Parent's Role In Athletics - A Self Check
Created by klladmin in 1/31/2009 10:22:08 PM
Being a supportive parent to your athlete is of the utmost importance to your child’s experience. Here are some tips and strategies to help you be the best parent you can be during your son or daughter’s athletic experience.
1. Know what your athlete’s goals are.
Four Questions to Ask:
- What are you goals for the season?
- What role do you see yourself playing?
- Why do you want to play?
- What makes a successful season in your mind?
If your answers to these four questions do not match your athlete’s, drop your goals and accept theirs.
2. Release your son or daughter to the experience! Release them to the team, coaches, successes and failures.
98% of all athletes play sports for the fun of the game and the social atmosphere, not to obtain college scholarships.
By releasing your athlete to the experience you allow them to learn valuable life-lessons that allow them to learn from the ups and downs they will experience. Don’t interfere with this process of learning!
Red flags that may indicate you have not released your athlete to the sport may include:
* If you take credit for their successes when things go right.
* You try to solve their problems for them.
* If you continue to coach them and they are looking for you in the stands for your approval.
* If you find yourself yelling at officials.
* Blaming or making excuses for failures.
* Your athlete avoids you after games or they are embarrassed by your involvement.
* You are more nervous before a game than your athlete.
* It takes you longer to get over a loss than your athlete.
3. Tips for helping your athlete during the games:
* Learn the rules of the game and how it is played.
* Model appropriate behavior by being poised, confident, and in control.
* One Instructional Voice, the coach. They have been listening to this voice all week in practice.
* Focus on the team and team goals rather than focusing in on only your athlete. See the big picture.
* The are only four roles that anyone can have during a game: player, coach, official, spectator. Your role is to be the best spectator you can be and not try to take on another role.
4. Know how to handle the after game experience.
The hardest part of athletics that athletes have said over and over is the ride home after the game. Too often the game gets rehashed by the parent with the athlete who knows all too well what went right and what went wrong. They do not need their parents playing with their confidence level at such a fragile time.
Athletes following the game need time and space. If they want to talk to you about it, they will bring it up to you and that is the time to LISTEN to them.
5. Are you a confidence-builder or a confidence-breaker? Ask your athlete! They know.
It is easy to be a confidence-builder when things are going well, but when things don’t go well, what message are you sending your athlete?
Following these tips and strategies will not only make the athletic experience more enjoyable for your student-athlete, but also for you as parents!
Being a supportive parent to your athlete is of the utmost importance to your child’s experience. H... Read More..
