Pitch side etiquette- How to be a supportive parent if your child plays a sport

Here are a few ways on how to be the best parent on the side-lines and a few pitchside etiquette tips.

• Let your child live their dreams and not your ones- You may have loved football and you may have been great at it but you are not your child and he/she will make their own way in life with your help. Let them do what they love rather than what you want them to do and be supportive.
• Pay your kid’s membership and fees on time- It is only a little thing and while money is invariably tight a child’s fees should be paid on time. It may cause your kid embarrassment or leave the mentors or coaches frustrated as they may be paying for your child to compete to keep insurance and everything above board.
• Bring fruit or healthy snacks to games- You don’t have to do this all the time but it is nice to bring along a few snacks for the team especially on the hot summer days. Usually if one parent does it others will follow suit and people can take it in turns but it is worthwhile as it will be much appreciated by the players and backroom staff.
• Don’t argue with the ref, the coach or the opposition- This is simple don’t be the parent who stands screaming at the ref or the opposition or even your own team coach! It will not get you anywhere except maybe embarrass your kiddie and give you a bad name in the club or team.
• Stay away from aggressive people- There is always someone with a nasty mouth who sees nothing wrong with screaming at kids like they are playing in the world cup! Avoid them at all costs even if they are perfectly nice there is no room for that talk at games and you should distance yourself from that kind of attitude.
• Accept the ups and the downs- With anything that your child competes in there will be ups and downs. There will be times when your child excels and is the best but other times your kiddie should work hard to win or lose even. It is part and parcel of it all.
• Be prepared for every outing- Anything your kiddie needs for their outing for a game or competition should be ready well before the dart to the car. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should take on the organising but you should remind your child and be helpful if they struggle to gather their bits together. Don’t forget to run through a checklist before you leave the house!
• Congratulate everyone- Win or lose kids should be congratulated on their efforts even if they didn’t turn up on the day as they usually would. Children will be more disappointed than you when they do badly and will look to their parents for encouragement. Be the bright bushy tailed type and smile telling your kid while they didn’t do great that they worked hard and tell them how proud you are.