Football is a game & a pitch is a childs playground!
This weekend brings a very important message to everyone with a love of football, we all started playing the game for the craic with our pals but somewhere along the way the kids have been forgotten with pressure to perform & win.
This weekend we will give the game back to the kids with a Silent Sideline approach.
We are encouraging all adults to refrain from shouting & giving instructions from the sides, all we want to hear are the kids enjoying a game, a game of football!!!
What the children see on a sports pitch and what you see is a completely different picture. The sports pitch can in some case be the only place a child has the opportunity to experience freedom & make mistakes but even that is taken away by the consistent actions and demands by adults from the sidelines. It’s no surprise that video gaming is more popular amongst kids than team sports. When kids play computers games, they don’t have an adult hovering over their shoulder telling them how to play and kids master those games pretty well.
Here are a couple points to remember:
- Mistakes are part of the process and kids shouldn’t be ridiculed for trying.
- Children develop at different stage.
- The level of abuse, bullying and sideline coaching in kids sports is now at an all time high. Time to stop.
- Screaming is not just invading the children’s playtime, its preventing children from learning the game in a natural manner.
- We need to educate adults on stages of development and stop forcing the process.
- As ADULTS we expect far too much from children at a very young age.
- We must not forget; we are talking about children not adults.
- We need to get away from the Yell and Tell culture.
- Allow them to be children, enjoying all the FUN elements of the game, so that they can mature into the adult game gradually and naturally.
- It is better to give positive encouragement, refrain from criticism and leave the instructions to the coach.
So let them play like we did, make mistakes, learn, develope and above all HAVE FUN.
And for ALL visiting teams, parents & supporters, that includes you!!
Have Fun everyone, enjoy!!
STFC