The following article and blog is a great read about how coaches and parents should act at junior sporting events. Even though this writer is from North America, a lot of the issues raised are very similar world wide.
As coaches and parents at sporting events, you are a role model for all children. Children look up and is most cases automatically respect people well older than them, so all actions and behaviour is absorbed by children and even adolescents. Can you remember your junior sporting coach? I know I do.
Does this sound familiar to you? A youth sports tournament in which coaches are thrown out of games for arguing with officials? Parents on the sideline cursing at each other, at the athletes, and more? How about a 9-year-old player who punches an opponent, tells the opposing team bench to “F— Off!” and then is allowed to play in the rest of the tournament? Want to know why?
Then check out this week’s blog “The Accountability Problem in Youth Sports.”
You will hear the amazing rationale of this tournament director for allowing this kid to play, and how everyone, from coaches to parents to athletes, must become accountable for our actions if we are to change youth sports for the better.
Click here to read the full blog by Changing the Game Project.
