Sportsmanship

This is a big one for me. My mother always taught me to be a good sport, and I expect no less from my step-children, or my skaters. I certainly understand disappointment if you don't do as well as you were hoping, or if your child doesn't do as well as you'd hoped. I also understand that sometimes people may feel there are bigger things (such as "politics") at play. What is important to me is that I don't hear this, and that my skaters don't hear this, and that other skaters don't hear this. There is few things worse than a parent standing in front of a group of skaters who competed together telling them that their child should have placed higher than they did. Or skaters putting down other skaters, gloating about winning, etc. This also carries over to talking about things with other parents.
Also, when you are at a competition, treat the volunteers running it with the utmost respect. Events do not always run smoothly, and these volunteers are working hard to make it the best they can. Sometimes result postings take a long time, sometimes events run a hour late. It happens. Expect it. Do not treat the skating volunteers at the hosting club (or your own club, for that matter!) in a manner that you would not like to be treated in. Instead, try saying thank you to them for all their hard work, or offering an understanding smile when they tell you it's not going as planned.
You will not always win. You will not always place as good as you thought you would, hoped you could, or expected to. Sometimes you will. When you are getting ready to go to a competition, take a few moments and think about how you are going to react if the results are not what you wanted. Make a concious effort to practice good sportsmanship. Congratulate all skaters in your team or club. You can complain about it at home later if you need to, but at the rink, keep it to yourself.