The Family Team – What is it?

The Family Team simply means that Parents are to join up with their Kids and the Coaches of their Kids so that these Kids have a joyful, productive, successful, life experience.

We have all heard and seen instances of parents being out of control at sports events (hollering at the officials, at the opposing team members, at their own coach, and even at their own kids), or parents making impossible demands of directors of the musical play (“Why doesn’t my Jimmy have the lead role?”). The basic problem underlying these kinds of behaviors is that those parents are mistaken about their roles and responsibilities relative to the activity.

Joe Smith is not going to be standing on the free throw line in the last second of the game with two chances to first tie and then win the basketball game. Joyce Jones is not going to be standing in the middle of the stage singing the title song as the curtain comes down. Smith and Jones are spectators and support people - those are their correct roles and they must learn how to be responsible, caring, experts in those roles. The kids are the people who really count. The rest of the staging and us adults are there to make this work out right for the kids, so let’s make sure that whatever we add to the activity enhances it, makes it better for them.

The parent must constantly let his child know that he loves her regardless of the results of her involvement in the sports activity. This love for her does not depend on whether she wins or loses in a kid’s game or whether she gets the lead in the school play or helps move the furniture on the stage.

It’s the parent’s responsibility to join with activity leaders (coaches, teachers, directors, etc.) so that their children/youth will have positive, joyful, productive experiences. Everyone involved in the activity must remember that the kids are the essential characters in the playing of the game or engaging in that activity.

Parents also must demand that coaches and league officials fulfill their responsibilities of being the leaders who create and maintain good sports/activities for their kids. This includes the education of the parents and their assistance is the enforcement of good sportsmanship and proper behavior of everyone involved.

In short, we are expecting that you, as the parent of the player, will join in the activity with your child;

taking a positive, proactive role in his or her growth.