Parents acting up on the sidelines of sports games aren’t helping their kids, a sport boss says – it might even put them off playing.
By Jordan Smith of Local Democracy Reporting
Children aren’t vying for a place on the Chiefs, Warriors or Silver Ferns, Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper said.
"Life will happen... it won't be the parent's voice on the sideline, it'll be the talent of that child if he or she is good enough and will get identified."
Cooper’s comments came after a wave of incidents that have plagued the Waikato sporting scene, stemming from allegations of parent-on-player violence in an under-14 rugby game to youth rugby league games cancelled last Sunday after reports of physical and verbal abuse in Hopuhopu.
Cooper, a former New Zealand Rugby president and All Black, applauded the decision of Waikato Junior Rugby League and Waikato Rugby in calling out bad sideline behaviour.
"Enough is enough", he said.
"That's where it needed to be called out and unfortunately the consequence is that a lot of others will miss out... that's extremely disappointing."
Council members across the Waikato have previously expressed their dismay against sideline abuse alongside Sport Waikato, which received local government funding.
Too much negativity can tarnish the on-field experience – a defining factor in if a child continues to play sport, Cooper said.
"The adults or those on the sideline aren't playing the game but they're affecting the game. They're affecting the experience for the young person who just wants to play with their mates," he said.
"They [adults] need to understand the impact of their behaviour because if the environment does become negative, aggressive and intimidating, they'll stop enjoying it and sometimes they stop playing altogether. That's our real concern."
When asked why there’s been recent visible spikes of abuse in the Waikato, Cooper said the "actual physical and verbal abuse is not as high in the Waikato as it is around the country".
He added the problem was felt worldwide, with parents wanting to achieve through their children.
"There's no other choice but to turn up to support your child or support whoever's on the field playing."
The majority of the parents on the sideline were behaving respectfully, Cooper stressed, adding it was a small minority that created the fallout, and ultimately led to kids not being able to play on the weekend.
"We've got to remember it's junior sport," he added.
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A clear outline of what is and isn’t acceptable sideline behaviour at the beginning of the season to all supporters was a solution Cooper suggested coaches and managers use.
In the same breath, he added hammering in what consequences would be enforced if standard’s weren’t met was critical.
"I would maintain that becomes not an option but a priority and action for every sports team... we can help provide those set guidelines," he added.
Sport Waikato’s Positive Vibes Only initiative has helped create “greater coach awareness and accountability” across the region, Cooper said, by reinforcing the role coaches play in keeping players happy, engaged and wanting to participate through positive messaging.
But for parents on the sidelines this weekend, Cooper said the "one goal" should simply be making sure the player they are supporting is excited to come back and play again next week, regardless of the result.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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