20 Jun How to Support Your Youth Athlete without Crossing the Line
Over the years of moving youth athletes on our coaches we have worked with some of the very best our area has to offer. We have also seen the less great coaches and parents who have have pushed a bit to hard.
1. Have a realistic expectations. Not every child is a natural born athlete and there is nothing wrong with that! It’s important that sports parents set realistic expectations for their youth athletes and celebrate the little victories. Celebrate what they get right and keep in mind that youth sports is a journey!
2. Create a “sports free time” at home. It’s important to make sure sports don’t overshadow the rest of their life. Everyone needs a break from youth sports now and then, especially after a loss. Make the commitment to yourself and your youth athlete that there will always be a “sports free” time at home where they won’t have to relive every play from the previous game.
3. Don’t coach from the sidelines. It’s significant that sports parents remember that they are fans, not the coaches. Your job is to cheer and support your player (and their teammates) not coach from the sidelines. Not only makes it happen undermine the authority of their coach, it effectively puts your athlete is an unpleasant situation. Who are they supposed to listen to? Are you going to be upset if they listen to their coach over you?
4. Watch what you say. It’s so valuable for youth athletes to know their parents love them and are proud of them regardless of the score at the end of the day. If you only praise them when their team wins and nitpick over their mistakes (going back to the need for realistic expectations), your child might start to feel like they only way they can make you proud is to be perfect. At the end of the day youth sports is just a game, not life or death.