Quote: Sal Paradise "Completely agree with the last paragraph - both my boys played junior and open age rugby. The behaviour of the parents especially the women was sickening. Their abuse of their own kids, other kids, each other and especially referees was shameful for what is supposed to be a family sport.
Vibrant clubs like Stanningley have senior players closely associated to the club, in their case JJB. East Leeds have Danny McGuire, Kippax have Andy Lynch - it may be a coincidence that participation are higher where links are closer to the elite side. Kids look up to these players as role models what happens when the kids view these players in a different light?'"
I agree, I think links with the elite side are important for amateur clubs to increase/retain participation. As you say the kids look up to the top players and to have some link with them is what really gets the kids excited. Just playing a half time game at Headingley is a massive deal for a lot of kids! But I don't think the performances of the team has much effect on the kids because they don't understand it yet. I'd agree that the performances, especially at home, has an effect on the parents though.
Whilst on the links with amateur clubs, it frequently annoys me how little the pro & semi clubs do in that regard. Even clubs like Leeds, I think, could do an awful lot more. Some individual players do a lot but clubs as a whole I think are pretty poor in this respect. I think they vastly underestimate the effect of just a couple of players turning up and passing a ball around with kids for half an hour has on those kids.
Agree entirely with your first paragraph. It's something that both angers and confounds me at the same time. It turns so many kids and adults away from our sport.
