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5 Friendly Reminders for Sideline Parents

It is time, time for sideline parents to be out and about watching their youth sports athletes light it up on the field, rink or pitch. While we are all happy to cheer on our athletes, just some friendly reminders as we all get back to being spectators. We all love the enthusiasm and let’s channel that into positive reinforcement and support on the sideline. 

It has been a long road back and we are all excited to have a sense of normalcy. Here are 5 tips to remember this summer sports season.

Trust Your Coach

We know that you love shouting instructions to your athlete but remember that someone else is helping them develop as a better player both during the game and long into that athletes future. 

The coach’s job is to help so remember to trust them. Coaches are also looking out in the best interest of the team. Their goal is to not only win but to ensure that the players are learning and growing with the sport. 

This is Not the Olympics

While we all love to yell and cheer, every game you watch at the youth level is NOT the Olympics. Athletes are all trying their best and their best may look different each day. This is my favorite line. It keeps things light and gets parents to think. It is not the end of the world if your player loses a game or tournament. There are a million other memories they will have and an outcome of a game is not one of them. 

You are Human and So Is Your Athlete

Mistakes happen every day. Like coaches will say, it isn’t about the mistake but about how you react to it afterwards. Encourage your athlete to brush off the mistake and “get back on the horse”. 

The sooner they overcome an obstacle, the easier it will be to deal with it afterwards. I have had players make mistakes and my reaction as a coach has been to keep them in the game. It was always better to let them deal with the mistake and overcome it on their own vs taking them out and having them think too much about it.

Playing For Fun

Youth sports athletes are playing their sport first and foremost, because it is fun. It isn’t work, they love it and want to keep playing. I always ask our players if they had fun. It is an important part of playing sports. 

When a player is having fun, it shows on the field. They actually are able to manage through adversity and overcome mistakes. They are fun to watch too. Make every venture fun for them. 

I like to hand out stickers to all ages when they do something well. 

Be Supportive

Parents are supportive. You drive them all over, you pay for their teams, you wash their uniforms and more. We thank you for all of your hardwork. Just being supportive is sometimes the difference between a player with confidence and a player with none. 

Being supportive can be not even saying anything about the game when you are on the car ride home. Getting ice cream afterwards is fun and helps you bond with your athlete. 

Let’s get back out there and cheer on our players! We wish you and your player the best of luck. Remember to have a great time, great memories are being built every day. Remember that iSport360 is here to help you communicate with your coach. Refer your coach today by clicking here.

Learn more or request a demo of our youth sports software that is helping teams improve communication, organization and player development.

May 25, 2021

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