Dear Parents
I write to you, to express some concerns that I have regarding our sports programme and in particular the support of our fixtures.
Firstly let me state that I view sport at schools as an extension of the education of our young boys and girls and that it should reflect the values and ethos of all that we do at Rand Park Primary. I am extremely proud of the achievements of our young boys and girls and even more proud of the fantastic effort put in by our school teachers and outside coaches.
At the same time my managing staff and I have witnessed a growing trend of a few parents to take it upon themselves to publically confront coaching staff at the matches over their decisions and strategies. All the coaches welcome a friendly and constructive chat about their teams, but I do not need to remind parents of their supporters’ role and that it remains inappropriate and unacceptable to critically interfere in this manner.
Should any parent have any concerns about their son’s/daughter’s sporting development then they need to direct their enquiries to Mr Niehaus (Deputy Principal) or Miss Michel (Sports Director).
Advice to Parents:
- Support your son/daughter and attend their matches, whatever side he/she is in.
- Always be there for them, especially in the “down time”.
- By all means, set the bar for them (not yourself), but always praise his/her achievements, especially when they have tried hard to reach this bar.
- Praise effort and commitment – much more than results.
- Never criticise the coach, as it will confuse the players. It not only divides loyalty, but offers an excuse. Don’t fall for the common South African sporting curse of blaming the coach or referee.
- Never overemphasise winning, as it will only lead to fear of failure. One of the curses of school sport is an unbeaten season.
- Do not relive your own sporting career (or lack of it!) through your son/daughter. This leads to frustration and disappointment on both sides.
- Be a true sporting spectator. Let the referee handle the game and the coach handle the management of the team.
- Let your son/daughter make their own mistakes. They will learn more that way.
All parents want what is best for their child – but then so does every coach and every school. If we expect our players to behave like sports men and woman on the field, then it is important for adults not to behave like children on the sidelines.
There is no doubt that sport can play a pivotal role in education, and it is our job as parents and teachers to help our children cope with the pressures of today’s highly competitive world.
To all the soccer and netball players – Good Luck for the rest of the season.
Yours sincerely
N Pienaar
Principal