10 Commandments of Cheer & Dance Parents
Do you break any of these Commandments?
- Be positive with your child; let them know they are accomplishing something by simply being part of the team. Don’t put them down.
- Don’t offer excuses for them if they are not doing well. There is usually a reason for it. Encourage them to work hard and do their best.
- Don’t put down their coaches. Remember the coach represents the “boss”, the “authority”, the “parent”, the “teacher”, the “law”, etc. If you constantly bad-mouth your child’s coaches, how can you expect the youngster to respect and perform for them?
- All athletes must follow rules pertaining to curfew, drinking, smoking, boyfriends or girlfriends, promptness and school. Cheerleading and Dance are very demanding sports and coaches must concern themselves with an athlete’s off-the-floor activity in order to get the maximum physical and mental performance out of their team.
- Insist of good grades. Check the number of hours your child spends on homework. It is the duty of the parents to see that their child is working in the classroom. No matter how good an athlete is, if they don’t have good grades, they do not get into college. Eliminate use of the car, phone call, television etc. that cut into their study time.
- Don’t criticize other athletes because you dislike their parents. Don’t try to live your life vicariously through your son or daughter. Cheerleading and Dance are a youngsters’ game; let them play it. Don’t show animosity or jealousy to any of your child’s teammates because they are in the front or are more advanced in their skills. This type of envy rubs off on your child and it can devastate a team. Who cares who does what as long as everyone does their job to the fullest?
- Don’t be a know-it-all. The coaches work with the athletes year-round and they know what each kid can, and cannot do. As a fan, you are entitled to scream your head off at competition, but please don’t become belligerent and arrogant toward other athletes. They are amateurs. Coaches know their talent. Respect that.
- Insist on your child’s respect for team rules, school rules, and sportsmanship. Don’t let them make fools out of their family, school, and team by some uncalled-for gesture or incident that brings them shame. Self-respect begins with self-control.
- Encourage your child to improve their self-image by believing in themselves. Don’t compare or contrast your son or daughter with others. Every youngster is different. Don’t add pressure by expecting them to live up to other individuals accomplishments.
- Encourage your child to participate for the love of the sport, not for anything else. This alleviates a lot of pressure on the youngster. Many talented athletes fizzle because the pressure on them causes them to become selfish. Insist on unselfishness. Good things usually happen to the unselfish, hard working athlete.
Compliments of Kentucky Elite Allstars.
