What is Alliance 4 All?
Alliance 4 All is a program designed to bring together the "4" participant groups in a soccer match -- coaches, players, parents and referees -- to "practice better sportsmanship". It's a collaborative effort developed by the Kansas Youth Soccer, Iowa Soccer Association and the Nebraska State Soccer Association.
The program is centered on four brief, online education modules which serve as guides for parents, players, coaches and referees in how to practice better sportsmanship. In a nutshell, the tagline of this program says it all: PRACTICE BETTER SPORTSMANSHIP.
Creating a better environment around the game is not a one-off action -- each training session, each match, each tournament offers a new opportunity to sharpen your sportsmanship skills! And getting to better sportsmanship in our game hinges upon the commitment of individuals from all four groups to implement and practice tools from the modules.
Why should I care about the behavior of any of the participants at a match?
All you need to do is google "poor sportsmanship and youth sports" to see the dizzying list of incidents through the years, and the repeated calls to action.
Your presence at a match constitutes one of the four participant groups and we need all four to understand they must do their part in practicing better sportsmanship. By understanding that each has a role and by taking responsibility to do your part, we can add to the google search results for "good sportsmanship youth sports".
As one of the states that developed A4A, Kansas Youth Soccer is an Alliance 4 All-Endorsed State and will conduct its programming in accordance with this status.
SPORTSMANSHIP ALERT! Parents...the kids need your help!
Parents have a profound impact on whether or not their child enjoys soccer, and if he/she sticks with it. The major stumbling blocks that typically lead to -- inadvertently in most cases -- negatively impacting your child's soccer experience are:
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One or both parents didn't grow up with soccer, so don't know the rules, and/or aren't familiar with "small-sided games"
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Being unfamiliar with the rules and the game leads to unnecessary yelling at referees and opponents -- poor sportsmanship
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Parents aren't sure what is the best way to support their child in this particular activity
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Parents re-live their youth sports experience through their child
***ATTENTION UPDATE 10/15/19***
The video links are no longer available and so no video is required to be watched.
However, Kansas Youth Soccer just ask that your team as the coach or manager pledges to show good sportsmanship during the state tournament. Achieving good sportsmanship requires individual acts by all those involved in the competition: Players, Coaches, Parents, and Referees. So please still turn in the Alliance 4 All Form as we thank you for your pledge to practice better sportsmanship.
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