Positive Game Spectating

 

Hello La Finca Parents and Guardians,

 

And welcome to the club! This letter is directed squarely at you because of your outsized role in helping us to build a club culture that supports player development. What you say and how you behave carries a tremendous weight for your young player(s). 

 

Games are often stressful experiences for young players. In addition to being fun and exciting, they are likely the only time a child has an entire crowd of adults eyeing their every move. Add to that the competitive nature of a good soccer game and the atmosphere can heat up quickly. Here are some tips for positive spectating:

 

1. Avoid sideline coaching during the games.  Hearing instructions from someone important to them other than their coach is confusing. And remember, it’s our club approach to provide feedback when we sub the players out, rather than yelling from the sidelines. We welcome your ideas about the games after the games.

2. No negative comments during games. We know the games are exciting. They are for us too. But always keep it positive. Trust that the players know when they made a mistake.

3. Even excessive cheering is a distraction. Your voice has an instinctual effect on your child, pulling their attention from the game. And since one of the great joys of sports is that rare experience of being entirely in the moment we don’t want to undermine this. 

4. Complement good plays, not just goals. A tough trap, quick feet, fast dribble, strong pass, a great run without the ball.  The many incredible, small plays are what build a strong player. Noticing these is supporting real player development.

5. It’s a good practice to avoid heavy talks during the ride home. If you have to talk about the game right away, you might start with, How do you think you did today? You’ll be surprised how self-critical young players can be. You could also save this conversation for another day.

6. Not a forgiving person by nature? Well no better place to practice your inner Zen than with the refs.  None of the referees in this youth league have been paid off. They might miss an obvious call, but it was an accident. Furthermore, we are training our team captains how to speak with referees.  If you fill this void, they lose that opportunity to learn.