1. Be positive with your daughter; let her know she is accomplishing something by simply being a part of the team. Don’t put her down.
2. Don’t offer excuses for her if she is not playing or not playing well in a game. Encourage her to work hard, communicate with her coach, and do her best.
3. Don’t put her coaches down. Remember the coach represents the “boss,” the “authority,” the “parent,” the teacher,” and the “law.” If you are constantly bad mouthing your daughter’s coaches, how can you expect her to play for them?
4. Encourage your daughter to follow the rules. Whether she is a first stringer or the last player on the team, players must follow rules. Soccer is a demanding sport and the coaches must concern themselves with a player’s off the pitch activities in order to get maximum physical and mental performance out of their players.
5. Insist on good grades. If she doesn’t have passing grades, she doesn’t play.
6. Don’t try to live vicariously through your daughter. Soccer is a kid’s game; let her play it. Don’t show animosity or jealousy to any of your daughter’s teammates. This type of envy will rub off on your daughter and devastate a team. The game is about roles on the team and their ability to fulfill those roles for the benefit of the team. Your vision of your daughter’s role will not always match that of the coach. The coach will establish roles and simplify the job of the players so they contribute to the team’s success.
7. Don’t be a know-it-all. The coaches’ work with the players nine months a year and they know what each kid can do and what she cannot do. As a fan, you are entitled to scream your head off, but please don’t become belligerent and arrogant toward the players. They are amateurs, not professionals. Coaches know their talent. Respect their knowledge.
8. Insist on your daughter’s respect for team rules, school rules, game officials, and sportsmanship. Don’t let her make fools of her family, the school, and team by some “uncalled for” gesture. Self-respect begins with self-control.
9. Encourage your daughter to improve her self-image by believing in herself. Every person has been created with worth and value. Don’t compare or contrast your daughter with family members who have played previously. Everyone is different.
10. Encourage your daughter to play for the love of the game, not for a scholarship or something that is in the hands of a college recruiter. Insist on unselfishness. Usually, good things happen to unselfish and hard working people.