PAGE 22

November 2005

Pam's Point

The Sports Support Triangle:

Your Role As a Parent or Coach

ent's, to teach soccer skills and strategies

Your roles as a soccer parent are to

financially. A parent's contributions are

By Pam Champagne, MCC

and to give constructive feedback on

advocate and champion your child, to be

considerable, from buying soccer para-

The Sports Parenting Coach

performance. (See "Pam's Point" enti-

a positive role model, and to serve as

phernalia and shuttling the kids to and

The responsibilities of parents,

tled, "Let the Coach Do the Coaching,"

their life teacher and mentor. Each time

from practice, to showing up at games.

coaches, and athletes are interrelated,

from the June, 2004, issue of Play On!)

you stay calm on the sidelines ­ no mat-

Your number one role, the bedrock,

yet each has a distinct and vital role to

A good soccer coach will also take

ter what, avoid criticizing your child.

is your unconditional emotional support.

play. You can visualize the Sports

advantage of every opportunity to cham-

Leave the coaching to the coach, and

As a parent your consistent positive

Support Triangle by first picturing your

pion each player. To champion is to

you'll demonstrate exemplary role mod-

attention, by "being there", listening,

child athlete at the apex of the triangle.

shine a light on, to appreciate, and

eling.

and empathizing, is the biggest gift you

Then picture the coach and parents, sup-

acknowledge not only accomplishments

To advocate is to support, to stand

can offer your child athlete. Be on the

porting the athlete, at each of the bot-

but also character traits, qualities, com-

up for a person in all possible ways ­

lookout for those positive qualities and

tom two corners.

mitment, and progress.

such as emotionally, physically, and

character traits your child demonstrates,

Your soccer player has two key roles

regardless of their match outcomes.

­ to learn and perform. The beauty of

Every time you verbally acknowledge to

sports is how rich it is with learning

your child your positive regard for spe-

Pam's Point:

opportunities. Your child develops both

cific traits such as their determination or

general athletic skills and soccer-specific

As a sports parent, take responsibility only for your "job description."

their 100% effort, you strengthen your

skills and strategies.

role and key influence as their life men-

Let the coach and your child athlete fulfill their distinct responsibilities.

In a soccer environment your child

tor.

can learn and practice key life skills. Just

As long as the boundaries between

a few of these skills include goal-setting,

the roles of athlete, parent, and coach in

the ability to focus, persistence and

the Sports Support Triangle are clearly

resilience, good teamwork, honesty, and

understood and respected, harmonious

poise under pressure. Learning how to

relationships can flourish. Not only will

be "coachable" has an enormous, posi-

relationships improve, but the likelihood

tive influence for a child's future suc-

of better soccer results increases as

cess.

well. s

Being a performer is your soccer

A self-described youth sports survivor,

player's other role. Your child takes

Pam Champagne holds 8 national tennis

what they have learned in practice and

titles and is a Master Certified Coach to

applies it in soccer competition. With

high-achievers. Pam leads workshops and

some help from parents and coaches,

privately coaches parents on how to

many positive character traits developed

manage the challenges of raising athletes

in soccer experiences can be transferred

in today's highly competitive sports

to academic performance and other

environment. For more tips, visit

endeavors.

www.ParentingAthletes.com or contact

The coaches' roles include being the

Pam at Pam@parentingathletes.com.

soccer teacher and mentor as well as a

Email any questions or ideas for columns.

champion of your child. Naturally the

degree of expertise will vary with indi-

vidual coaches' experience and training.

It is the soccer coach's role, not the par-

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