Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport - Be their biggest supporter

Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport is a national, year-round campaign run by the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (NSPCC CPSU) which aims to raise awareness of the important role parents play in keeping their child safe and happy in sport.

Alongside the year-round campaign, a focus week takes place during the first week of October to highlight the campaign and launch new resources and guidance for parents and carers. This focus week brings to life the campaign messages with stories from parents, young people, and coaches.

As part of the campaign, parents are asked to think and learn about 3 key areas of being involved in their child's sport:

Getting involved

From showing an interest in the rules of the game to post-game support and the occasional bit of cheerleading, we know that children enjoy sport the most when parents are engaged in what they do.

Being supportive

The rises and falls of sport and achievement can be an emotional experience for children and it's important that the adults around them can support them in a positive way. Negative feedback from adults can take the enjoyment out of sport for children. Equally, positive feedback can help them to celebrate success and stay active and engaged with sport.

Keeping children safe

Understanding the safeguards that should be in place in all sports is vital. All parents and carers should feel empowered with the knowledge of what makes a sport club safe for their child to enjoy, how to spot poor practice or abuse and who to turn to if they do have worries about their child or anyone else in sport.

To celebrate this year's campaign, the NSPCC CPSU will be launching a brand-new video resource called "My No.1 Fan" which will feature real families, talking about what positive parental behaviour and support means to them and how negative behaviour can impact children's enjoyment of sport.

As well as this new film, the NSPCC CPSU hosts a wealth of resources and information for parents and carers on their Parents' Hub, including a free e-learning course on keeping children safer in sport, videos, podcasts, and factsheets.

To find out more about being your child's biggest supporter and how to get involved with the campaign, visit thecpsu.org.uk/parents

Source & Image: NSPCC