Page 71 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2016

SPORTS ARE A GREAT way for kids to learn valuable life lessons, but parents need to know when to push and when to pull back.
make the experience fun and enjoyable for their child,” he said. “No child leaves a sport because they are having too good a time!”
Berger has practiced child psychiatry 26 years and his own children are involved with sports. He encourages parents to keep things in perspective. “Remember that the primary goal is
to have fun. Before your child gets involved, pick a good coach and league based on principles with which you agree,” he said. “Most of all, get really involved, including helping with fund raisers. Don’t just drop the kids off and pick them up. It’s okay to push a little bit but not too much.”
However, Berger has witnessed negative behavior on the part of parents who stress winning at all costs. “Also, we’ve all seen parents arguing with each other or with coaches,” he
said. “Parents should have self control and not show behavior they do not want their children to pattern.”
Charman has also witnessed
some challenging moments where parents have chosen to berate their own children or their coach for the performance during games involving very young players where the score is really inconsequential anyway. “I’ve also seen parents transfer a
lot of stress to their children during selection processes as children move into more advanced stages,” he said. “In both cases, you usually see the child lose interest in the sport shortly afterwards.
“Vocally and demonstratively pointing out mistakes without providing solutions is another prime example of ways a parent or coach can turn a child away from sport.”
South Mississippi Soccer Club
will be launching a TOTS program this fall towards creating a positive first impression in sports for children ages three and four years. It will run in six-to-eight-week cycles and focus on the development of physical literacy and an understanding of movement skills with and without a ball. It follows early childhood development guidelines and encourages parents to actively participate with their child and enjoy the experience. www.smscsoccer.com
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April 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 71