Why Parents’ Sideline Behaviour Matters: What the Science Says

Winning matches, improving their skills, and enjoying the sport they love are all things parents want for their children who play soccer. Parents do their best to support these goals, but the way that support is expressed can sometimes feel like pressure. The line between pressure and support isn’t always clear, especially when adrenaline is high on the sidelines.

Imagine an eight-year-old child doing her best in a soccer game, approaching the goal to take a shot. Just as she’s about to kick, she hears her parents shouting, “Pass it! Don’t go for the goal!” She gets confused, tackled, and misses the shot. Afterward, she can tell her parents are visibly upset that she lost the game.

Although well-intentioned, this is an example of how sideline guidance and emotional reactions can feel pressuring to a child. In youth soccer, pressure can also come in the form of criticizing mistakes, showing visible disappointment, or overemphasizing winning over enjoying the game. According to psychologists, this pressure can lead to low self-esteem, performance anxiety, and even make the field feel like a threatening environment (Rourke et al., 2011).

Now, imagine that same eight-year-old child approaching the goal, ready to shoot. She hears clapping from the sidelines and takes the shot. The ball hits the post and misses – but the clapping continues. After the game, her parents say, “You worked so hard today, I’m proud of you!”

Unlike pressure, true support is unconditional – meaning a child is encouraged regardless of performance. In soccer, support can be shown by emphasizing enjoyment over winning, expressing pride in effort, and staying positive on the sidelines. Recent research shows that supportive behaviors like these build leadership skills, teamwork, and goal-setting abilities in youth soccer players (Fleming et al., 2023; Mossman & Cronin, 2019).

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Encouraging Support: Building a Growth Mindset

One of the best ways to support your child’s confidence and enjoyment in soccer is by encouraging a growth mindset. Psychologists describe a growth mindset as the belief that abilities can be developed through persistence, learning from mistakes, and trying out different strategies (Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017). Children with a growth mindset understand they can improve with practice, which gives them the confidence to view challenges as opportunities rather than threats.

So how can you promote a growth mindset?

• Give process-focused feedback. Praise effort, improvement, and persistence – not just wins. Recognizing how hard they worked or when they master a new skill boosts intrinsic motivation, resilience, and long-term engagement (Dweck, 2007).

• Reframe challenges as positive. When something is difficult, explain that it means their brain is learning and getting stronger – just like their muscles. This helps reduce frustration and encourages them to stick with their goals.

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Final Thoughts

Every parent wants their child to have fun on the soccer field – and how you show your support makes all the difference. When you focus on positive encouragement over wins or losses, you help your young player grow confidence and develop a lifelong love for the game.

The most powerful message you can send from the sidelines isn’t tactical advice – it’s letting your child know you’re proud of them for giving their best.