Netball spectators are more abusive than rugby fans, research issued yesterday shows.
The research, by Massey University physical education student Janine Bannister, looked at the nature and target of supporters' comments from the sidelines of children's matches.
It found nearly half the comments were negative - and netball spectators were the worst.
Spectator behaviour was studied at five sports - rugby, netball, basketball, in-line hockey and soccer - with the players aged between 10 and 16.
The spectators' comments were analysed for their negative or positive nature and whether their target was a child, the team, an official or another spectator.
The main targets of the comments were teams (66.5 per cent), followed by the individual child (30 per cent). Only 1.6 per cent of comments were targeted at officials and 1 per cent at other spectators.
Basketball spectators were the best behaved but netball was the only sport in which negative comments outnumbered positive.
Ms Bannister said other research indicated that negative behaviour at children's sports events could lead to competitive stress, inhibited performance and result in the child stopping the sport.
"Parents need to be made aware of the effect of sideline behaviour on their children's ability to play the game, their enjoyment and decision to play in the future," she said.
A possible factor in the results, she said, was the fact that spectators at basketball and in-line skating sat some distance from the court while in netball, soccer and rugby spectators stood directly on the sideline.
"Sport can bring out the best in players, but unfortunately it can also bring out the worst in people on the sideline," she said.
- NZPA
Netball: Netball fans 'most abusive'
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.