The role of the parents should really be quite simple. To support, encourage and cheer for their team, whilst respecting the opposition and officials. They are not the coach, you are. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case and very often parents will be a source of conflicting and damaging coaching advice. So how can we as coaches get the parents to be a positive force on match days, rather than a negative one?

One effective way is to have a parents meeting at the start of the season. The parents should be encouraged to devise their own Code of Conduct

This Parents Code of Conduct will outline the standard of behaviour that the parents themselves have agreed to, with regards to matches and playing. The Parents Code of Conduct would also outline areas of assistance that Parents could assist the team with and help you as the coach. For example the Parents Code of Conduct would refer to areas such as:

• Providing support and encouragement for their team and players - not coaching or bellowing coaching advice.
• Use appropriate language - no bad language, shouting, screaming or baiting officials or opposition
• Respect the opposition, officials, coaches and managers.
• Recognise and applaud good and sporting play
• Focus their support on all players - not just their own children or the most talented.

In addition, there would be agreements within the code ensuring parents to help match days in areas such as transport, pitch marking / maintenance, ensuring there are drinks, cleaning / preparing changing rooms etc. Get the parents to contribute in a positive manner on match days, make them feel part of the team. This would also allow you as the coach to focus on the important football issues.

Codes of conducts are fine in principle and can provide real guidelines that help with standards of behaviour and understanding of responsibilities. But what happens if someone breaks this code?How do we deal with these issues?

If we are going to encourage the parents to devise their own code of conduct, we must also encourage the parents to include in the code ways in which they themselves police the code and deal appropriately with those parents who pay no regard to it or continuously ignore it.