As a parent of Meadowridge Affiliated Football Club you play a very special role in the development of your child and his/her teammates. Your encouragement and good example will do more to ensure good sportsmanship and self-discipline than any other influence. Your opponent’s must always be treated with respect. While winning is important, playing well and fairly is the essence of the game.

1. Support your Child

Support your child by giving encouragement and showing an interest in his/her team. Help your child work towards skill improvement and good sportsmanship in every game.

2. Always be Positive

Children learn more by example than by criticism. Work to be a positive role model and reinforce positive behaviour in others. Applaud good players by others in your child’s team as well as good players by the opposing team. Do not criticise any child’s performance from the side lines. Accept the results of each game. Teach your child to be gracious in victory and to turn defeat into victory by learning and working toward improvement.

3. Don’t be a side line Referee or Coach

Refrain from coaching or refereeing from the side line. Parents who shout or scream from the side lines often give inappropriate advice at the wrong time. The coach should be the only side line voice. Remain well back from the side lines and within the spectator area. You and your child will enjoy the game more if you put some emotional distance between yourself and the field of play. Officials are symbols of fair play, integrity and sportsmanship, do not openly question their judgement or honesty.

4. Demonstrate a Positive Attitude towards your opponents and their Families.

Opponents must always be treated with respect. Take care to show hospitality at home and to represent MAFC in a positive manner when visiting other clubs. Never allow yourself to be drawn into a verbal disagreement with opposing parents and coaches. No one has ever regretted letting “cooler heads prevail”.

5. Remember that your Child wants to have Fun

Your child is the one playing football, not you. Children must establish their own goals – to play the game for themselves. Take care not to impose unreasonable demands on your child. Let your child experience the fun of playing as well as the challenge of excelling.

6. Social Media Responsibility

Under no circumstances will MAFC tolerate negative social media posts in relation to MAFC, our opponents, officials or the CTTLFA. (Social media includes WhatsApp, Facebook and the likes). Rather approach the Club Chairperson, Junior Chairperson and the Club Captain if you have experienced or witnessed something that you are unhappy about.

PARENT UNDERTAKING

I/we undertake to set a good example to our child in his/her football development by always adhering to the following:

• Parents cannot dictate to the club, the executive committee, or the coach as to how the club may coach their children or as to which team, they must play in.
• We will always respect the match officials’ decisions and will not criticise the referee openly or directly before, during or after games.
• We will only give positive feedback to players during the game and constructive criticism to their errors will only be dealt with by the coach.
• We will always cheer within the spirit of fair play and shall do our best to cheer the effort regardless of the outcome.
• We will shall do our best to teach our players to become students of the game.
• We will shall do our very best to have our child prepared for every game.
• We will shall show the quality of our sportsmanship before, during, and after each game and help our child remember to thank the referee after the match immaterial of the match result.
• We will We shall support the learning efforts of the players, the coaches, and the referee by demonstrating our patience.
• We will never engage in, or tolerate, offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour.
• We will remain outside the field of play and behind the Designated Spectator Area where provided or where advise to stand.
• We will encourage the players to respect the opposition and match officials We understand that improper behaviour at the game may result in a parent being asked to leave the field by the referee. This is an offence that carries and mandatory report to the CTTLFA Disciplinary Committee and will result in MAFC being fined and the Club Chairperson having to attend the hearing, and the cost incurred (fine) is acknowledged for the account of the parent.
• We will shall leave the coaching to the coach during the game. We shall not give our child instructions during the game.
• We understand that MAFC can suspend our privilege to watch our child play should we behave in a manner that is rude or otherwise offensive.
• We will agree to do our best and to have as much fun watching the game as the players should have playing the game.
• Any inappropriate behaviour must be done in writing detailing the itemized facts to the coach and copies to the Club Chairperson, Junior Chairperson and Club Captain.
• We will shall show the quality of our sportsmanship during and after each game and help our child remember to thank the referee after the match immaterial of the match result.
• We will not use any form of social media, private meetings, or informal chats to air any grievances that we have with MAFC, coaches, parents, players, or officials. Kindly follow the correct channel i.e. Junior Chairperson and Club Captain to itemize in detail your concerns in writing.
• We will ensure and undertake make sure that our child is dressed in the correct MAFC outfit with their safety equipment, which is blue socks, blue shorts, shin pads and boots. (MAFC jersey supplied by the club.)