Most of us are pretty good about being “good sports” when it
comes to how we act towards people’s faces. We’ll smile at the parents of our
child’s opponents and not cheer too
loudly when our team gets one over on the other side. And, most of us teach our
kids to be good sports too- we’ll have them all shake hands after a game or
even say congratulations to the winner.
Unfortunately, though, a lot of us don’t conduct ourselves
the same way in the online world, such as on message boards and social media
sites, and that sends a horrible message to our youngsters, not to mention the
fact that it can affect athletic performance, morale, coaches, other parents,
and the sport in general.
One type of online behavior that is particularly disturbing
is when parents post bad things about other children online. Whether they’re
voicing their opinions via Facebook, Twitter, or anything in between, negative
comments, hurtful videos, threats, and other online bad behavior is
unacceptable. There is never any good reason to shame, ridicule, or hurt a
child.
The problem has gotten so bad that some sports teams have
instituted social media policies. While these policies vary by creator, most
stipulate that any parent who posts negative comments about children online is
banned from games and may even have their children banned from games as well.
If your child’s coach has already handed out and had you
sign a social media policy, that’s a good start. And if not, it’s a good idea
to broach the topic with him or her, especially if there are already negative
comments posted or online bullying going on.
And, even if you’re not guilty of positive negative things
online, also make sure that you’re not suffering from “Facebook envy.” If you
find yourself glancing at other parents’ pages and feeling jealous of their
kids and their sports performance,
you’re just asking for resentment to brew and grow. Get your own attitude in
check even if it means stepping away from the computer for a while, and you’ll
notice positive changes in yourself, which, at the end of the day, is all you
can control.
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