How to Cheer for a Child Athlete

Be it Soccer Moms or T-Ball Dads, parents should learn to cheer for their child in an encouraging, non-pandering way. Here are some suggestions for being their biggest fan.

Instructions

1. From the sidelines, in the moment, just cheer and make a lot of noise. "Way to Go!" or "Great Job!" are your staples and should be used liberally. Focus only on the positive-cheer, don't critique. Leave it up to the coach to offer advice during the game.

2. After the game, be more specific with your praise. Instead of "You were amazing!" try "You were great at dribbling around defenders."

3. Let the accomplishment be theirs. Ask: "Which part was the hardest?" or "What play are you most proud of?"

4. Cheer for all of the players on your child's team. This encourages teamwork and team pride.

5. Don't trash other players, other teams or the referees.

6. If the game didn't go well, don't patronize with false praise. Kids know when they didn't play well or didn't try hard, so don't lie to them. Try empathy instead ("It feels crummy when things don't go the way you want them to.") Then let them talk about it if they want, while you listen without judgments or comments.

7. Good efforts deserve praise. Even a lost game can warrant positive praise: "Way to stick with it even though the team was down."