Sportsmanship and Online Safety Against Cyberbullying

From the time my husband was 4, he lived and breathed hockey. When it came time for us to consider sports for our own son, my husband was resistant because of past experiences with bad sportsmanship, parental interference and unwritten politics. These days our kids not only have to contend with the cliques of the dressing room and boys will be boys mentality but many go home to experience cyberbullying in a socially plugged in era.

Disclosure: As a #TELUSWISE Ambassador this post is sponsored. All content within is 100% my own opinion.

Sportsmanship and Cyberbullying

Luckily, our son is only 4 years old and just started his first year of initiation but no matter the age sportsmanship doesn’t stop when kids leave the rink. Our kids are exposed to bullying at school and at home through cyberbullying. Even at the young age of 4, our son spends time using online learning tools. Online learning tools are great at many ages as long as we monitor screen time and have safety boundaries in place.

I’m a big hockey fan; there’s nothing I love more than seeing special moments between father and son and watching my son learn and play the game of hockey with a big smile on his face. This year while I’m watching the hockey World Juniors Championship, I’ll be keeping that vision of my sons smiling face in mind and join Telus in making a stand against cyberbullying. With cyberbullying affecting over forty per cent of Canadian youth each month, I stand with Telus in support of their efforts to keep families connected and remaining safe online.

Have you ever experienced cyberbullying or bad sportsmanship behaviour?

I fully believe Sportsmanship starts at home. As a parent and coach, my husband and I were required to complete a Respect in Sport course. This course was introduced for all parents to teach the importance of sportsmanship and behaviour on and off the ice. Most importantly, our kids should be able to enjoy the game of hockey, have fun and be able to go home to a safe environment.

For those attending the hockey World Juniors Championship, Telus is offering a safe place to connect and a chance for Canadians to win a trip to the championship game next year. It’s easy to enter, cheer on Team Canada and use your voice in support the fight against cyberbullying on the #AllConnected hashtag.

For other safety tips, check out my 9 Online Safety Tips for Elementary to High School, browse through the  TELUS WISE website, follow #TELUSWISE and join in the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.