Athletics Northern Ireland is pleased to join the NSPCC to promote Parents in Sport Week 2017

Parents are key to a child’s life-long involvement in sport

The NSPCC and Athletics Northern Ireland have joined forces with more than 100 sports organisations in the UK and Ireland to promote Parents in Sport Week. We want our sports clubs to rally behind our efforts from October 2^nd -8^th to underscore the positive, supporting role that parents play. Coaches and officials can also examine their communication with parents to benefit children’s involvement in sport.

Feedback from current sports stars and research with young people shows how important parents are as role models.

Dr Camilla Knight of Swansea University who studies parental involvement in sport says, “Parents play a critical role within youth sport. Without their support and involvement youth sport could not exist in the way it does today”.

However we all know of ‘over-involved’ or ‘pushy’ parents which subsequently can affect a children’s experience. Through Parents in Sport Week, the NSPCC and Athletics Northern Ireland are helping to change the conversation and remind everyone of the important and extremely valuable contribution parents make to our sport but only if they are engaged appropriately.

The NSPCC has produced resources for clubs to use with parents and their own coaches. These are available at thecpsu.org.uk/parents 

Through Parents in Sport Week, the NSPCC and Athletics Northern Ireland hope to highlight the essential role parents have to a child’s enjoyment and success in playing sport.

For more information on Parents in Sport Week 2017 CLICK HERE