Kids' behaviour on the field often mimics parents' behaviour on the
sidelines.
Did you know?
About 1.7
million, or 63 per cent, of children play at least one organised sport outside
school hours, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Parents form
the backbone of junior sport: coaching, managing and helping out on the field
and in the club. While their role is invaluable, every parent whose child plays
in a team has an important part to play because the way kids act on the field
can be a mirror image of how their parents act on the sidelines.
In a bid to
emphasise this message, many sporting codes and associations ask parents to sign
a "good behaviour" oath at the start of the season, and coaches (most
of whom are mums and dads volunteering their time) now hold pre-season briefing
sessions for parents, outlining their coaching philosophy, expectations of
parents and hopes for the season ahead.
Cultivating a
love of sport
All of this
is happening in junior sport now because it is recognised that whether kids
enjoy playing sport in a team, and continue throughout their junior years, is
heavily influenced by how their parents act, says Paul Oliver, national manager
of Play By The Rules, an online resource providing support and information on
community and club sport.
"Children play sport to have fun and be with
their friends," he says. "Whether they win or lose is not important
at this stage, and should not be anyone's focus, including the
parents'."
While this can all sound a bit like a politically correct
"everyone's a winner" philosophy, the fact is we want our kids to
play sport, join in a team and be happy to take part for a variety of proven
physical and mental health benefits.
If parents are screeching less than
constructive criticism at the kids or arguing with umpires' decisions, the
likelihood of kids continuing to want to play reduces, Oliver says.
Why kids quit
US research
found 70 per cent of kids who play youth sports quit by the time they are 13,
many of them because it is no longer fun. Parental pressure and embarrassing
behaviour from mums and dads were cited as the main fun
killers.
"There are a lot of factors that go into making sport a
fun activity for kids, and we can't underestimate how important the behaviour
of parents is, and the support they provide," Oliver says.
Psychologist
Adam Ferrier urges parents to think seriously about how they act in front of their
kids.
"Don't underestimate the huge impact you have as a role model in
your kids' lives," he says, adding that kids follow what their parents do
rather than what they say.
From the
coach's box
Jamie Lamshed
has volunteered as a coach for a Sydney junior AFL team for four years.
He
says most parents are supportive, encouraging and involved.
"What would
probably help is [to] leave coaching to the coaches so we can rely on the
spectators to cheer and clap from the sidelines."
Lamshed says it is important
parents engender the same attitude towards umpires and referees.
"It's
helpful if parents [also] ensure their kids treat umpires and referees with
respect," he says.
A mantra for
spectator parents
Oliver has
these tips for spectating parents:
Be supportive and encouraging.
Remember that sport at junior
levels is about having fun.
Encourage respect for the coach,
game, team members, opposing team and the referees.
Sport should
be a place where kids enjoy themselves, develop friendships and have fun.
"It's not a place where they should be subjected to discrimination,
harassment or abuse," he says.
Body and Soul
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