While it’s often easy to get caught up in the excitement of watching your child play a game they love, it’s important to remember that being supportive volleyball parents is crucial to the success of your young athlete and their team. This means respecting your child’s teammates and their families, as well as their coaches. So… what makes a parent supportive in the RIGHT ways?
1. Communication is Key
We all know communication is key in all the different kinds of relationships we have in life. This is even more true when it comes to communicating with your child’s coach and other team parents. In order for your child’s team to be successful, it’s important that you often ask coaches how you and other team parents can support the team. This could be as simple as handing out water or even volunteering to host the next team dinner. Taking initiative like this will make you a role model to the team.
Having an open and honest line of communication between parents will help motivate the team to have that themselves. With open communication, the path to a win is much larger because it will lead to better teamwork and trust.
2. Be Present as a Parent
As a parent, you always want to see your child succeed and continue to do so. This being said, it’s crucial that you are present as they do so. Being present is more than just attending their games. This means you are engaged, cheering them on, and celebrate them whether they win or lose. Doing so will give your child an example of good sportsmanship and motivate them to play better next time.
Something parents sometimes forget is how important it is for their child to have a familiar face in the stands rooting for them. It’s okay if you miss a game, but try to find someone to take your place. Whether it’s a different family member or friend, your child knowing they have a fan in the crowd pushes them to do better.
3. Support the Team and Other Parents
Supporting your child’s team can go a long way. Offering to carpool for kids that may not have a stable way of getting to games and practices can help to avoid a delayed start or interruption. This will also help to strengthen friendships between players as it typically leads to hanging out outside of the sport as well, creating a stronger bond. Another easy thing you can do to support the team is to remember to always be respectful to players, their families, and the coach. Respecting them means supporting all plays, good or bad, and all game decisions the coach makes.
If the coach pulls your child out of the game during the middle of a match, just know there is a reasoning behind that. The coach knows the behavior of the players and the way they perform, so remember they want to win as much as your child does.
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