Let the Children Play

How many times have we seen it at a sporting field, or stadium where ever we go around the country, adults showing poor behaviour at junior sport or interfering in an over-bearing way. I know that over my 18 years or longer coaching sport, I have witnessed it, and I have zero tolerance for any behaviour like it whether it be towards the players, officials or other spectators. If you as a parent, coach whatever want to behave like a thug or something out of the godfather, then for god sake stay away from sports field please we don't need you type around.

The approach to all junior sport, should be about letting the children play, develop and grow, we shouldn't be placing pressure on them to be elite or perform at an un-realistic levels, we really do need to let our youngsters have there child-hood. If we don't it can lead to real problems, and I have experienced it twice as a coach, where young players who I coached, had at some-time during there teenage years eating disorders. In each case the cause was different, but ultimately it was the pressure of needing to do better, to be elite.

Now I can tell you that each of these girls pulled through to the other side, and became stronger, but they should never have been placed in that position in the first place.

So what should we being doing, well like I say, we should be taking the pressure off and letting them just play, have fun and enjoy what they are doing. Let our youngsters in what ever sport it is soak up the experiences, and enjoy the moments that come along.