Time for an Intervention Listen to yourself on the sidelines of your child’s game. See if you can avoid using verbs during the game. Instead of yelling for a player to shoot the ball, try letting them know when they’ve made a nice shot.
- Tips for Sports Parents Who are Prone to Stress If you are anxious about the game or find yourself prone to yelling from the sidelines, take a step back from the sidelines and give yourself a chance to calm down.
- Here’s How You Can Becoming the Sports Parent You’ve Always Wanted to Be Learning when to keep your mouth shut and biting your tongue when you really want to scream at the referee for a bad call are key skills to adopt when you’re on the sidelines.
- Kids and Sports: Do’s and Don’ts for Youth Sports Parents Yelling instructions from the sideline will only embarrass and distract your child, which is probably not what you were trying to accomplish.
- How to Turn Your Kids Off Sports for Life If you criticize another child from the sideline, you will not only hurt that child, you will also upset their parents. It’s best to bite your tongue.
Positive Attitude
Keep a positive attitude, no matter what the outcome of the game is. If your child wins, congratulate him on the win and praise him on his efforts. If he loses, tell him how much you enjoyed watching him play and encourage him to continue to give his best effort. These six blogs will explain more about how to keep a positive attitude with your child during both practices and games.
- What Makes a Nightmare Sports Parent—And What Makes a Great One Tell your kids how much you enjoyed watching them play and then talk about something else. Don’t break down the game on the ride home.
- Don’t be THAT Sports Parent; Tips from D-Back’s Catcher-Turned-Coach Chat Moeller It’s important to build a positive relationship with your child on the field, whether you are coaching or watching. Try to remember that winning isn’t everything.
- How to Be a Good Sports Parent Be sure that you are praising your child’s effort after practices and games. Make sure that your emphasis is on giving forth his best effort and not on winning.
- Kids’ Team Sports—Parents Behaving Badly Win or lose, tell your kids how well they played and how much improvement you can see in their playing. Avoid attacking your child for mistakes made on the field.
- The Bad Sport (Parent) Don’t try to relive your youth through your child. This is not the pros, so keep that in mind and just let your kids have fun.
- How to Be a Good Sports- Parent Remember that your child is not the only child on the field. Cheer for other children on the team, too.
Support the Coach
Make sure that you trust the coach that is teaching your child. When you build this trust up, you are better able to sit back and let him do his job. It’s not a simple task to make all of the right decisions every time, but it’s the coach’s job to do his best. As a parent, you will help your child and the team succeed if you support the coach. Read more about the importance of supporting the coach in these six blog posts.
- How to Be a Good Sports Parent It’s important to let the coach do what he thinks is best for the kids on his team. Try not to complain too much to the coach or he’s liable to recruit you as the assistant coach.
- Are You a Good Sports Parent? Take the quiz on this blog to see if you are a great sports parent or if you could be contributing to your child’s failure.
- Parents and Coaches: Reconciling the Differences Keep in mind that the coach may see something in your child differently than you do. Feel free to meet with the coach and find out what his plan is for developing your child, but don’t go into the meeting ready for a fight.
- The Basics of Being a Good Sports Parent You can analyze the game with the coach at some point if you want, but not right after the game when everyone’s emotions are high.
- 10 Types of Sports Parents It’s important to stand behind the coach’s decision as long as it’s fair and just. Bad mouthing the coach to other parents can cause problems within the team and break up the cohesiveness of the group.
- CD Teaches Parents to Be Good Sports Work with your coach to help improve your child’s skills.
– Our Sport Techie community shoutout goes to blogger Emma Roberts for taking the time to research this family related topic and supplying us with the Super Nanny content.
http://www.summernanny.com/blog/18-blogs-helping-you-be-a-good-sports-parent/
Sports Techie, What value is a community without being able share information and comments about what other like-minded members think and feel about topics. Stressing sportsmanship is one of our core Sports Techie subject matters that everyone is a part of, including parents, children and the entire global tribe it takes to raise good kids.
• No Sideline Screaming – Remember Rule One, it is probably being filmed on a smartphone or tablet so be careful so you are not recorded forever as that parent who yells and yells and yells.
• Positive Attitude – I support taking pictures and videos of your children while in play, whether that be in sport, exercise or activity, and then watching the replay together where their positive attitude can be reinforced via the film and compelling images.
• Support The Coach – Most are volunteer coaches who in all essence acts as a surrogate parent while they are coaching your kids in the sports they like to play, so remember that with a friendly thank you from time to time.
If you know of any blogs and bloggers that emphasizes parenting and good character, please let our fellow Sports Techie community know via a blog comment and link, or by posting at any our social media network links below.
Let’s play two and have some fun while we all help teach our children the role of being a good sport before they turn 18.
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