Fun in youth sport is about supporting an environment that will provide great athlete development. Fun is multi-factorial and every individual will have slightly different thoughts but some of these parts help parents and coaches make sense of how they support players.

This looks like aspects of the following:

PHYSICAL

• Getting playing time and competing

• Being active and working hard

• Getting time on task

VERBAL

• Positive feedback & encouragement

• Clear communication and guided learning (rather than explicit direction)

• Officials making consistent calls

EMOTIONAL

• Active listening

• Creating safety around learning (safe to try and fail)

• Building player confidence

SOCIAL

• Facilitating a supportive environment

• Team rituals - such as high fives, fist bumps, hugging, cheering

• Doing things outside of competition and training as a team

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Well organised practices that are age and stage appropriate and include games

• Good facility conditions

• Competing against evenly matched opposition