As important a role model as you can be to your child as their parent, you should also realize that how you behave on the sidelines a a fan is just as crucial on their development to adulthood. Many people forget that behavior in multi-million-dollar stadiums is very different than behavior on the sidelines at your child’s game. While both contests may be managed by paid officials, please remember that this game is, and always will be, about the kids and not about your notions of what constitutes fair play, perceived knowledge of the rules or emotional baggage that you may unintentionally bring with you on the field.

The Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association produced a wonderful video, "Attitudes are Contageous", that both the New Jersey Youth Soccer Association and Mid-New Jersey Youth Soccer Association distributes for parents and coaches to watch and learn about the consequences of sideline behavior and effect on young players. They have graciously provided a link to the video on their website, so please click here to download and view the 27-minute video that may have a profound effect on how you behave or what behavior you will be willing to tolerate at games. (For better quality, you may choose to right-click on the link above and choose "Save target as..." and save the file to your computer for later viewing.)

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