Parents and Juniors Do's and Don’ts

    The following is a list of Does and Don’ts for Parents developed by the United States Professional Tennis Association. The application to golf is quite apparent:

DO:

1.     Stay involved.

2.    Take off pressure to win.

3.    Be supportive, interested and encouraging.

4.    Be there when they lose.

5.    Be rough on cheating and lack of sportsmanship.

6.    Be rough on temper and vulgarity.

7.    Make sure your child’s self-esteem is not on the line.

8.    De-emphasize winning while emphasizing emotional development.

9.    Look supportive, relaxed and comfortable on the course.

   10.  Make sure your child’s ego is not on the line when the child plays.

DON’T:

1.     Think of money as an investment with tangible return.

2.    Put pressure on the child to win.

3.    Get too excited if the child wins.

4.    Get too excited if the child loses or plays poorly.

5.    Show negative emotion, fear or nervousness on the course.

6.    Say “We’re playing today” o “We won”.

7.    Be a coach.

8.    Take notes at practice or lessons.

9.    Use love to get a child to work harder.

10.  Get over-involved.

   
    We want the parents to stay involved in the right way. This means to always show interest in their kids, and constantly encouraging them regardless of how they perform. Providing emotional support is without a doubt the single most important aspect of a parent’s role.

    The key to parental support and involvement is to have clearly defined goals for both the program and parents. The parents’ performance plays a large part in the success of the JrGAP. When parents know and observe their responsibilities in the JrGAP, they increase the possibility of achieving all of the planned objectives and make the JrGAP more enjoyable for everyone.