How to be the Best Team Parent Ever

If you have a child who plays youth hockey, then, like it or not, you are what is considered as a “team parent.” You might play a vital role in your child’s team, such as being a volunteer or even an assistant coach, or you might just be someone who comes to games and the occasional practice to offer support. Whatever the case may be, you should realize that your role as a team parent is an important one and that you have the power to promote good sportsmanship and an overall atmosphere of positivity, which will benefit both your child and the team as a whole. And, fortunately, there are a great many things you can do to be an awesome team parent all around!   

Coordinate Team Communication

One nice thing you can do as a “team parent” is to help make team communication easier on everyone. Undoubtedly, there will be times when a message needs to be communicated to all members of the team and/or their parents.

Make this possible by working with the other parents to develop an effective communication method, such as an old-fashioned “phone tree” where each person has another person or people to call, or a more modern method, such as using a communication website or e-mail list.

 If there’s an easy way to communicate, it will also be easier to coordinate things like team snack responsibilities, meetings and events, transportation, and more, making life easier on everyone, including the coach, who can then focus his or her abilities on what matters most: helping and teaching the kids.

Be a Good Role Model

Even if you’re not the kind of parent who wants to jump in and start creating phone trees, you can still do your part by maintaining a good attitude and always being an example of good sportsmanship.

Cheer for the team as often as you can, and support and encourage all of the players. Remember, criticism is the job of the coach, not of you, the parent.

Be respectful of the referees, umpires, and coaches, and, even if you don’t agree with something one of these officials does, don’t talk negatively about these people, especially around your children or even with the other parents. 

Play your part by being positive and acting like a reasonable adult at all times, no matter what!

If you can do these things and, in general, try to help in whatever ways you possibly can, then you’ll definitely qualify as being the best team parent you can be!