|
From the July 5, 2006, issue of The Technical Area
1. Be positive.
Be supportive. Cheer for the team. Encourage all of the
players. Keep negative comments to yourself, especially
those directed at another parent's child. Remember that the
players are doing the best that they can and that playing
good soccer is more difficult than it looks.
2. Keep the game fun. Winning is more
fun than losing, but each player should enjoy playing
because they love the game. Avoid offering bribes or
"pumping up" your child. Allow them to become
self-motivated. Make sure that you take time to enjoy the
game yourself. I have heard comments from some of the team
that they dread it when their parents start shouting at the
referee. It is noticeable that when some parents get more
and more agitated, their child gets more and more withdrawn
during the game.
3. Never address
players on the other team, except to encourage.
4. Treat the
officials with respect. All officials make
mistakes. All humans make mistakes. Let the officials be
human. Let the coaches approach the officials if they feel
the need. The referee may be wrong, but not as often as you
are? Have you ever seen a referee change his mind because a
parent shouted at him or her?
5. Do not engage is
game-related discussions with parents from the opposing team.
We will be playing these teams for many years to come. We
want to be known in the soccer community as an organization
that has class whether we win, lose or draw. The game score
will not be remembered. The argument or inappropriate
remarks will be.
6. Leave the game on
the field. When the game is over, no amount of
comment, question or discussion with the players, officials
or coaches can change the outcome. Regardless of the
outcome, the coaches will evaluate the performance,
reinforce the good things and work to correct the things
needing improvement.
Think about your own job. If
you have someone who you knew was going to shout at you
every time you made a mistake, wouldn't you stop putting
yourself in the position to make thie mistake? That is what
happens with some of the players on the team. they would
rather not have the ball than risk having it and making a
mistake!
The Six Things You
Should Say To Your Child
A lot of soccer parents with
good intentions give a 30-minute lecture in the car on the
way to each match. Too often this lecture is filled with all
their child's supposed deficiencies while including tons of
playing advice. They arrive far off their optimal mental
state and dread the critique they are likely to hear,
whether they want it or not, on the way home. Kids who are
massaged in this way tend not to play badly; they just tend
not to play, possibly to avoid making mistakes.
Parents should memorize and
use the following six simple phrases:
Before the match:
1. I love you.
2. Good luck.
3. Have fun.
After the match:
1. I love you.
2. It was great to see you
play.
3. What would you like to
eat?
|