Your children are playing soccer for fun. Everyone wants you to enjoy the great game of soccer. This information is being provided in an effort to assist you and your children in gaining the maximum benefit possible from these soccer games. Below are some simple rules you should observe. PLEASE CONSIDER THEM CAREFULLY!

1. Do not shout instructions to your child. This only causes confusion, since the coach has already instructed your child on how to play. If you do shout instructions, your child will probably try to please you and the coach at the same time. In trying to do two things at one time, the child becomes unable to handle his loyalties and ends up pleasing neither parent nor coach.
2. Cheer for your child when he/she plays the ball well. However, remember that your child is a member of a team. Let the other players know you support them too.
3. Suffer in silence (or moan softly) whenever something occurs that goes against your child's team. A display of anger may inflame a delicate situation resulting in embarrassment for you or your child. Some parents embarrass their own children by making a spectacle of themselves.
4. Do not run up and down the sidelines. Find a comfortable place to sit down or stand, relax and enjoy the match.
5. Do not shout insults or verbally abuse the referee. It's hard for a child to learn respect for the referee or other officials when their parents set a poor example. The referee can and will stop the match if the crowd becomes discourteous.
6. Aid the team parent by helping provide refreshments at halftime and after the game are over.
7. Set the tone for good sportsmanship by adopting a positive attitude if your team loses. Compliment your child upon his/her good plays and ignore the mistakes. Your child will be happy you noticed his good qualities.

REMEMBER--your child will forget about today's game. Next week he/she will probably have forgotten the score. However, both of you will remember the good time the child had playing the most popular sport in the world.