A bad experience can turn kids away from sports for life but it's not only the other players that can have that negative impact.

At an Airdrie Minor Hockey League luncheon on Sunday, October 16, John O'Sullivan, CEO of the Changing the Game Project, spoke about the roles of parents and coaches in youth sports.

"[Parents and coaches] can all take a deep breath in sports and make it about the needs and values and priorities of the kids because right now, 70 per cent of kids drop out by age 13 and that's kind of a scary figure."

O'Sullivan said that even if a child has a negative experience in one sport, the majority of the time, they quit sports altogether and never come back.

He added that parents and coaches that yell at kids from the sidelines not only negatively affect their experience, they harm the kids' performance and sport education. Kids need to learn to react quickly and effectively in sport and parents or coaches yelling advice from the sidelines takes away the opportunity to learn.

O'Sullivan said that parents should be cognizant of this when watching their kids play and be proud of them no matter the outcome.

"Help your kids find their passion instead of trying to determine it for them. When you're on the sidelines, don't be a coach, don't be a ref, just be a fan and just love watching your kids play."