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Parent role on game day

Active Parent Education Kit Fact Sheet 7

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During the game

  • Don’t yell instructions at your child during the game.
  • Cheer and acknowledge good play by both teams.
  • Never criticise a mistake, only make motivational comments.
  • Respect the decisions made by the officials. Your child will learn to respect authority by seeing you do the same.
  • Don’t do anything in the heat of the moment that you will regret later. If you are frustrated take time to cool off – if necessary count to ten or to one hundred.
  • Remember to have fun. Enjoy the experience of watching your child participate in sport.

After the game

  • Thank the officials and the coach.
  • Thank the other team for a good game.
  • Congratulate your child and their team mates on their efforts.
  • Compliment individual players on good plays they made during the game.
  • Focus on the way your child played rather than on winning or losing.
  • If your child is upset with losing, help them not to focus on the outcome.
  • Children need to be recognised, not glorified. Encourage your child to mix with teammates before and after the game – don’t set your child apart from the rest.
  • Avoid criticising or correcting mistakes.



Sources:

  1. Play by the Rules. (n.d.). Angry parents. Retrieved on the 13/11/09, from http://www.playbytherules.net.au/got-an-issue/abuse/angry-parents
  2. Play by the Rules. (n.d.). For parents. Retrieved on the 13/11/09, from http://www.playbytherules.net.au/got-an-issue/abuse/angry-parents/for-parents
  3. Department of Sport and Recreation WA. (n.d.). Keep it fun. Retrieved on the 13/11/09, from http://fulltext.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2003/wa/keepitfun.pdf
 
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