Being a supportive parent can be one of the key factors that keep your young athlete enjoying the game of lacrosse.
1. Consistency and Positivity
It is important to be consistent with your child win or lose. One way of doing this is by asking questions after a game instead of jumping to giving advice right away. You can lead this conversation to talk about the positives of the game. And then go over goals for the next game or practice and how to achieve them. A good rule to keep in mind is the 5 to 1 rule. With this, you should always try and keep at least a 5:1 ratio of positives to negatives to help build confidence.
2. Be a Good Role Model
As a parent, it is important to keep in mind that your behavior can affect the game. How you act can affect the coach’s decisions and even your child’s enjoyment of lacrosse. Being negatively targeted at either the referees, coach, or other athletes will be noticed by those around you including the coach. A coach might even punish your child for your behavior whether you notice it or not. They might reduce their playing time, or even not make future teams if your behavior has attached a bad reputation to your child. And lastly, your child will pick up on this behavior and could mimic it in the future in lacrosse or outside of lacrosse.
3. Support the Coach
Piggybacking on the previous point, it is important to support your coach. No matter how much experience or knowledge you have, support them. Too many parents coach from the sideline, and this can cause a troubling relationship between parents, coaches, and athletes. If the coach asks for help, offer your knowledge and assistance where you know you can help. But a good lacrosse parent will let the coach do their job during games and practices, and not always go against their decisions.
4. Promote other Activities
A good lacrosse parent will promote cross-training throughout the year. Whether that be enrolling your child in other sports or getting them involved in other activities, this will help them enjoy lacrosse more. They will look forward to lacrosse season every year and the new camps over the summer. And also, this will prevent burnout in the future and keep them enjoying the game of lacrosse.
5. Enjoy Lacrosse!
Arguably the easiest and most important tip to being a good lacrosse parent is to simply enjoy it! Learn about the game if you do not know much about it. Talk to your kids about lacrosse or even play with them at home. This can help them have fun and see how supportive you are of them. And probably the easiest way to show this support is to always be there. And while you are at their events, make friends with other parents or help the team when needed. These simple steps can really keep your child enjoying the exciting game of lacrosse.
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