Dos:

• Allow your child to choose the sport he/she wants to play. Support and respect their decision.

• Respect everyone involved in the sport- opponents, coaches, referees, other parents. Always remember, practice what you preach. You are a role model for your child so behave the way you want your child to behave. This will help them follow the same on and off field.

• Let your child learn from their own mistakes. What you can do is just guide them after they have committed and admitted an error or a mistake which was either on court or off. 

• Make sure you play the sport with your child: be a learner at times and at the same time make sure the child plays the game in the right spirit of the sport, doesn’t cheat and adheres to the rules of the game.

• Accept the reality of your child’s physical capabilities and limitations. Encourage him/her anyway because they look for your praise and support in what they do.  

• Listen to your child’s opinion and understanding about some situations of the game and then form your own opinion about the whole situation. Remember: it is your child who is playing the game not you!

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Don’ts:

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• Don’t relive your childhood dream through your child. Accept the reality and never push your child beyond his/her physical and mental limits. Always encourage the child to learn- maybe a new sport if he/she doesn’t like the current sport.

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• Never coach your child when you are not his/her coach. Play with them, but never correct them on technical areas since they are already guided by a better person (their coach).

• Never blame the coaches, referees or anyone and thing beyond your child’s control for any kind of failure- points, match etc. This will not allow the child to accept their mistakes and will always blame an outside factor for their failure.

• Never link your image with your child’s performance in sport- never make your child feel guilty of his/her performance. 

• Similarly, never take credit for your child’s success. You know you have played a role somewhere, but allow your child to enjoy the taste of success.

Source: Association of Applied Sport Psychology