Parent's Guide
As a parent, you have an important role in ensuring your child's experience in sports is positive and healthy. Here are a few ways you can encourage a healthy attitude towards sports and enhance your child's self-esteem on and off the playing field:
- Be involved and interested. Attend some games and talk with your child about them afterward. Ask them what they most enjoyed and help them express their disappointments. Be available if they want to practice skills with you.
- Learn the rules of the game, the appropriate protective gear and injury prevention strategies, so you can support your child's involvement and encourage safe behavior. Help kids get to the game in time to warm up appropriately.
- Allow your child to choose a sport he or she enjoys. Don't force an activity on an unwilling child. Listen carefully when your child says he or she would rather stay home from a game. Recognize that some children shy away from sports because they're afraid of failure or easily frustrated. Try to help them adapt.
- Emphasize the total sports experience rather than just the outcome of the game. Focus on FUN and learning new skills, not winning and losing.
- Remember, one of a child's strongest motivators is pleasing mom and dad. Offer positive feedback and use such expressions as "just do your best."
- Model respectful behavior towards other parents, coaches and officials. Your behavior often sets the tone for your child's attitude towards sports.
- Don't ignore injuries or assume your child is acting out only to get attention.