A tournament should be fun.
It’s an opportunity for confidence, friendship, goal setting and achieving. Good Sportsmanship is an important part of the tournament experience and is a vital skill for any age. We should be teaching our children good sportsmanship and the way adults act is a huge influence on the way our children will act.
In the rule book it says no coaching. Why? Coaching should be done by their Sensei or Sifu in the dojo when training happens. Coaching ringside undermines a child’s confidence in their skills and can give them an unfair advantage over the other competitor. It is a very important life skill for children to learn to rely on themselves and their own skills. Take a moment and remember why they are here. It’s not so that they can win every tournament. It’s to help them achieve not just today, but their whole lives. Instead of coaching, a negative reaction, we should be cheering. Not just for our child but for their competitor as well. Shake your competitor’s hand when you are done and say “well done”. If you didn’t win today, prepare for the next opportunity! Children should be with their friends at the tournament and they should only become competitors once they enter the ring.
You could be jeopardizing your competitor's chance to win. Did you know that if you are coaching, your competitors could be warned, penalized or even disqualified?
United States Karate Alliance Rulebook, Section 11.14(a)(10) and Section 11.15 (l)
