Parent / Player Guide

Parents play a critical role in Impact soccer. Here are some guidelines to ensure soccer is the best experience for everyone.

• Parents must not coach from the sidelines during matches and training.
• Be your child’s best fan and support him or her unconditionally. Don’t base your love on soccer performance.
• Parents should not criticize their child on any part of the game. Leave this to the coaches since it may cause confusion and erode the player’s confidence.
• When transporting your child home, please be supportive and always focus on the positive aspects of the game.
• Develop responsibility in the player: have him or her pack his or her own kit, clean cleats, and bring along a water bottle.
• Do not criticize your child’s coach to your child or other parents. If you are not happy with the coach you should raise the issue with the coach and follow the procedure laid out in the “Complaints/ Grievance Procedure.”
• Encourage your child to speak with the coach. If your child is having difficulties in training or games, or can’t attend training etc. encourage him to speak directly to the coaches. This “responsibility taking” is a big part of becoming a mature person and a responsible player. By handling off the field tasks, your child is claiming ownership of all aspects of the game.
• Monitor eating and sleeping habits. Be sure that your child is eating the correct foods as suggested in the “Nutritional Program.’ Players should be in bed early the night before a game and early enough on other nights to ensure adequate rest.
• Help your child keep his or her priorities correct. Soccer players need to maintain focus on schoolwork, relationships, and other things in life besides soccer. You both have made a commitment to the Club, however, so remember to honor that commitment.
• Help the young player to focus on the performance and not the result.
• Support all the players in your child’s team. Do not criticize any other players.
• Do not criticize the opponents, their parents, coaches, or the referee.
• Help out the team by volunteering! We need parent support to keep teams running smoothly, and there are many different opportunities to help (click here for a list of volunteer positions).

Modified from John Bilton’s Guidelines for Parents (Rotherham United Football Club).