Organized Sports Etiquette

[L.A. Lady]

Since I've posted about this before, I thought it would be good to post it to the "guide."

As a golf instructor who mainly teaches kids, I've come up with a list to help parents and coaches. This list can also apply to adults who are taking sports classes.

I cannot turn your kid into a professional overnight. Tiger Woods hit 20,000 golf balls a day for years before he became pro.

Please show up to class with all necessary equipment. This includes clubs, cleats, helmets, pads and anything else that is required by the sport and the coach. I give out lists of required equipment. Please review this list and make sure you bring the proper equipment to class. I can't properly teach if you don't have the proper equipment.

If the class is a "pay per class" type, please have a payment ready before class. No, I will not "get you next time" if you haven't paid me for the last three classes.

Understand that the instructor is a professional in his or her field. Don't try to correct them or their techniques if you feel that the instructor is wrong.

Please purchase the proper size for any equipment necessary. Helmets, padding and golf clubs are not something you or your child can grow into. The wrong size can lead to bad technique at best and a serious injury at worst.

Understand you or your child's skill level before enrolling in class. Don't enroll in a surfing class if you can barely swim in a pool.

Sports are all about having fun. If you or your child is not having fun, please stop. It's not fun teaching to people who would rather be somewhere else.

[ginlyn32]

*Show up on time and pick your child up on time. Nothing is worse that having a child show up 30 minutes late or waiting around for a late parent.

*Please make sure the instructor has all your contact numbers in case of an emergency.

*Don't be one of "those" parents who sits on the sidelines and screams at the refs or the players.


ginlyn

[Snowy Owl]

If you have any injuries or health issues then tell the instructor at the start of the class so they can work with you to ensure you don't aggravate these.

Research the class / activity beforehand if possible so you know what it's likely to involve and ensure that it's at your level and doesn't involve things you might find offensive. Thinking particularly of the chap I saw a few years ago who decided halfway through a pilates class that the class offended his religious principles and then proceeded to tell everyone else in class this fact in a loud voice with copious foul language and insults to the instructor's morals.

Don't talk while the instructor is explaining something, it's distracting to everyone else. 

Don't make fun of others.  Abilities can differ and we were all beginners at one point.  It's rude and unkind to laugh at the newcomers. 



   

[JonGirl]

If you have children who are learning to play junior football, parents might like to volunteer to help set up equipment and pack up at the end.
Don't just assist with your own child and help everyone along.



Sports are all about having fun. If you or your child is not having fun, please stop. It's not fun teaching to people who would rather be somewhere else.

This, especially if it is Australian Rules or cricket.

[Lisbeth]

It's my job as the coach to instruct the team members and critique their performances while games and practices are in session-not yours.

If your child does not attend games and practices, s/he will not develop in terms of athletic ability or teamwork.  There is nothing I can do to compensate for that.  It's your job as a parent to make sure that your child arrives on time, stays to the end, and doesn't play hooky from games and practices.  We as a team are counting on him/her to show up and do his/her job.

Regardless of how talented your child is, every child on the team is entitled to the same amount of attention from me.  Your child is entitled to a fair but not unequal share of my attention.

[JoanOfArc]

Coaches:

Please remember that kids are not professionals.  It is OK to make them practice hard, but berating them, using cruel language, yelling at them for making mistakes etc, is never acceptable. 

Be fair to the kids.  Give everyone a chance to practice and play.

Be honest about your own abilities and don't try to coach a sport about which you know nothing.  If you want to help and learn, volunteer or take classes about the sport before coaching it.  (This is for all the soccer!! coaches they hired at my HS to coach cross country.  Most of them had never ran a race before.  It was super annoying for those of us that wanted to be competitive in cross country.) 

Joan

[artk2002]

Even though you see baseball coaches going belly-to-belly with umpires, and face-painted cretins screaming obscenities at professional football games, it's not polite to yell/scream/curse or whatever else at the official.  Whether you feel wronged, or you feel your child was wronged, throwing a fit isn't going to change the outcome and you make everyone else around you uncomfortable.  And maybe, just maybe, you'll convince a good ref, who might be having a bad day, that fishing or stamp collecting might be a better use of his time.  And then you'll have a worse ref the next time around.

I promise that I won't tell you what I think of your intelligence, ability and family tree, if you'll do the same for me.