How Do You Become a Supportive Parent in Sports?
Hard work, dedication, and a never-ending drive are just a few of the things that come to mind when we think of what makes a champion a champion. When we see dominant professional athletes, it's easy to celebrate their results and overlook the long, slow formative process required for them to get there.
Champions 101 is fully aware of a parent's impact on their child's life in and out of the game. That is why we have put together this blog to serve as one of our sports parents resources. It will also help give insight into showcasing positive parent behavior in sports.
How Can I be a Good Parent to an Athlete?
As parents, we want the best for our children. Pushing them to be the best version of themselves is like a balancing act. If we push them too hard, they will fall, and this can lead to resentment for the sport and us.
So how can we support our kids and challenge them to reach their full potential while still being a positive part of their sports journey? The key is to find the balance in your passion for your athlete. Put aside your own desires, and remember that it is about their enjoyment and their development in the end. Every choice we make as parents should support those outcomes. Here are three great ways to adjust to being a more supportive sports parent.
Model Behavior: A simple way to positively impact your child is by acting the way you want them to behave. Suppose you overreact to a call and start to criticize the referee. This can result in your child exhibiting the same poor behavior. Show them how to act when they face difficult situations.
Enjoy The Moment: Your child got into sports for the love of the game and to have fun with their friends. We are always looking out for their future, but it is essential to let them live in the moment and enjoy where they are. They are not always thinking about next season or where they want to be a few years down the line. Take a step back and let the coach worry about the "later," so you can enjoy the "now" with your child.
Celebrate The Struggles: Competition can bring out the best in people, but it can also draw upon their worst features. The best way to avoid this and create a positive impact is by celebrating other moments besides a big win. The truth is, your child can win a game and play selfishly, poorly, or without the champion mentality. At the same time, your child can lose a game and play like a champion full of relentlessness and resiliency. Take a loss as a moment to have a teaching lesson with your athlete. Oftentimes, more growth can come from a loss than a victory.
Positive parent behavior in sports can take shape in many ways, and these are just three simple paths to get started. You have many roles as a parent. You are an encourager, challenger, teacher, and in many ways, even coach. First and foremost, your young athlete should know you are their supporter - win, lose, or draw.
How Does Parental Pressure Affect Athletes?
As youth sports gain more national attention and parents' level of investment in the experience continues to rise, sports parents often add another level of unnecessary pressure to their athletes. Athletes look to their parents for support and guidance. Their actions and words have a more significant impact than a coach's. Parental pressure often gets negative connotations around it, so let's look at some positive effects of parental pressure.
We've all heard the saying "pressure makes diamonds," and there is some truth to that. Champions are forged through hard work and discipline. Parents are in a prime position to instill those characteristics in their athletes. The difficulty is that there is a fine line between pushing your child to succeed and pushing them too far. Balance and perspective are two things to keep in mind. When you push them, make sure that you listen to their feedback. Unfortunately, for even the most well-intentioned parents, it is not that hard to make decisions that hinder their child’s performance and their passion for playing. Over time, your child can become burnt out on the sport, and if they are not given enough time to step back and evaluate how they want to move forward, they may never return to the game.
Another positive effect of parental pressure is that your child will eventually learn to strive for more on their own. The positive pressure you put on them to do their very best each and every time they play will transfer to all areas of their life. How does pressure achieve this? By instilling in them a disciplined attitude. To be a champion, they need to establish and stick to a routine. Thus, that positive pressure can be the catalyst for this behavior to grow in their life.
Learn to be a Positive Force with Champions 101
If you are struggling with balancing your passion for your child's athletics, then look no further than Champions 101. We offer plenty of resources for parents to understand how they can best support their athletes. At Champions 101, we teach the foundational mindsets, choices, and behaviors that help each one of us become the very best versions of ourselves.
Your athlete wants to look at you for guidance and support. If you are ready to transform your behavior, contact us today!