Sports are competitive by nature, but they’re about more than the competition for children. They help kids socialize, develop their motor skills, and find out what kinds of activities they’re interested in and good at. Children are sensitive, however, and good sportsmanship is a must. You can encourage this by creating a fun environment without too much pressure, as well as giving out sports awards and personalized trophies in San Jose and Santa Clara. Plaques and bowl trophies make the kids feel good about themselves and serve as incentives to treat each other respectfully. Read ahead for top tips for encouraging Little League sportsmanship.
Encourage Kids to Have Fun
Unless you’re at an advanced stage of the game, sports should be primarily about fun and cooperation. Little League is a long way from the MLB, so teammates and opponents alike should know how to cooperate and communicate. Even children get stressed out sometimes. You can help encourage good sportsmanship by making things fun for the team. Kids are likely to practice better sportsmanship if they’re in a good mood, and a little bit of fun might be all they need to keep them that way.
Don’t Apply Too Much Pressure
There’s nothing wrong with wanting your team to succeed, but you need to get the message across in a safe, effective, and positive manner. Putting too much pressure on Little Leaguers may distract them and affect their performance for the worse, so keep your emotions in check during those tight games. Your frustration might just translate to the players, and then they might take their feelings out on other players on the field. Remind your team that it’s just a game, and that they’re all athletes at the end of the day.
Give Out Awards
Kids respond to positivity, and there’s nothing like the feeling of getting a sports award from the coach. If you have a sports awards ceremony at the end of every season, be sure to recognize sportsmanship. Then you can remind your kids to practice this throughout the season so they can win the trophy along with the league’s respect.