Believe it or not, youth sports are back. In some parts of the country, it is like they never left. In other areas, sports are not quite the same but they exist in some form. Children playing sports can only mean one thing: parents acting passionately and, at times, inappropriately. It can be tricky to know exactly how you should act as a parent of a youth sports participant. Here are some Do’s and Dont’s to help guide your way.

DO

It is a good idea to practice these suggestions as a sports parent:

Cheer for your child and their teammates

This is the number one activity to do at your child’s game. Some would say it is the only thing you should do at their game. It is a great way to encourage them and show your support.

Cheer for the other team

You don’t want to cheer too much for the other team but there is nothing wrong with acknowledging a good play of the opposition. You would be exhibiting prosocial behavior and modeling good sportsmanship.

Talk with other parents but avoid saying anything negative about the players

Being social is generally a good thing but you will want to avoid saying anything that another parent could regard as a criticism of their child. As a result, it is best not to talk about any players other than your own child. You never know who is eavesdropping on your conversation or if any parents would take offense to what you are saying. It may be hard to believe, but parents have gotten into fights with each other due to conflicts at recreational youth sporting events.

Sign up for the parent snack rotation

Kids like snacks. It is always appreciated if you sign up to bring a snack and it is even more appreciated if you organize the snack sign-up in the first place.

Help the coach (If they ask)

Most recreational coaches are volunteer parents. They can usually use some help. The majority of them will let you know the areas in which you could assist them. If not, you could offer your services but don’t hound them. The last headache they need is a parent that won’t leave them alone.

Don’t

It is best to avoid the following:

Be the parent coronavirus police

Telling other parents and children how to behave in regards to COVID-19 is sure to lead to trouble. Everyone has their own opinion on proper coronavirus behavior. If you see someone flouting league social distance and mask rules you might want to say something to the coach or an official so they can handle it. If nothing is done you will have to make a choice whether it is worth it to stay at the game.

Yell at the referee

Most of these refs are high school students trying to make a quick buck. They are not professionally trained and they will make a lot of mistakes. Yelling at them won’t help them improve and it sets a bad example for the kids. Let the coach complain. That is part of their job description.

Criticize your child

It can be hard to watch your child play a sport, especially if they are not very good. There may be part of you that wants to critique their performance in the hope they will use that information to improve. But they won’t. They will just feel embarrassed by you. Keep it all positive during a game. If you want to do some parent coaching at home just make sure it is constructive.

Coach From The Sidelines

You are not the coach. If you wanted to coach you could have signed up for that duty. Coaching from the sideline just undermines the actual coach and the kids probably can’t hear you anyway. The only noises that your kids want to hear from the sidelines are cheers and words of encouragement.

Criticize the coronavirus protocols

It is very possible that your child’s sport this year will not look similar to year’s past. Kids are likely to have to remain socially distanced, which means that certain sports may not even play games. Take soccer, for instance. How do you play soccer while maintaining social distance? You don’t. So, soccer in some areas is likely to only have practices where kids wear masks and keep six feet away from each other. As a parent, you may wonder why you are shelling out a bunch of cash for a gameless sports season. That is a fair point. If you feel like you are going to have problems with the new COVID-19 sport rules you may want to skip the season. Sports leagues are going to be very careful and take time to come up with their rules and regulations. They are not going to change them just because a few parents complain. If you want your kids to participate you are going to have to accept the “new normal”.

Enjoy The Season

It is encouraging to see recreational sports on the calendar. It sure beats having the kids crawl up the walls at home. The sports season may not be what you are used to but it is almost definitely better than nothing. Appreciate the fact that your children will be outside, getting some exercise, and have some interaction with friends. Remember how miserable it was to be locked away at home in April and May? Let’s all be thankful for the return of structured activities, whatever they may look like. By following a few simple suggestions, all parents can enjoy a successful season of recreational sports.