As parents and coaches, we want our kids to succeed, to be resilient, and to be successful at whatever endeavors they pursue.
If you want your child to truly embrace a sport, you have to flip the script. Here is how to build a foundation that lasts a lifetime.
The best way to get your kids into a sport is in a place where you are not stressed. Children are like emotional sponges. If you are anxious or stressed, they will feel it too.
When the environment is relaxed, their brains are free to play, experiment, and learn. Find a league or a park where the stakes are low, and the joy is high.
One of the biggest mistakes parents make is staying until the wheels fall off. Bring them home before they are tired.
Why? If you wait until they are exhausted, cranky, or weeping on the field, their brain associates the sport with physical and emotional burnout.
The Goal: If you leave while they’re still having fun, they’ll spend the whole car ride asking when they can go back.
There is a common myth in youth sports: If they’re good at it, they’ll love it. In reality, the opposite is true. Love must come first; then they get good.
Talent can get a child onto a team, but only love builds resilience. When a child loves the game, they enjoy practice, and they can bounce back from adversity because the game itself is the reward… not just the trophy.
After the game or practice is over, move on. Spend time afterward just being a parent and child without the sport. Drink a soda, get ice cream, talk about anything that isn’t the sport, or go for a walk and don’t mention the score once.
Your child needs to know that your love and your time aren’t contingent on their performance. Simply modeling behavior that is separating “The Player” from “The Person.”
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to raise an athlete; it’s to give them a happy memory from when they were a kid that stays with them forever.
If they happen to become a pro, great. But a real win is if they grow up to be an adult who loves being active and remembers their childhood with a smile.
We love sports for many reasons, but I can’t think of a better reason than that it was a great experience with a parent or coach.
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