June 3 – The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) launched an initiative called BRAVO on 1 June, which is also known as Children’s Day, aimed at clamping down on bad behaviour from parents.
The FRF BRAVO, which stands for ‘Bucurie, Respect, Afection, Voința, Optimism’ in Romanian and translates as ‘Joy, Respect, Affection, Will and Optimism’, aims to bring joy back to children’s play and combat the pressure coming from the sidelines or from the stands, from parents or coaches.
FRF BRAVO draws attention to inappropriate behaviour on the sidelines, especially the evaluation of children through insults. Such attitudes, as well as conflicts with coaches, are seen by the FRF as forms of emotional abuse. Harsh labels and criticism can affect the long-term confidence of young players – or even cause them to give up sports.
Răzvan Burleanu, President of the Romanian Football Federation, said: “The FRF BRAVO initiative started from a simple but powerful insight: what children hear on the sidelines can shape not only their game, but also their future. Thus, BRAVO. becomes a platform through which FRF promotes Joy, Respect, Affection, Will and Optimism in the relationship with young athletes.
“In football, every child dreams of seeing their name on the back of the shirt. But sometimes, parents ‘write’ something else instead. Instead of support, children receive insults and criticism, and instead of joy, they end up feeling shame.
“Every harsh word becomes a burden that they carry both in their soul and on the field. Too many children abandon sports every year, not because of a lack of talent, but because of the pressure exerted by those who should be their support.
“Through the B.R.A.V.O. campaign, we aim to cultivate children’s positive emotions and contribute to creating an environment in which they can enjoy the game with confidence, freedom and pleasure.”
The initiative is supported by a series of key components: a symbolic banner, video and radio spots, digital materials, as well as educational resources dedicated to parents – including the Parents’ Guide and a KIT with 10 rules of conduct, which will be distributed to sports clubs. In addition, safeguarding courses will be organised, and there will be a special section on the campaign platform for reporting inappropriate behaviour.
Contact the writer of this story Alexander Krassimirov at moc.l1749093754labto1749093754ofdlr1749093754owedi1749093754sni@r1749093754ofni1749093754