84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 5,2001
Family Living
Focus
Janice Stoudnour
Bedford County t
Cooperative Extension
What Kind Of Sports Parent
Are You?
Tis the season to go to youth
soccer, baseball, softball, and T
ball games. The children are all
excited to be outside playing and
getting involved in an organized
team sport. Are the parents pre
pared as well?
The atmosphere set by organi
zations, parents, and coaches is a
major factor in determining
whether or not youth will have a
positive experience in a sports
program.
A “win-at-all-costs” atmos
phere can be harmful to a devel
oping youth. The goal should be
for parents to foster a positive
climate that enables their chil
dren involved in sports to enjoy
themselves and reach their lull
potential. Does this mean that all
children should be considered
potential future professional ath
letes?
Should we as parents make
this our goal and strive to
achieve this? I guess you will
have to decide what is best for
your children, but you may want
to consider some things before
you make the sport experience a
“win-at-all-costs” situation.
Competition in itself is not
bad. It can serve as a means of
social comparison, necessary for
adolescents to see how they are
unique from others. Taken to the
extreme, however, competition
.can cause individuals to act in
ways that are unacceptable and
unsportsmanlike. In other words,
the mildest mannered parent can
become a screaming demon dur
ing a sporting event. We have all
witnessed this first hand. Some
of us have been guilty as well.
We just seem to get caught up in
it.
When coaches and parents
teach their kids that winning is
everything, the ugliness comes
out in everyone.
Parents should seek out pro
grams that emphasize coopera
tion and mastery of skills during
childhood and youth. A mastery
perspective allows the young ath
lete to accept failures and learn
from them, as well as to focus on
improvement and not just on
winning.
Competition should be intro
duced gradually during this early
period. For example, T-ball is
often used for this introductory
period for Little League begin
ners. All children get to bat dur
ing each inning. Everyone plays
in the field. In essence, everyone
gets a turn no matter what.
There is no fast pitcher, just a
ball placed on a batting T.
There is a major attitude dif
ference in the spectators and the
youth participating. Spectators
smile, talk, and laugh with each
other. Children smile, laugh, and
have a great time while playing.
We tend to leave the compet
itive stress factor along the road
on the way to the game. But even
in this seemingly wonderful envi
ronment of playing ball, I still
have observed a parent keeping
track of all their children’s statis
tics as to where they hit the ball,
how many times they caught it,
and so forth. I could never un
derstand what the purpose is for
this.
Will they go home and review
the statistics and try to improve
their game? It’s only T-ball and
no one keeps score or at least
they are not supposed to. Can’t
we as parents just give our young
children a small break and let
them have fim without being ac
countable as to how well they
may or may not have played the
game? At this level, it is sup
posed to be about learning skills.
Parents are most visibly sup
portive in their role as spectators
on the sidelines for youth sports.
As a parent I am very excited
and want to see my children
play; however, it is important
that I keep my emotions under
control and set a positive exam
ple. Here are some things for all
parents to remember:
• Applaud and cheer for ev
eryone on the team, not just your
children. The parents sitting be
side you appreciate it when you
cheer for their children as well.
This helps set up a “team” feel-
Enter Dairy Recipe Drawing
June Dairy Month is “moov
ing” into the calendar of events.
That means it’s time to send in
your favorite recipe using dairy
products for Lancaster Farm
ing’s annual dairy recipe draw
ing.
June Dairy Month salutes
dairy farmers everywhere for
their hard work in providing
milk, which we so often take for
granted. Lancaster Farming’s
annual drawing reminds us of all
the wonderful dairy products
available to produce culinary de
lights.
To enter the drawing, select
your favorite recipe, which must
include a substantial amount of
at least one dairy product. These
ingredients count as a dairy
product: milk, cream, sour
cream, whipped cream, butter,
yogurt, buttermilk, dry milk, ice
cream, and all hard and soft
cheeses.
Please check your ingredients
carefully. Margarine and non
dairy substitutes such as frozen
whipped topping do not qualify
as dairy products.
Dairy recipes are needed for
appetizers, soups, breads, en
trees, vegetables, desserts, bever
ages, snacks, and salads.
Clearly print or type your reci
pe entry. Be sure to give accurate
measurements, temperatures,
times, and sizes of baking dishes
to use. We reserve the right to
disqualify entries if these guide
lines are not followed.
With your entry, include a few
paragraphs about yourself and
your family. Although it is not
required, a photograph of you
and of your family is preferred.
We and our readers love to “see”
the people who send in the reci
pes.
ing among parents and helps de
crease individual competition be
tween parents.
• Avoid insulting other team
members and those of the oppos
ing team. This is very upsetting
to your children and the parents
sitting around you. Do you want
other people insulting your chil
dren if they are having a bad
game?
Think about it; as my children
would say to me, “Mom, if you
can’t say anything nice— ‘Zip
it!’”
• Talk to the parents of the
other team members. You don’t
have to become best friends, but
you will automatically bond one
way or {mother for the next 10
years. The reality is that most of
these kids are more than likely
Win one of these “cow prizes” offered to readers who
participate in Lancaster Farming’s June Dairy Month
Drawing. Lou Ann Good, food and family features editor,
displays some of the prizes totaling $5OO.
Photographs will be returned
if you write your name and ad
dress on the back of the picture.
Only one entry per family al
lowed. This contest is for adults
who are at least 18 years old. We
require this because children who
send in recipes often inadver
tently miss measurements, ingre
dients or a part of the instruc
tions.
Send your recipe, photo, and'
accompanying information with
your complete address. If we do
not have your complete mailing
going to be in most of the same
sports until they graduate from
high school. You will also see the
same parents from the opposing
teams at each event as well. This
is a time for friendly bonding,
not an opportunity for long-term
alienation. We have to all live to
gether as a team including the
parents.
• Be respectful of the officials
during the game. After the game,
thank the officials. Now this one
may be more difficult for a lot of
people because emotions do run
rampant especially during a close
game when the stakes are high.
Again use the zip-it approach.
Good call or bad, the official has
the last word no matter how un
fair it may seem. There’s nothing
more embarrassing to your chil
dren, than for you to be told to
leave a sporting event by the offi
cial.
• Focus on the positive, and
compliment players, coaches,
and officials. Every player makes
mistakes during a game. If your
child happens to be the one who
address, we cannot send your
prize if you win.
Send entries immediately. En
tries must be postmarked by
June 1 to be eligible for the draw
ing. The state dairy princess and
alternates will select the winners.
Recipe entries will be printed
throughout the month of June. A
list of the winners will be printed
in the June 30 issue.
Send entries to Lou Ann Good,
Lancaster Farming Dairy Draw
ing, P.O. Box 609, 1 E. Main St.,
Ephrata, PA 17522.
made the last mistake and the
game was lost, you know how
demoralizing this can be to him
or her. It is very important that
you as a parent take time to
focus on the good plays they had
during the game.
No game is ever lost on the
play of the last batter. Remember
all of the batters before him or
her could have hit a home run
too.
• Be positive and congratulate
the winning team. Do not forget
to congratulate the losing team
on their efforts as well. Remem
ber that you as parent are die
role model for your children.
They will emulate your sports
manship behavior (good and
bad) with others. For their sake,
set a good example.
• For their sake, set a good ex
ample. For more information
about making youth sports a pos
itive experience, contact the
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion at (814) 623-4800 and re
quest the free youth sports pam
phlets for coaches and parents.