Lacrosse games are often very rough. Not everyone is immediately prepared to see his son or his daughter as he or she goes back to the origins of America and plays the traditional and often brutal game of the Native Americans. Many parents do not know how to behave in such a situation, but also over motivated parents need to know how to behave on the sidlines. Therefore we have put together 10 things every parent of a lacrosse player should know.
1. It is not about you, it is about them.
It is important to respect the dreams of your child. If your child wants to play lacrosse and not baketball like you maybe did, then you should accept this and support your child.
Do not interfere in the smaller decisions. Let it make its own decisions about his team or his position. Let it make his own experiences, both good and bad.
2. Never talk to a coach about your child’s playtime after a game.
That is a really important point of the 10 things every parent of a lacrosse player should know. It is significant for your child that you will not do that! Let your child do it. If he or she has a problem with his or her playing time, he or she will go to the coach and tell him. If it is so important to you, then talk to your child and try to convince him or her to go to the coach. Back in the day it was okay to call the coach after a game, but as soon as your child has reached a certain age, you should stop doing it.
3. Never yell at referees.
Anyone can understand that you are angry when the referee does not see a foul or in your opinion makes a wrong decision. But to make decisions is his job, not yours. How would you like it if someone came to your job and screamed at you? If you see a real problem in the decisions, then submit a complaint the next day.
4. Do not coach your kid from the sideline
You are here to cheer for your child, not to train it. The coach is responsible for giving instructions from the sidelines. Your shouts from the sideline would not help your child, they would just confuse him or her and the other players. The team has its own system with its coach, that you do not know. Cheer on and show your child that you are proud of him or her but leave the instructions to the coach. That is an really important point of the 10 things every parent of a lacrosse player should know.
5. Do not force your child to become a professional.
Every small player can be something special, but want to become professionals do it on their own. Do not drill your child to become a professional lacrosse player. Relax and let your child enjoy the time. When he or she wants to be a professional and train hard for it, then he or she will do it, but as I said they will do this on their own.
6. Do not be “that” parent.
Each of you knows these parents who always and everywhere have to add their contribution and complain and if you are honest, then you also think that this is quite annoying. That is why you should not be one of “these” parents at the lacrosse game of your child. If you have nothing nice to say, sit down and be quiet.
7. Let them fail.
If your child has forgotten his lacrosse equipment at home, if it has not warmed up or if it has not trained at home, do not interfere. Try not to patronize your child, let it make his own mistakes. It has to learn to live with the consequences of its behavior and deal with them.
8. Support them.
For a child or a teenager, it is important to see that his parents are behind him and behind his decisions. Even if they do not often show that, they need the support very much. It is also important for the development of your child, that you show him when he or she did something well, that goes especially for sports.
That is why you should show your child that you are behind him and that you support him or her and believe in him or her, as well as in all other aspects of the daily life.
9. Do not lose your mind on the sideline of the game.
If you stand on the sideline and notice yourself being very emotinal about the game, then have a look in the mirror and find out why.
It is your child’s sport! They do that on their own. So put your energy into something productive.
10. Your kids are watching you.
Just as you observe your child during the game, your child exactly knows what are doing and sees how you behave. Therefore, behave properly and make your child proud.
