Guidelines For Parents
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Introduce your child to a variety of sports: There are many sport and physical activities beyond traditional sports. Consider a variety of choices for children A diversity of sports experiences paves the way for young people to find activities they will enjoy throughout life.
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Emphasize fun and skill development: it keeps children involved and active. Encourage intrinsic motivation at an early age. Will your child continue to be fit and active as an adult? Bad experiences with sports at an early age can turn a child away from sports involvement forever.
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Nourish the dreams of the child, not your own; to do that, you need to communicate with your child.
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Minimize competition. Children are not emotionally and cognitively ready to compete at this age. Work on building skill development; look for programs that support this philosophy.
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Ensure good coaching for continued participation and skill development. Be proactive in finding good coaches who share your values.
Overview
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Increasing commitment of young athlete to her chosen sport.
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Extent of commitment is major issue faced by family, especially for the talented athlete.
Problem Areas
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Excessive conflict
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Parents, and sometimes coaches, may have a different set of expectations or goals than the athlete, which often leads to conflict.
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The athlete has to have, or rediscover, his own personal reasons for playing sports. In other words, she needs to see that participation has intrinsic, personal value.
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Only the strongest and most confident children have the skills to resist expectations of their parents and to fight for their own dreams.
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