Taking sport’s values onto social media

The pitch and the phone are not separate worlds

For a young player, the conversation about a match does not end when they leave the ground. It continues on their phone: clips, comments, jokes, reactions. That is not a problem in itself — it is often where friendships grow and where a team celebrates together. But it means the club’s culture is also being lived out somewhere the coach cannot see.

A useful way to put it to players: the online space around the team is an extension of the dressing room. The same standards apply, even though nobody is blowing a whistle.

What each value can look like online

• Respect for opponents: congratulating the other team after a loss, and not mocking a rival player’s mistake in a shared clip.
• Fair play: not posting or forwarding something that was shared privately, even if it would get laughs.
• Team spirit: noticing when a teammate goes quiet in the chat after a bad game, and sending a direct message rather than piling on.
• Respect for officials: no posts about referees or coaches that you would not say to their face, calmly, after the match.

Three perspectives

A coach may see social media mainly as a risk to manage. A parent may see it as something their child does alone in their room. A young athlete usually sees it simply as part of normal life with friends. All three views contain something true. A club that wants to help does not need to pick one: it can acknowledge the good (connection, shared pride, support) and still be clear about the standards it expects.

Practical actions for this week

• Ask your coaching staff to name one club value and give one online example of it at the next training session — two minutes, not a lecture.
• Parents: ask your child what they liked about the team’s chat this week, before asking about anything that worried you.
• Celebrate a good online moment publicly — a player who congratulated an opponent, or welcomed a newcomer.

Why talking matters more than rules alone

Paediatric guidance for families emphasises regular, open-minded conversations about media use — asking what children like, how they feel online, and whether they have seen anything concerning — rather than expecting adults to be experts on every platform. Clubs can apply the same spirit: short, regular, curious conversations do more than a single rulebook handed out in September.