Parents

During competition, a parent/guardian must stay at the ground with their child(ren).  The committee of Bowral Little Athletics does not take responsibility for those athletes left alone at the ground.

Little Athletics requires many hands for it to run. When you register your child you sign a declaration committing to assist on club nights. This is a great opportunity for you to be involved with your children and get to know other parents with similar interests. The tasks you will be asked to do are not difficult, certainly not as difficult as the challenge of parenting. On club nights we require assistance with such things at timing, measuring, recording, raking sand pits etc. Hardly tasks in which you need a degree so don’t be put off by the thought of helping. Your children will be delighted to see you joining in, the whole club will benefit by running smoothly and efficiently.

Regardless of whether or not this is your first involvement as a Little Athletics parent, it is always worthwhile, at the start of each season, to consider what your role will be over the next six months or so.Your child is in a sport that provides an opportunity for immediate and long term benefits. The benefits include: higher levels of fitness; better health; a pleasurable social environment and the satisfaction derived from skilled performances.

Little Athletics can provide a launching pad for a life-long involvement in sport, whether it be elite or purely recreational. Just as important as any of the above benefits is that Little Athletics provides children with the chance to have fun – TO PLAY. Please do not ever lose sight of this! Unfortunately, all of the potential benefits of involving a child in a sport can be quickly lost due to one very important factor – ADULTS. Do not underestimate the effect that you can have on your child’s long term participation in and enjoyment of sport.

By taking a considered, understanding approach, a parent can be their child’s most valuable asset. On the other hand, parents who bribe, threaten punishment, push their children, or hang over the fence screaming, have totally lost a true understanding of Little Athletics. Fortunately, these ‘clowns’ as Denis Baker in his book, ‘Winning is Kids’ Stuff’ terms them, are few and far between. You must realise, however, that you don’t have to be a ‘screamer’ to have a subtle negative effect on your child in sport.

All too often, adults attempt to impose their own values on children’s’ sport. Do not assume that children play sport for the same reason that adults do. For example, when surveyed, a large number of children list ‘beating opponents’ and ‘receiving medals and trophies’ as last on a ranking of ten enjoyment factors in sport. Children are not little adults and their sport should be free from adult pressures and demands.

Denis Baker has some valuable advice about putting childrens’ sport into perspective:

“ Remember, when kids play sport – they are not a team of professionals- don’t deprive them of the opportunity to be kids. When you start getting too serious about a kid’s game, for heaven’s sake walk away. You will inevitably be more worried about what is happening than the kids.”

References:Baker, Denis; ‘Winning is Kid’s Stuff’, 1988 Collins Dove, VictoriaAustralian Sports Commission, ‘Coaching Children’, 1992, Australian Coaching Council, Canberra