How to be the best soccer parent you can be

There are few things more heartwarming than seeing your own child sprinting up and down the soccer field, chasing friends and cackling with glee for the love of the game. Sharing your passion for soccer, and reliving your own joy through fresh eyes can be an overwhelming experience.

As the cliche goes, many soccer parents get carried away with this sense of joy, and at its worst, this can manifest into negative energy. Of course, this rarely happens out of malice, but nonetheless, it can deter your child and even other young athletes from wanting to play.

When games are close, emotions are tense, and you can just feel yourself bursting from your lawn chair, it’s important to remember why you’re there and who you’re there for. How can you channel your energy into positive examples for your child?

First thing’s first, no matter your child’s skill level, it’s important to keep perspective and ground yourself. You want them to compete for the love of the game, and in order to do so, understand that it’s just a game. Take a step back, and cheer your heart out, but keep it respectful.

Help your child understand the value of contributing to a team. No matter what, they have a role in the collective dynamic. With this, it’s the little things that count like making practice on time and building allyship with their coach. You both want your child to win and have fun, and this comes with building good habits on and off the field.

Encourage your child to develop a competitive spark. Playform’s competition feature ignites the spark by challenging your child to build their skills and socialize with young soccer players around the world. This is a healthy benefit of team sports, and it can allow young athletes to compare their accomplishments with similar players. Direct them to develop comfort with risk taking and help them construct a goal-oriented approach to challenges.

If they express unhappiness with their role on the field, channel this discontent into action and help your child build a positive mindset in the face of adversity.

Of course, being a soccer parent isn’t your full time job. Thankfully, it doesn’t require intense practice and planning to help your child improve their skills through goal setting.

Playform’s ability to measure and track progress allows your child to independently develop their skills with customizable training plans. Each recorded drill is analyzed to pinpoint areas of weakness for further development. This customization keeps young athletes engaged and active with ever-evolving feedback. This sort of feedback allows for your child to simplify the abstract and daunting task of being a better soccer player just as it helps you to understand how you can be a better soccer parent.