Communicating With Other Sports Parents
A parent asks, “How do you talk to other parents about being good sports parents?”
This is a good question.
Too often, well-meaning sports parents are too loud on the sidelines, argue with the refs and coaches, and overall, set bad examples for their children.
They focus too much on the score and the win—and not on ensuring their children enjoy sports and build their confidence. When they do this, they hurt their young athletes’ confidence—and along with it, their enjoyment and performance.
Young athletes need to focus on learning and growing, and they don’t need to be distracted—and embarrassed—by parents who concentrate too much on the score or win.
If you’d like to encourage these parents to learn how to be better sports parents, you might begin by asking the coach to hold a team meeting.
Enlist the “good” sports parents—those who focus on helping their kids learn and grow, and not on the score or win—to help you.
If the coach won’t hold a team meeting (a bad sign for your team), hold it yourself at your house or a public place, like a restaurant or park.
At the meeting, you (and the coach, or the other sports parents) could explain that parents’ behavior can either boost kids’ confidence and success—or hurt it.
You might say that you want the parents on this team to work together to do the very best for their young athletes.
While you’re doing this, don’t point any fingers at the bad sports parents or cite their bad behavior.
You might say that you’ve been reading some sports psychology articles, and learning a lot of things that would never have occurred to you.
You could share some of our sports psychology tips, beginning with “Ten Tips to Improve Confidence and Success in Young Athletes,” which you can find at:
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- How Sports Parents Can Help Kids Relax
- Sports Parents’ Anger and Frustration Hurts Kids
- How to Avoid Comparison Trap for Sports Parents
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