Parental Support - The Key To Peak Performance

The role that parents play in the life of a football player has a tremendous impact on their experience. With this in mind, we have taken some time to write down some helpful reminders for all of us as we approach the upcoming season. If you should have any questions about these thoughts, please feel free to discuss it with us, the coaches.

LET THE COACHES COACH

Leave the coaching to the coaches. This includes motivating, psyching your child for practice, after game critiquing, setting goals, requiring additional training, etc. You have entrusted the care of your player to these coaches and they need to be free to do their job. If a player has too many coaches, it is confusing for him/her and their performance usually declines.

SUPPORT THE CLUB

Get involved. Volunteer. Help out with fundraisers, anything to help.

BE YOUR CHILD'S BEST FAN

Support your child unconditionally. Do not withdraw love when your child performs poorly. Your child should never have to perform to win your love.

SUPPORT AND ROOT FOR ALL PLAYERS ON THE TEAM

Foster teamwork. Your child's team-mates are not the enemy. When they are playing better than your child, your child now has a wonderful opportunity to learn.

DO NOT BRIBE OR OFFER INCENTIVES

Your job is not to motivate. Leave this to the coaching staff. Bribes will distract your child from properly concentrating in practice and game situations.

ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO TALK WITH THE COACHES

If your child is having difficulties in practice or games, or can't make a practice, etc., encourage them to speak directly to the coaches. This "responsibility taking" is a big part of becoming a big-time player. By handling the off-field tasks, your child is claiming ownership of all aspects of the game - preparation for as well as playing the game.

UNDERSTAND AND DISPLAY APPROPRIATE GAME BEHAVIOUR

Remember, your child's self esteem and game performance is at stake. Be supportive, cheer, and be appropriate. To perform to the best of his abilities, a player needs to focus on the parts of the game that they can control (their fitness, positioning, decision making, skill, aggressiveness, what the game is presenting them). If she/he starts focusing on what they can not control (the condition of the field, the referee, the weather, the opponent, even the outcome of the game at times), they will not play to his ability. If they hear a lot of people telling them what to do, or yelling at the referee, it diverts their attention away from the task at hand.

MONITOR YOUR CHILD'S STRESS LEVEL AT HOME

Keep an eye on the player to make sure that they are handling stress effectively from the various activities in his/her life.

MONITOR EATING AND SLEEPING HABITS

Be sure your child is eating the proper foods and getting adequate rest.

HELP YOUR CHILD KEEP HIS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

Help your child maintain a focus on schoolwork, relationships and the other things in life beside football. Also, if your child has made a commitment to football, help him/her fulfil their obligation to the team.

REALITY TEST

If your child has come off the field when his/her team has lost, but they have played their best, help them to see this as a "win". Remind them that they are to focus on "process" and not "results". His/her fun and satisfaction should be derived from "striving to achieve excellence"

KEEP FOOTBALL IN ITS PROPER PERSPECTIVE

Football should not be larger than life for you. If your child's performance produces strong emotions in you, suppress them. Remember your relationship will continue with your children long after their competitive football days are over. Keep your goals and needs separate from your child's experience.

HAVE FUN

That is what we will be trying to do! We will try to challenge your child to reach past their "comfort level" and improve themselves as a player, and thus, a person. We will attempt to do this in environments that are fun, yet challenging. We look forward to this process. We hope you do to!

Thank you for taking the time to read this section as it is aimed at helping you the parent to help us the coaches.