GOOD day, all! Today, I wanted to write about a topic a little close to my heart. I think parenting can make or break a young athlete. Have you ever seen the “Helicopter Parent?” I know parents love their children and want them to succeed, but in sports, there are some mindsets that are detrimental to the development of not just the athlete but the child as well. Here are some tips for sports parents from a guy who’s been observing sports parents for the longest time.
Your child’s sporting success does not reflect your own.
Too often we see parents pushing their children in sports to prove a point that they are better than other parents. Sorry, folks, it doesn’t work that way.
Leave the coaching to the coach.
Some parents think they know better than the coaches. It might be true at times, but there’s a proper way of coordinating your input with the coach. Yelling and cursing is counterproductive. Learn to work together in harmony; after all, you have common goals.
Sport reveals a child’s character but definitely exposes the parents.
I think the sporting environment exposes extreme attitudes to both winning and losing. There is a time and place to be frustrated with a child’s effort (or lack of) but when children do their best and put in the work, there is more to be proud of than be frustrated with.
Build character that leads to success, not just focusing on success. And reward it!
In this winning-based society, there is much focus on just the “results.” And yes, that is important. But with children, we would rather want them to develop the processes that lead to success: cleaning up after yourself; packing your belongings; coming on time; respecting your teammates, coach and the opposition; winning with humility and losing with grace; working hard and abiding by the rules, etc.
Master the talk on the car ride back home after losing.
Children feel frustrated after losing. Parents do too. But as the more mature adults (hopefully) it is our responsibility as parents to lift up our kids’ spirits rather than putting them down.
I hope this article serves our sports parents well. Our children’s success in the sports arena and their holistic development as a human being depends on our ability to watch our words, carry ourselves with dignity when we don’t win or when we don’t get our way, handle situations with grace and abide by rules. Our children may not listen to everything we say, but more often than not they watch and copy what we do.