AS the old saying goes, if you haven’t got something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
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A campaign aimed at getting junior sport spectators to keep their comments positive is currently under way in Western NSW.
A NSW Government Office of Sport initiative, Shoosh for Kids has been embraced by local sporting clubs to help spread the message that all young players deserve a supportive sporting environment.
Bathurst Netball Association PR officer Kirsty Ridley said people often got carried away on the sidelines, but it was important to remain positive for the young players.
“The Shoosh campaign is a great way to enforce a positive environment around our club. A positive environment is essential to a successful club,” she said. “We want our players to feel comfortable whilst playing the game they love.”
Hockey NSW regional coaching coordinator for the Western Region, Kate Pulbrook said the program offered kids the encouragement they needed to ask parents to keep their comments from the sideline positive.
“From our point of view, we know kids don’t like hearing negative comments from the sidelines,” she said.
“A lot of kids quit the sport because of things like this.”
While there isn’t a lot of negativity in the Western Regionf, Ms Pulbrook has found it only takes one comment to rattle a player or an umpire in any sport.
“Even if it is one bad comment, it affects a lot of people,” she said.
Shoosh for Kids is supported by Netball NSW, NRL, Central West Rugby, Hockey NSW, Basketball NSW, Central West AFL and Football NSW. Each club involved will organise its support of the campaign during events this week.
Sports and Recreation development officer Joanne Barrett welcomed a variety of sports getting behind the campaign.
“Bringing the Shoosh for Kids Week to Western NSW means that, regardless of the sport families will attend on the weekend, they will get the same message: ‘Keep your comments positive or shoosh’,” she said.
“Most people do the right thing, but the sports we are working with want to remind spectators that there is no place for negative comments in our local sport.”
The campaign will run in Western NSW until June 20.
