Sports parents often tell me it’s like a full-time job when it comes to providing their kids with the best athletic experience possible. Should my child specialize in one sport? Should he or she jump on with a travel team? Is it OK to show emotions from the stands, or does this harm my child more than help? These are just a few of the questions I receive at my office, prompting me to think about some basic strategies you might employ as you tackle the growing number of issues relating to youth sports.
The Top 5 Best Sport Parenting Strategies
- Try lots of different sports. This is especially true when kids are young! One problem I see some parents make is specializing in one sport very early, often at the expense of sampling other sports. As kids get involved with sports I like to see them playing as many different sports as possible, and over time deciding what sports they like and what sports they don’t. When kids specialize too soon they run a greater risk for sports burnout, unnecessary injuries, and premature quitting of sports altogether.
- Don’t just “go with the flow.” Another common trap for sports parents is to copy what other parents are doing with their sport decisions, even when they don’t always make sense. For example, haphazardly signing your kid up for travel sports when she really only wants to play the sport for recreation can lead to bigger problems down the road. Instead, take time to understand the differences in sports leagues, then make family decisions that are unique to your child’s interests.
- Listen to when your child needs a break from sports. Sports burnout can lead to depression, anxiety, and even substance abuse, making it important that parents watch closely for signs of mental fatigue —- including when kids speak directly about wanting to take a break from sports. What is not advised is to ignore signs, or simply suggest to your child to “suck it up” and create the impression that his or her feelings are not legitimate.
- Don’t live vicariously through your child. Parents who still think about their own unmet youth sports goals may be at risk for trying to get a “re-do” through their kids. When kids feel like they can never live up to parental expectations it can cause a divide at home, as well as create an overall stressful life experience brought on unnecessarily.
- Offer tons of positive reinforcement & support. Kids respond well to having parents who support them, cheer, and offer positive reinforcement for effort (even if the results aren’t there yet). It’s easy to find fault and point out shortcomings, but make it a point to catching your child doing things right, and then let them know how proud you are for their effort!
Final thoughts
Successful sports parenting is an active experience, requiring you to tune in to trends, issues, and problems your child might experience while competing. While it’s easy to get caught up in the intensity of youth sports today, it’s important that we remember that these are kids simply having fun playing sports they enjoy — not mini professional athletes. Create a sports landscape for your child that includes playing sports he or she enjoys, taking timeouts away from sports when needed, and providing a lot of support and encouragement to help get through tough days.
drstankovich.com
