Thank you for supporting me!
Thank you for supporting me in my sport! Driving me, cheering me on, and showing that you care means a great deal. But for me to want to keep doing sport for a long time, I need something more – I need you to listen to me and let me be involved in my own way in my sport.
When sport works
Sports give me friends, joy, community, and development. When I feel comfortable, it becomes a strong protective factor against loneliness, negative environments, and mental health issues. To feel comfortable, I need to know that my voice matters.
When you, as a key adult, make a difference
Listening and being a trusted adult can be crucial. Sometimes you need to step back so that I dare to take space myself; sometimes you need to step in when I do not have the strength or cannot say that something is wrong. Sport does not automatically become safe—if leaders fail or if I am treated badly, it can instead be harmful.
If something is not right: step forward and protect me. Contact your club or use the Swedish Sports Confederation’s whistleblowing service >> * in the event of serious incidents. For support and advice, large or small, you can also contact BRIS support line for sports leaders >>.
* With the whistleblowing service, you can safely and confidentially report if you suspect that someone is doing something wrong or breaking the rules and values of sport. It helps make sport safer and fairer for everyone.
Strengthen my own participation like this:
Let me have an opinion
My experience is important—give me time to tell you. If you ask, "What did you think of the match?"—really listen to my answer. Do not immediately tell me what YOU thought.
Do not speak for me with the coach
Encourage me to say what I think myself. You can support me, but let me practise using my own voice.
Be the one who cheers the smartest—not the loudest
Your job is to encourage—not to coach. Advice shouted from the sidelines can feel stressful. Trust that my coach will help me.
Show that sport is more than results
Ask "Did you have fun?" and "What did you learn?" instead of only talking about the result.
Respect my leaders
Take feedback directly to the leaders—not in front of me. When you speak positively about my coaches and show trust, it helps me trust them too.
Get involved— in the right way
It is great if you help out in the club! But remember that it is MY sport, not yours.
Give children and young people a voice—and strengthen the whole club
Watch this short educational film to gain more knowledge about the participation of children and youth in sports! Youth participation is a priority area within the sporting community.
After you have watched the film, there are discussion questions to download to start the dialogue with other key adults about this.
Set aside 15 minutes for reflection and discussion!
How a sports club works
We children and young people need to understand how a club works in order to be able to influence it—and of course that applies to you adults too. In a sports club, the members make decisions together. This is called association democracy.
Each year, an annual meeting is held where important decisions are made and a board is elected. The Swedish Sports Confederation recommends that members be allowed to vote from the age of 12—check what applies in your club.
Get involved in different ways
As a child, young person, or key adult, you can influence things at many levels—in the training group or across the whole club. As an adult, you have great opportunities to contribute and make your voice heard—for example as a leader, board member, referee, official, team parent, or refreshments coordinator.
Knowledge about associations can feel difficult if you are new or inexperienced. Want to learn more? Check out these easy-to-read organizational documents >>. Talk to your organization about how you can get involved – and don’t hesitate to ask questions!
The Democracy Path
Here you can get an overview of how to work in a structured way with children’s and young people’s participation in sport, based on different ages.
See this as inspiration, not a definitive answer. Use what suits your engagement and the sports club you represent!
