Recent media coverage of youth sports organizations implementing “Silent Saturday” or “Silent Sunday” or even “Silent September” have struck a chord. Myriad pundits and the commenters who follow them now are making more noise than the sideline spectators whose behavior prompted a call for the “Silent” movement to begin with.
Instead of deriding the sideline noise-makers (or those who deride them), let’s stop and consider whether sideline silence really is golden.
Rather than ask or tell spectators to keep quiet, why not encourage them to cheer positively from the sidelines? Let’s help players play better, coaches coach smarter and officials officiate more effectively by supporting them.
Most of the sideline issues stem from spectators who misguidedly believe that their voices will somehow improve the performances of athletes, coaches and officials. But negative comments and any sideline direction that does not come from coaches have the exact opposite effect--distracting players, coaches and officials from the task at hand.
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Negative noise also sets a poor example for youth, poisons their youth sports experiences, and sucks the fun and learning opportunity right out of sports.
Positive cheering from spectators – for players from both teams, without instructive verbs – reflects the real reason most adults become involved in youth sports to begin with: to support the youth who are playing for fun and for the opportunity to develop as players and as people.
Click here to participate in dialogue Positive Coaching Alliance has started about the topic on Facebook and check out Positive Coaching: Communication, a course designed by USA Football and Positive Coaching Alliance.