Tips for the parents
I’ve taken the below quote from the CYSA 2008/2009 parent guide and believe it is very important that parents be supportive and provide encouragement.
“Learn the game together. Be as helpful, understanding and patient as you are when your child is learning other skills in life. You are your child’s first and most influential teacher. The stimulation and support you provide can help your child gain the greatest possible benefit from participating in youth sports and instill a desire to play soccer. Make this learning experience together as much fun as possible so your child becomes self motivated and improves on his/her own…”
I would like to ask parents to be an extremely loyal fan. The parent is the players first sports psychologist and your ability to focus on the positive will help considerably. You can do a lot of harm to a player’s enjoyment of the sport and confidence on the field by being too critical. Pick out those things that went well in the game no matter how small and discuss those with your player or just ask the player what they enjoyed. But, please don’t critique even if you think you know what they didn’t do well. If you think they are doing something poorly, bring it to the coaches attention. If your player asks you what they could do better, set a time to have a discussion with the player and the coach. Let the coach provide the constructive criticism.
It is our responsibilities as coaches to identify what the players are working on and addressing individual and team skill needs. We will provide the constructive criticism when necessary, but most things the girls need to improve on only come with touching the ball. To be the most supportive parent and have your child improve, make a rule that when they are watching TV they have to soccer-box (move the ball side to side on the ground) or pull-instep-push the ball. This will help their touch and give them huge gains in comfort on the ball, no matter the age. When the player feels they aren’t performing well, let them know you want them to succeed and will work with them to get more practice (touches on the ball). If you can find the time to pass the ball with them, it will really enhance your relationship because they will see you will put the effort in to see them succeed too.
With the coach and parent working together, we give the players the best opportunity to succeed.
Thanks for this post I plan to pass on the tips to my U5/U6 parents.
Thanks Deanna. I’m glad you found it helpful. The parent’s approach to the child’s skills/attitude is so very important in creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere.