The top concern of Canadians is poor parental behaviour (60%), followed by lack of access for some people (48%) and violence (48%).
If children are to grow and develop in their sport or physical activity, an environment of positive communication and respect must exist. Parents should observe the following Code of Conduct with their child athletes. The following code is taken from a resource manual developed for community coaches by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).
- I will remember that my child plays sport for his or her enjoyment, not for mine.
- I will encourage my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence.
- I will teach my child that doing one’s best is as important as winning, so that my child will never feel defeated by the outcome of a game/event.
- I will make my child feel like a winner every time by offering praise for competing fairly and trying hard.
- I will never ridicule or yell at my child for making a mistake or losing a competition.
- I will remember that children learn best by example.
- I will applaud good players’ performances by both my child’s team and their opponents.
- I will not force my child to participate in sports.
- I will never question the official’s judgement or honesty in public.
- I will support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from children’s sporting activities.
- I will respect and show appreciation for the trained volunteer coaches who give their time to provide sport activities for my child, understanding that I have a responsibility to be a part of my child’s development.
