Let Kids Be Kids - 2021 Campaign

Hockey ACT are dedicating the next two weekends to kicking poor sideline behaviour to the curb!

Physical activity is such an important part of a child’s health and wellbeing and here in the ACT, we want to encourage even more kids to get involved in sport.

Promoting a dedicated Let Kids Be Kids round is all about sending a message to parents and spectators, to allow children to enjoy sport without pressure and abuse from the sidelines.

It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of the competition but it’s important that parents and spectators understand that their words have an impact.

We know bad behaviour on the sidelines can make kids embarrassed, lose confidence and motivation, feel threatened, and often to drop out of playing sport altogether.

Positive encouragement however, builds self-esteem, and motivates kids to have fun, try their best, and helps them to develop a lifelong enthusiasm for being social, active and healthy.

Hockey ACT is proud to partner with Canberra’s sporting sector to deliver a winter let kids be kids  fixture, with Basketball ACT, Touch Football ACT, Table Tennis ACT, Tennis ACT, Volleyball ACT, Brumbies Rugby, Netball ACT, Auscycling-ACT, Capital Football, Squash ACT, Canberra Region Rugby League, Cricket ACT and AFL Canberra all actively participating.

Sport should be inclusive, safe, fair, and above all, fun for everyone involved, and it’s up to all of us to pass these values on to our kids.

So this weekend and every weekend, we encourage the Hockey ACT community, our members and supporters to get behind this initiative, so we see a real change on the Territory’s sports fields and courts.

Shout for your kids, not at them. Let them play. Let the opposing team play and let the umpires and officials do their job.  

Let Kids Be Kids is a national campaign launched in February 2017 which aims to address poor sideline behaviour at children’s sporting games. To download the free toolkit and supporting resources visit www.playbytherules.net.au