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A new campaign called 'Let Kids be Kids' that launched recently in Canberra has set out to address and correct poor sideline behaviour in junior sports.
Backed by several key sports personalities, such as Socceroo's coach Ange Postecoglou, netball and volleyball player Caitlin Thwaites and Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, the initiative, part-led by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), is aimed at parents who are abusive or overly negative at junior sports matches. The initiative includes videos, personal testimonies, and toolkits for sporting organisations to deal with the problem.
All parents want their children to succeed and shine at sports. But research has shown that parents yelling from the sidelines at sporting matches can have a profound impact on kids' participation and enjoyment of sport, ultimately leading to some kids dropping out. Not only what is said, but how it is said, can have a long-lasting impact on children and the sports they undertake for the rest of their lives. And these negative behaviours are happening at kids' sport as young as five and six.
The campaign includes a video in which children explain how yelling from the sideline makes them feel. When asked the question 'what do you like about playing sport?' kids respond with comments such 'having fun', 'being around friends and enjoying yourself', 'it doesn't matter if you win, so long as you get to play', and 'if you lose, it's not the end of the world'.
When asked 'what do you think of poor sideline behaviour?' their answers include: 'I don't like it when people get yelled at or I get yelled at', 'it makes me feel like I'm useless and I can't do anything', 'I stopped because I was being yelled at and it stopped being fun', and 'they don't understand that I'm doing my best.'
When asked, 'what would you say to those engaging in poor sideline behaviour?' their responses include: 'please stop yelling at me on the court because it's making me feel like I can't do it anymore', 'if they have to yell out, they could say something encouraging' and 'we are just here to have fun'.
Ultimately, the kids just want the shouting and sideline anger to stop and the message in the videos from the kids is simple 'Let us enjoy our sport'.
Parents play a huge role in club and community sports, and in most cases the support from parents is positive and encouraging. After all, it's parents who ferry the kids back and forth, hand out half-time oranges, wash uniforms and volunteer to manage and coach. But it's when this support turns overly emotional when it becomes inappropriate.
This can include things such as:
- Sometimes using foul language or making threatening remarks directed at a coach, umpire or team
- Having a 'win at all costs' mentality
- Comments from the sidelines that are focused on faults and failings
These things diminish everyone's enjoyment of the game, in particular the kids playing.
Tips for mums and dads
The initiative has the following tips for mums and dads:
Be a good role model: Kids learn by example, watching and learning from you, so make sure you set a good example.
Focus on fun, not winning: Although you might think winning is important, the focus of junior sport should be fun.
Check your behaviour: Ask yourself 'would my mother be upset or offended by what I am saying or doing?' If the answer is yes, then rethink your actions.
Don't be critical of coaches and referees: Most coaches, referees and umpires are volunteers who have given up their time to be there. They might also just be learning themselves. If you have constructive criticism about their actions, wait until after the game to talk quietly with them.
Keep it fun
Junior sport should always be fun, but there is growing research to show that this fun approach needs to continue into the teenage years. There is an increasing problem in Australia of kids dropping out of sport as they grow older. According to ASC boss Paul Fairweather, this is partly because of the shift in focus of sport.
In a recent interview with the ABC he said, "If we look at why kids start playing sport, its mostly because of having fun and being with their mates." When kids first start out in sport, around ages 5 and 6, this enjoyment is met and the competition is pushed to the background. However, as they head into teenage years, the sport often becomes more serious – teams are graded, rules are applied, and friendship groups are split – and the environment changes. "Kids have different preferences for sport… some like the idea of competition, but some just want fun and to be around their friends." Even as kids get older, for some kids sport needs to continue to be fun, and he believes sports need to change to accommodate this preference.
Establishing an active, healthy lifestyle is something that kids will benefit from for the rest of their adult lives, and participating and enjoying junior sport from an early age is a big part of this. With the right encouragement, it's a simple, yet incredibly positive start in life that we can all give our kids.
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