Participating in youth sports can be incredibly beneficial for kids, but when parents place a lot of pressure on their young athletes, they can have the opposite effect. Whether you’re hyping them up before a game or cheering them up after a losing game, keep these tips in mind when encouraging your child’s interest in sports. These suggestions were compiled from sports and parenting blogs online.
Do:
- Offer unconditional feedback.
- Wait until your child has cooled off to offer criticism or advice.
- Hold yourself accountable if you say something that hurts your child’s feelings.
- Put things into perspective. Youth sports are not that serious, and a loss isn’t the end of the world.
- If you do get emotional or say something you don’t mean during a game, apologize after the fact. You can also discuss this with your child, but it’s not always necessary.
- Ask your child questions about their experiences during game.
- Let your child initiate a conversation first if they’re feeling frustrated.
- Praise positive behavior regardless of performance (e.g. helping another teammate).
- Always let your child know that you love them and that you enjoyed watching them play.
Don’t:
- Place conditions on praise or affection (e.g. only praising your child for playing well if their team wins).
- Put other players down when praising your own child.
- Bad-mouth the coach or other players’ parents to your child.
- Use judgmental words when offering advice, such as “just,” “should,” “always” and “never.”
- Tell your athlete they are better than they are at a sport. (Encourage them to continue trying, but do not lie to them.)
- Tell your child how they are feeling after the game. (Learn to separate your own feelings from your child’s.)
