Mother knows best: In her new novel, Canberran local Karen Viggers uses her experience as a soccer mum and what she’s observed of parents’ bad behaviour on the sideline.
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Parents overly invested in their child’s success, behaving badly as they stand screaming from the sidelines of their kid’s sports game, is a scene everyone has witnessed at some point at their child’s or their own sports games growing up.
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This is the unique story well-known author Dr Karen Viggers has addressed in her newest novel, Sidelines, through the unique fictitious perspective of three young teenagers who play on the same soccer team.
Now, she’s coming to Shepparton to share her message.
The novel acts as a guide that addresses the pressures of sporting success kids can face from their parents and encourages a shift in parental sporting culture attitudes.
As a former soccer mum, this was a common narrative Dr Viggers saw played out on the sidelines of the field over and over again.
“One of the things I’ve seen from 14 years as a soccer mum is when that behaviour gets out of control – abusing referees, shouting at their own kids, and kids from the other team from the sidelines – and that behaviour becomes role modelling, and the kids start to copy it,” Dr Viggers said.
“I was angry about the behaviour towards my son as a referee and my daughter who also played soccer, so the first draft came out pretty quickly.”
On the sidelines: The fictitious novel is a spin on the reality of the pressure children can face from their parents during sports games.
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With local sport booming in regional Victoria, this story is one that Ms Viggers hopes will connect with her regional audience.
“Even though it’s an urban novel and based in Sydney, it’s particularly relevant to sport in country Australia as well,” she said.
“It’s even more important as it’s easy to get isolated for rural kids, and sports help them make connections and friendships and engage in fitness.”
Dr Vigger’s idea for the novel was triggered by a brawl that had broken out among parents in 2014 at a soccer game in Canberra, followed by several other instances where similar situations occurred.
“Though this book is fiction, I wanted to shine a light on this as parents; we are detracting from that experience for our kids and are contributing to our kids dropping out of sport,” she said.
“Apart from this, it can have an impact on their mental health as well in terms of kids trying to please their parents, and it makes them susceptible to depression and self-harm.
“I wanted to get in the heads of the kids so people can see what the kids are thinking and how it impacts them.”
While she’s focused the story on a soccer team, Dr Viggers said it’s still relevant to any other sport or activity a child undertakes.
Dr Viggers is a novelist, wildlife and domestic animal veterinarian, and podcaster and is the author of four other books: The Stranding, The Lightkeeper’s Wife, The Grass Castle and The Orchardist’s Daughter.
Dr Viggers will speak at Shepparton Library on Wednesday, February 7, at 6.30pm and at Benalla Library on Tuesday, February 20, at 2pm.
To attend Karen Viggers’s author talk, confirm your attendance by calling Goulburn Valley Libraries on 1300 374 765 or email shepparton@gvlibraries.com.au
