After reading Mr. Jason Carney’s article in your April Komments, I felt compelled to reach out and express my thoughts. In his article, he rightly emphasizes the significance of decision-making skills in life, surpassing the realm of sports. This resonated with me and brought to mind the concept of educating parents and staff.
Over the past few decades, numerous articles have stressed the importance of parental involvement. Now it is time to take action.
In Dutch, we have a term called “Doorpakken,” which encapsulates the notion of moving beyond mere discussion and implementing concrete measures to create the desired environment. Instead of focusing solely on educating parents, we must make our intentions visible and establish guidelines that foster an optimal environment for players to flourish.
Children inhabit various spheres, such as their homes, schools, and clubs, each with its own rules and environment. Just as homes and schools provide nurturing environments with specific guidelines, curating a similar atmosphere is crucial, facilitating sports engagement and personal growth.
Educating parents and coaches play a pivotal role in this endeavor. We must assign a name to this initiative and ensure its supervision and maintenance. It is the responsibility of those in charge of the soccer community to undertake this task. State organizations and national federations should guide the ideal environment, the rules that must be adopted, and their underlying rationale.
I eagerly await articles that delve into these topics, shifting the focus from educating players and staff to implementing strategies that promote the desired environment.
To illustrate my point, let me provide a small example:
During training sessions, parents should remain in an area at least 50 meters away from the coaching area. This measure lets players and coaches concentrate fully on the training session without distractions.
This rule should be enforced uniformly in all soccer communities included in D-7 and mandated by State and National organizations.
