7 Tips for Being an Awesome Soccer Parent
So you’ve signed your child up for soccer classes and they love them. Great! Here’s our tips on how to become their number one cheerleader.
Soccer Buddies classes are a ton of fun. Our soccer stars love running, chasing, kicking, and playing with their teammates. But, did you know that parents play a huge part in keeping their child active and loving the sport?
You’re already their number one fan, but we have some top tips to becoming an awesome partner to keep your child active, healthy, and confident!
1. Fun comes first
Our number 1 tip – HAVE FUN!
Whether your child is still learning to connect their feet with the ball, or they are showing serious early talent, fun still comes first!
The more your child loves the game and being active, the better the chance they will continue playing. Soccer is so much more than the skills of the sport. It’s about being a great team member, having confidence and resilience, moving your body, and enjoying being with your friends.
As parents or caregivers, you have a huge role to play in keeping it fun.
Be enthusiastic about coming each week. If you stay to watch, enjoy watching your kid and keep your energy lighthearted. On the way home, don’t drill your kids on what they did and didn’t achieve, let them share what they want to share about their lesson.
2. Encourage, encourage, encourage!
In a similar vein to keeping things light hearted – keep it positive and encouraging.
Your kids need you to be their cheerleader, not their coach (we’ve got that covered!) Criticism isn’t needed at this age and our coaches are experts at encouraging the best out of players in a way that builds them up and makes them strive to achieve.
Parents: please show up, clap and cheer, and be the encouragement your child needs.
3. Kick a ball around
You don’t need to be a sporty parent to help your child progress in their sport. It’s as easy as bringing a soccer ball when you’re going outdoors and kicking it back and forth.
Any time spent being active and kicking a ball strengthens your child’s muscles, cardio, balance and coordination. They’ll love that you’re sharing their sport, and this will keep them engaged in it.
4. Focus on progress
We love the saying: Progress over perfection.
We focus on development and progress – and encourage every step of the way! Allow your child to make mistakes. Also, if they’re focused on practicing a skill, leave them to it! Try not to distract them with words, photos etc., just watch the magic happening when they connect the dots and master a skill on the 5th, 50th or 500th try!
5. Be on time
Part of showing your commitment and encouragement of their sport is showing up to class on time. This helps in all kinds of ways. It’s showing your kid that you’re committed and enthusiastic about their sport. It models for them how to be punctual and respect their teammates’ time. It also gives your child time to have a sip of water and settle into their class, all without being hurried and flustered.
6. Cheer for all players
If your child is playing a game against another team, cheer everyone along!
Try not to be too loud and distracting during the play, but feel free to shout out a “way to go!” whenever ANYONE scores a goal - no matter which side they are playing for.
7. Notice how they feel about the sport they play
Allow your child to open up about what they like and dislike about the sport. This can be especially hard for a child that’s born into a “soccer family”. This goes for any sport as well.
We all have tired weeks and bad days, but notice if your child is mostly smiling, happy to go to class and keen to practice at home. If not, consider what’s going on and maybe try something new! They’re just kids and it’s great for them to try out all sorts of things before they settle on their chosen sport.
Join us at Soccer Buddies!
Find out just how FUN a Soccer Buddies class can be! We would love to welcome your family to our location at MSA Woodland in Grand Rapids. Ready to try a class for FREE? Register today!
