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spring 2024 alaska parent 39How to teachhwhhat it means to be aBy Kimberly BlakerHere are some tips for supporting your child: • Make the most of your child’s involvement by showing your support and what it means to be a good sport.• Avoid pointing out your child's mistakes or criticizing them. This only serves to make kids feel worse. Your child is most likely already aware of the error.• Practice with your child, but don’t push. Offer pointers and demonstrate proper techniques, but allow mistakes to go without frequent correction.• Praise your child’s efforts. Make positive, sincere comments post-game, such as: \\• Allow coaches and officials to do their jobs. If you feel an error was made, remember it's a tough job, and we all make mistakes. Realize it'll probably come out in the wash.• Cheer on your child and her team. • Don’t put down the other team’s players, and be courteous and respectful of the other team’s fans.• When talking with your child about a game, point out specific displays of sportsmanship that took place to show the difference between being a good sport and a poor one.• If your child isn’t enjoying the sport, don’t force him to stay in it. For many children, team sports aren’t the answer. Help find another activity or a solo sport that is more suited to him.• Set up a sportsmanship recognition program for your child’s team offering Certificates of Outstanding Sportsmanship to players who set examples of being a good sport. If a child is struggling with sportsmanship, look for opportunities to help him brush up on his skills, and reward accordingly as reinforcement.• Acknowledge and show interest in team members whose abilities don’t stand out.• Don’t place blame when the team loses. • Encourage your child to always thank the coaches for their efforts.good sportWe've all seen it – the parent standing on the sidelines criticizing the decisions made by coaches and officials, yelling at his or her own child for making a mistake, hurling rude remarks at the opposing team, or always placing blame. In some cases, these parents have even gotten into brawls.There's no question that winning is rewarding and boosts self-esteem. However, well-meaning parents are sometimes so caught up in the competition that they lose sight of the real value of sports. Winning is not just being the victor of a game. It's becoming the best all-around person one can be. Children who carry this with them will be the ones to prevail.What’s in losing? Plenty. It teaches lessons in perseverance, humility, respect, and acceptance of defeat.What does losing mean? It means to come out second best. Defeat is not a failure. A child or parent who walks away satisfied, whether victorious or not, is the real winner.