'Enough is Enough': New Zealand sports boss warns sideline abuse is driving children away

Parents acting up on the sidelines of sports games aren't helping their kids and a sports boss says it might even put them off playing.

Children aren't vying for a place on the Chiefs, Warriors or Silver Ferns, Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper says.

"Life will happen ... it won't be the parent's voice on the sideline, it'll be the talent of that child if he or she is good enough and will get identified."

Cooper's comments come after a wave of incidents that have plagued the Waikato sporting scene, stemming from allegations of parent-on-player violence in an under-14 rugby game to youth rugby league games cancelled on 24 May after reports of physical and verbal abuse in Hopuhopu.

Cooper, a former New Zealand Rugby president and All Black, applauded the decision of Waikato Junior Rugby League & Waikato Rugby to call out bad sideline behaviour.

"Enough is enough", he said. "That's where it needed to be called out and unfortunately the consequence is that a lot of others will miss out ... that's extremely disappointing."

Waikato Junior Rugby League and Waikato Rugby have issued a joint warning over poor sideline behaviour, saying abuse and aggression towards players, officials and supporters will not be tolerated at junior sporting events. Photo/Supplied.

Council members across the Waikato have previously expressed their dismay against sideline abuse alongside Sport Waikato, which receives local government funding.

Too much negativity can tarnish the on-field experience - a defining factor in if a child continues to play sport, Cooper said.

"The adults or those on the sideline aren't playing the game but they're affecting the game. They're affecting the experience for the young person who just wants to play with their mates," he said.

Sport Waikato is urging parents, coaches and supporters to create positive environments for young athletes following a series of incidents at junior sporting fixtures across the region. Photo/THP Creative

"They [adults] need to understand the impact of their behaviour because if the environment does become negative, aggressive and intimidating, they'll stop enjoying it and sometimes they stop playing altogether.

That's our real concern." When asked why there's been recent visible spikes of abuse in the Waikato, Cooper said the "actual physical and verbal abuse is not as high in the Waikato as it is around the country".

He added the problem is felt worldwide, with parents wanting to achieve through their children.

"There's no other choice but to turn up to support your child or support whoever's on the field playing."

The majority of the parents on the sideline are behaving respectfully, Cooper stressed, adding it's a small minority that create the fallout, and ultimately lead to kids not being able to play on the weekend.

"We've got to remember it's junior sport," he added.

A clear outline of what is and isn't acceptable sideline behaviour at the beginning of the season to all supporters is a solution Cooper suggested coaches and managers use.

In the same breath, he added hammering in what consequences will be enforced if standards aren't met is critical.

"I would maintain that becomes not an option but a priority and action for every sports team... we can help provide those set guidelines," he added.

Sport Waikato's Positive Vibes Only initiative has helped create "greater coach awareness and accountability" across the region, Cooper said, by reinforcing the role coaches play in keeping players happy, engaged and wanting to participate through positive messaging.

But for parents on the sidelines this weekend, Cooper said the "one goal" should simply be making sure the player they are supporting is excited to come back and play again next week, regardless of the result.

Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.