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HOW SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S ATHLETICS MIGHT NOT MEAN WHAT YOU THINK IT DOES The championship game is over. The reporter holds the mic up to your son, the star of the game. “I owe it all to my mom,” he says, his words awakening an inexpressible sense of pride. Now wake up. Your son is currently 7 years old, far from that championship moment of your dreams, that imaginary moment full of flawed notions and time bombs of disappointment. As researchers learn more about our 21.5 million youth athletes, it is becoming clear that parents need to take a time out and assess what they’re doing, because in many cases, they’re doing it wrong. Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC interviewed hundreds of college athletes, asking "What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?" The overwhelming response was "The ride home from games with my parents." It wasn’t the exhaustion, the cuts, the bruises, or the trash talk. It was their biggest fan that created the worst memories.
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important; in fact a third of girls and more than 60 percent of boys ages 8-17 say sports are a big part of who they are, according to recent surveys. It’s just that scholarships and winning don’t always top their priorities. And that’s fine. Parents of the 21.5 million kids playing team sports should align their own goals with their child’s when it comes to sports, researchers say. Furthermore, parents need to focus on the many benefits of athletics, not just those they deem most important. Truthfully, with how much we glorify sports for building teamwork, trust and the ability to work hard, parents too often let those priorities fall into oblivion.
Research finds that there seems to be a disconnect between what parents want from their children’s athletics, versus what the kids themselves want. According to research from the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, Athletic Footwear Association and USA Today, here are some prevalent attitudes among our young ball players, ages 5-18.
90%
WOULD RATHER LOSE THAN NOT PLAY
65%
71%
WOULDN’T CARE IF NOBODY KEPT SCORE
PLAY SPORTS TO BE WITH FRIENDS
So, to parents screaming about bad calls, lecturing about ball control and complaining about playing time: your kids probably don’t care. That doesn’t mean sons and daughters don’t think sports are
Sources: www.theatlantic.com, “Parents Ruin Sports for Their Kids by Obsessing About Winning” www.thepostgame.com, “What Makes a Nightmare Sports Parent” espn.go.com | theatlantic.com | thepostgame.com
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