Face it, we’ve all heard of the obnoxious soccer mom standing on the sidelines, screaming at the players even more than the coach is. But usually, those hard-to-watch parents don’t even really understand what they’re doing wrong- and, if you’re nervous about your own behavior on the sidelines, you might be one of them. So how can you make sure that you’re not a tennis-screaming sideline Karen?

Back Off, Man!

The first step in becoming a screaming sideliner is to act like you’re the one playing the game. You’re not! Let your child take the lead on this one- they know what they’re doing, and they just want to make you proud. Besides, it’s a game, anyway- it’s not like the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It’s just a score for a junior-high tennis match, and if it ends love to love, it ends love to love!

Let Your Kid Make You Proud

Even if you’re not proud, you’ve got to fake it. Your child’s enjoyment of tennis hangs solely in the balance of the people around you- if you yell at your kid every time they finish a match, or every time they need a ride to practice, you’re going to make them hate finishing a match or riding to practice. Let your kid take the lead. Back off! And most of all, make sure your child believes that you’re rooting for them.

Overall . . .

There are a lot of different ways you might be ruining tennis practice- but there are only a few tips that you need to remember to make tennis your child’s favorite sport. Make sure to take a step back at practice and games, and let the coach run the match. Allow your kid to take the lead- if they want to play, they’ll play, and if you force them, you’re not going to get good results. Moreover, make sure your kid knows that you love them unconditionally, even if they can’t quite get the hang of the continental grip.