Players play, coaches coach, referees officiate and parents cheer! They all have their role at a sporting event. It is pretty common place that parents cheer some form of encouragement from the sidelines in an effort to guide the child to experience a positive outcome. However, all too often, well intended parents become overly enthusiastic with advice and instruction. Turns out, this could be having a negative effect on the child, leading to embarrassment and affecting their self-esteem, at a time when their energy should be spent focused on the game, decision making and technique. On occasion, overzealous commentary from the stands has even escalated to the point that there is abuse of referees, and parents even getting into fights.

In an effort to curb overly enthusiastic parents during sporting events, organizations are starting to implement policies with respect to the amount and type of encouragement parents can deliver from the sidelines of youth sport. Last week, the Aurora Youth Soccer Club in Ontario, implemented a week of silence for house league matches to remind parents and spectators the game is about having fun, and to present the players with an opportunity to play soccer without constant instruction and noise from the sidelines, while parents were asked to cheer by way of applause and signs.

Hockey, no stranger to experiencing excessive parental coaching from the stands, goes so far to report that the number one reason cited for coaches, managers and officials of all ages leaving the sport is unacceptable parent behaviour. So last year, Hockey Alberta launched the “Respect in Sport Parent Program.” This one-hour online program for parents involves watching short videos on bad parental behaviour with follow up questions, in an effort to demonstrate acceptable, rewarding and respectful forms of behaviour and communication for all parties involved.

In cooperation with True Sport’s “What You Can Do: Parents,” which outlines promoting fair play and respectful behaviour, Sport Manitoba offers "The Guide to Sport Parents", providing scenarios, instructions, and reminders for parents who want to make their kids’ sports experiences as positive, constructive and inspiring as they can.

For more information on this topic, please visit SIRC.