I would like to share with parents a tricky issue that sometimes happens with kids and sports — and may even be happening in your family (Sport Success 360).For some kids, sports seem to come relatively easy to them, and as a result they often become the stars of their teams. Ideally, the child also loves (or at least likes) playing the sport that she excels at playing. While it is true that most kids who play sports enjoy the overall experience, we need to also pay attention to the kids who just happen to be good at something that they really don’t like to do.
As hard as this might be for some parents to accept, the reality is that not every good young athlete likes to play sports.Assuming a kid is good at a sport, there are two looming factors that will impact his interest (or lack thereof) in playing the sport:
1) Intensity of competition – Kids who play intense and competitive sports at an early stage in their development run a greater risk for youth sport burnout, a condition that can be both physically and emotionally demanding. This does not mean competitive sports are bad, but it is important to remember when sports are no longer fun, kids often lose interest in playing. Playing sports year-round might help with athletic development, but it can also lead to mental challenges for kids that they may not be capable of handling at a young age.Some parents can also unknowingly pressure their kids to continue their athletic development because of early age success. Kids can interpret these expectations as pressure, which can lead to having less interest in playing the sport.
2) The child’s social athletic identity – A persons identity is made up of both their self-identity and their social-identity. Our self-identity is simply how we see ourselves (i.e. father, teacher, etc.). Our social identity is how the world sees us (which may be different than how we see ourselves). For some kids who are good at sports, their friends, school, and community begin to expect that the kid will one day want to play college and professional sports. In these instances, kids can feel pressured to live up to societal expectations, leading to a host of emotional difficulties if not addressed.You dont have to feel like a “bad” parent for having your child involved in high-intensity sports, but it is important to carefully watch your child’s level of interest playing sports. The challenge is to temper your emotions and look at the big picture, which should include watching for signs of burnout, expectations by others, and most importantly — your child’s interest in playing sports.
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