As parents, we always want what is best for our kids, but sometimes we tend to live a bit too vicariously through our kids and tend to get too wrapped up in the here and now rather than keep things in perspective!
I was reading my son’s USA Hockey magazine this week and this Hockey Lesson really hit home!
As coaches, we spend a lot of time working on the positives with the kids, just to have it unraveled by their parents. Just last night I was coaching at the gym and I noticed a parent in the bleachers waving wildly at his daughter. Rather than looking to her coach for corrections after each turn, the child immediately looked to the bleachers for her father’s response. Now how is that father going to know what correction the coach wanted the child to have?
I have witnessed poor sports parents in every youth sporting event I have ever gone to. No sport or activity seems to be immune. If parents want to really help their children succeed at sports, they need to take a step back and put youth sports into perspective! Youth sports is:
- Only a game
- A healthy outlet for energy
- The pathway to a life of fitness
- An opportunity for kids to make new friends
- An opportunity for kids to learn teamwork
- A way for kids to learn that winning isn’t everything
- A way for kids to learn lots of other great life lessons
Ask yourself, are you setting a good example for your child? Are you keeping it in perspective?
7 Comments»
Aurelia
19. February 2008 | 18:26 hWOW - I love that Hocky Lesson Article and I wish I could tape that up on the Dojang of my 8yo sons Tae Kwon Do doors! WOW those parents are BRUTAL and I sit there with my book breathing in deeply and slowly counting to 10.
I do attend the practices and the tests/sparring events but never do I open my mouth to disrupt the class. Ok, Ok, I admit that one time my son did a FIERCE turn around side kick and broad a board on his first time and I literally jumped out of my set but I caught myself before I yelled out “YOU GO BABY”…LOL
I consider myself to be a good sports mom and I always try to set good examples for my children
Great, great post!
Annette
19. February 2008 | 18:30 hThis is a great post! Love it!
Chris Austria
19. February 2008 | 18:54 hAmen and Amen…I was an athlete in high school and college and I had wish to transfer my sports to my children but they are not really as passionate as I am with sports so I backed off and I let them enjoy it. Now they can’t get enough of it.
Gayla McCord
20. February 2008 | 00:51 hI can think of at least 20 parents/coaches that should read this very piece.
Every time I attend a wrestling match with my kids, I come home with higher blood pressure just from listening to the hyper parents screaming at their kids.
Seems to me it’s not the kids who need the education in sports as much as their parents do. I have to wonder if the parents didn’t put so much pressure on the kids if the kids would have better skills in sportsmanship.
pickel
20. February 2008 | 01:22 hMy father was an athletic director at the neighboring high school while all three of us kids participated in varsity sports. The hardest part of his job was watching us (and keeping his mouth shut), not executing his own job. As athletic director his job was to facilitate and help coaches, as a parent his job was to be a parent, even if he knew better than the our coaches. He disagreed with (IMO), ever single one, but he kept his mouth shut and let us navigate…and that made him a fantastic dad.
Kirk Mango
4. March 2008 | 18:43 hGreat post and great blog. As a former athelte, coach, and parent of two collegiate atheltes I commend you on taking the time to bring attention to this topic. Much of what you discuss is part of the motivating factor for my book “Becoming a True Champion: A Handbook for Young Athletes Aiming for Greatness.” Based on what you discuss on your blog you may have some interest in my book and blog where I am trying to make a difference for young, high school, and collegiate athletes and their parents. Here are the links to my website and blog if you are interested:
http://www.becomingatruechampion.com/
http://www.becomingatruechampion.blogspot.com/
Kirk Mango
Wordsmith from Nantucket
12. March 2008 | 06:27 hWhat a great post! Definitely should be read by sports parents, who mean well, but don’t know any better.