You always hearthatcoach before you see them.
Theyre yelling something about being out of position or not running hard enough for the ball.
They stared at him with confusion.
The girls on my team giggled because we were all there to play soccer.
Im sorry, Ill do that more.
She smiled back, showing me the gap in her front teeth.
Sounds good, coach.
That dadand plenty of other parentsare sucking the joy out of recreational sports from the sidelines.
Recreational leagues exist because sports are supposed to be fun.
Lets not wreck that.
Channel your inner child
Remember how fun kindergarten was?
Bring kindergarten back into practices.
I have been a dinosaur and a fairy during practices over the years.
I once made a fellow coach growl like a bear and meow like a cat.
(Hes mostly forgiven me.)
Theres a dribbling drill that I still run with 11-year-olds that makes them giggle like theyre five-year-olds.
Remember that it’s possible for you to play, too.
One of the highlights of the season is our annual kids versus parents game.
The game ends in laughter or whenever it gets too dark to play.
The kids always want to keep playing.
Cheer for the hitsandthe misses
Cheer loudest when things go wrong.
I cheer for effort instead of results.
In life, you tell your kids things are going to be okay after something goes wrong.
Find the same compassion as a fan or a coach.
I dont just do this for them.
I do it so my team and my daughter see me do it.
Sportsmanship is a big part of sports, but its learned by example.
Your kid knows if they didnt have a good game and so does their coach.
Then youve just created sadness.
Thats how your kids feel about free fruit snacks and orange slices.
Snacks may be the best part of the game.
Want to go above and beyond?
Bring snacks for your teamandthe other team.
(Then soak in the adoring cheers of your new fans.)
The truth is that its easy to yell.
But its empty calories.
You yell and then you dont feel great that you were yelling.
The one from the next field over?
Nobody is making you yell.
Thats a choice youre making.
Make a different choice next time.
Remember, youre on the sidelines because you are on your kids side.
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