During one of my son’s Little League Baseball practices, I was reminded of a scene I witnessed all too often during prior football seasons. If we’re going to ask our kids to take practice seriously, then we, as parents, need to take it seriously.

At the youth level, practice is important for a number of reasons, but mainly as it pertains to game-planning and skill improvement. What I’ve seen all too often is while the kids bust their butts on the field, parents sit there not paying attention.

That's if the parents are even there for practice at all.

At the baseball practice I referred to, I saw parents bring their kids to the field and ask the coach when they would be done. Some proceeded to drive away and return when practice was over.

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During past football seasons, I witnessed parents set up their chairs on the sideline at practice, and do just about everything but watch their kids. They read books, constantly checked their smartphones, chatted it up with other parents and in some cases fell asleep.

Memo to youth football parents as well as parents of kids playing any sport: Practice is not meant to be a day care session.

A parent should take practice as seriously as the kids do, and here are five reasons why.

• 1. The kids could use a little support: At games, it’s natural for parents to cheer on their children for making a great play. The same should hold true for practice. If your kid does something special in practice, there’s nothing wrong with letting them know about it. I’m not saying make a spectacle of yourself, but a, “Nice play, Johnny!” lets your child know you're paying attention.
• 2. Monitor your child’s progress: Paying attention at practice could help you better understand what's happening with your kid, including any issues with playing time. The situation could involve bad practice habits, or perhaps your child's just having a problem grasping a play or skill. Regardless of what it is, you’ll better understand what’s happening by observing more closely.
• 3. Coaches are not babysitters: Yes, the coaches are responsible for running practice, teaching necessary skills and getting the team ready for the upcoming game. However, it’s not fair to them to have to go above and beyond their responsibility on the field. A coach shouldn’t have to worry about taking your child to the bathroom, and a parent should be there if there’s an injury.
• 4. Develop teamwork with the other parents: If you have to leave to take care of something, ask another parent to keep an eye on your child for a few minutes and let them know you’ll be right back. 
• 5. Pay attention, as you might learn something: On the field, kids are learning about football during every practice. They're developing skills and preparing for that week’s game. It’s also a chance for parents to pick up some knowledge, especially if they’re football novices. Watching what happens in practice helps you understand what happens in a game.

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Football is about discipline and teamwork, so it’s imperative a player learns those attributes with good practices each week. What kind of a message does it send to them if they see a parent sleeping in a chair, not even paying attention, or not at the field at all?

Sure, there are times when it might be difficult for either parent to make it to practice because of work or a family commitment. In those cases, it's prudent to make arrangements with another parent to bring your child to practice and have the ability to contact you if the need arises.

Football practice is important, and parents should take it as seriously as the players and coaches do. Not to say you should be antisocial and not talk to the other parents, but you're there because of your child, and paying attention to what is going on can make the youth football experience more enjoyable.

They say practice makes perfect. That doesn’t just apply to the players. It also applies to the parents.

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network, FOX News Headlines 24/7 and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son Bradley plays youth tackle football for the Super Bowl Champion East Meadow Rams on Long Island, while his younger son Jared plays flag football for the LSW Giants. Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field. 

This is an updated version of a blog that originally published April 21, 2015.