Poor sideline behaviour, particularly from parents of junior participants, is one of the biggest challenges currently facing our sport. Adults who engage in poor sideline behaviours set a negative example for junior participants and additionally can adversely impact their participation in, and continued enjoyment from, the sport of tennis. It is vital that adults model expected behaviours for junior participants at all times and act in a manner which ensures a safe and welcoming environment for all tennis participants at all times.

Further information on the impacts of poor sideline behaviour on junior sports participation, online training, and resources to support you to stamp out poor sideline behaviour at your club can be sourced from the ‘Let Kids be Kids’ website, a campaign developed by Sport Integrity Australia. More information on the Let Kids be Kids campaign, including various resources, are available here. You can also register to undertake the ‘Let Kids be Kids’ online training course here, where you will learn about the following:

• The motivations for kids’ participation in sport;
• How to identify poor behaviour at kids sport; and
• How to take actions that reduce the instances of poor behaviour.

From a Tennis NSW perspective, all Tennis Participants, including spectators, are captured under Tennis Australia’s Code of Behaviour: Competitive Play (the Code). The Code sets out the behavioural expectations of all Tennis Participants and has specific callouts around spectator misconduct. A full copy of the Code is available here. Participants, particularly parents, are reminded that allegations of breaches of the Code may result in spectators being referred to a Disciplinary Review Panel (DRP), who have the authority to issue a variety of sanctions including a suspension preventing you from attending events. Importantly, players, including junior players, may be subject to loss of points, defaults or suspensions based on the conduct of their supporting entourage. Whilst potential sanctions against children as a result of the conduct of adults is extremely regrettable,  creating a safe environment for children and young people to participate in tennis is an absolute priority for Tennis NSW.

Tennis Participants are encouraged that if they witness poor sideline behaviour on match day, tournament officials should be immediately alerted, as officials are best placed to deal with incidents of this nature in the moment and to stop them from escalating. Similarly, if you have concerns about something occurring ‘on court’ in a match where you are spectating (e.g. line calls etc.) tournament officials should be contacted and allowed to handle the matter, rather than spectators getting involved from the sidelines.

Any concerns or queries around sideline behaviour should be directed to [email protected].