Instill sportsmanship in your children, no matter their age

Despite what some parents may believe, school coaches aren’t the only ones responsible for instilling a sense of sportsmanship in our children. These pointers can assist you in creating an environment where sportsmanship reigns supreme – both on the sports field and at home.

Start at grassroots

Helping youngsters learn and demonstrate good sportsmanship is easier when you start early, as it is with many other essential behavioural lessons. Help young children understand why they should not be angry or sad when they lose a game, and begin discussing the significance of being a good sport well before they begin participating in team sports. The younger your child is when they begin learning these skills, the easier it will be for him or her to remember them and act appropriately.

Good sportsmanship should be modeled

When your child sees you scold authorities, criticise their coach, or whine bitterly about a loss, it’s difficult to teach them to be good sports. Observing your behaviours teaches your children more than anything else about how to interact with and react to the world, so make an effort to model good sportsmanship at all times. Even if you’re fuming about what you think was a poor decision, don’t express your displeasure to your youngster. Witnessing your outbursts after hearing a long speech about the benefits of sportsmanship not only sends a mixed message to your child but also calls into question your teachings when they don’t match up with your actions.

Enjoyment and effort should take precedence over victory

If your children learn that winning at all costs is the most essential feature of team sports or playing a game, they will become exclusively focused on winning rather than enjoying the game. When they believe that winning is the only thing that matters, they are more inclined to act “unsportsmanlike” or even cheat in order to win. After a game, talk about how much fun your child has playing soccer rather than all the ways they could have won.

After a win, avoid gloating

It’s just as unsportsmanlike to rub a triumph in an opponent’s face as it is to throw a rage tantrum after a loss. You should never encourage your youngster to brag about a victory, especially in front of the opponent.

To hammer your point home, talk about how to accept both a failure and a success with grace, and look for talking points on the rudeness of gloating.

Recognise that heckling is a kind of bullying

Too many sports parents believe that heckling is an acceptable aspect of the game, pushing their children to do the same and continuing a bullying cycle on and off the field. Make sure your child understands that there is no distinction between trash-talking and bullying, and that you will not accept either. 

Encourage rather than criticise

It’s simple to point out your child’s mistakes and tell him what he could have done differently after a game or practice. While you may think you’re assisting your child in improving his athletic abilities, what you’re really doing is reinforcing the concept that winning is the most important aspect of sports, and that you place a premium on outcomes over effort.

Encourage your child to explore methods to improve on their own, offer confidence, and resist the temptation to criticise even when your child performs poorly.